Stepping outside familiar surroundings often helps students build stronger connections with one another. It is a strategy Washington State University’s Outdoor Recreation Center (ORC) knows well, and its trained staff facilitates over 100 outdoor adventures for the WSU community every year, both on and off campus.
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) on the Pullman campus recently participated in an ORC custom program that brought more than 50 students and staff to Field Springs State Park for its annual leadership retreat. CAMP is a federally funded program that helps first-year students from migrant and seasonal farm working backgrounds transition to college.
“Our goal with the retreat is to give them an experience where they feel confident stepping into leadership roles, whether that be with their peers or individually by taking ownership of their decisions and the course they are setting at WSU,” said Michael Heim, director of educational opportunity grants in Student Affairs. “The ORC has always been a great partner because they focus on connecting students through intentional activities.”
During the two-day retreat, Paula Kimmerling, coordinator for outdoor adventures in University Recreation, and five student staff led CAMP through facilitated ice breakers, interactive team-building activities, kayaking, and a group hike.
“The students were very willing to open up and get to know each other, which was surprising even for me given the large size of the group,” Kimmerling said.
The ORC, which is part of University Recreation, helps students feel more connected with one another, the university, and resources available to them. Kimmerling and Heim said it is common for some students to be nervous at the beginning, especially those who have not spent much time outdoors.
“Many of our students, given their backgrounds, have never been camping before,” Heim said. “Giving them new experiences, that take them out of their comfort zone, teaches them how to adjust to new surroundings, and those skills are useful when they arrive on the WSU campus.”
Learning by doing
While outdoor adventures are a hallmark of the ORC, it also facilitates experiential programs right on campus.
The Center for Student Organizations and Leadership in Student Affairs has been working with the ORC to re-tool its Cougs Lead Program, an intensive training for students who want to further develop their leadership skills.
Brian Shuffield, executive director of Student Engagement Services, said the main goal for the changes is to rely less on lectures and PowerPoints and more on activities and dialogue. Working with Shuffield’s team, the ORC is conducting six interactive workshops over six weeks this semester — all inside WSU classrooms. The workshops will focus on key elements of leadership including building identity, authenticity, and followership.
“We want to create space where students can learn while doing, which is interwoven into everything our department does,” said Shuffield. “The ORC staff are experts in experiential learning on our campus and I’m very excited to be working with them to reshape this longstanding program.”
Making strong connections
Whether they are working inside or outside, the student staff in the ORC, otherwise known as adventure facilitators, excel at creating environments where participants build meaningful connections. It is why groups like CAMP, residence hall staff, the LGBTQ+ Center, and the WSU School of the Environment keep coming back year after year.
Kimmerling said the adventure facilitators undergo extensive training on how to lead activities, including going on a 10-day adventure where they backpack, kayak, and paddleboard to practice their facilitation skills. They are also well-versed in Leave No Trace principles and Wilderness First Aid.
“In working with groups like CAMP, my students aren’t just learning technical skills, but they are gaining experience working with people different from themselves and who have different leadership styles,” Kimmerling said. “Our goal is to help every student be able to step outside and always feel at home, feel the connection with the earth, and know it’s a place they belong.”
More information about outdoor adventures, and a link to request a custom program, can be found on the University Recreation website.
