Outdoor Education

 


If you love the outdoors and are seeking a career, or just the skills to live comfortably in the wilderness, Central Wyoming College offers two unique programs which combine a rigorous academic foundation with hands-on skill development in remote wilderness settings.

 

Outdoor Education and Leadership

Associate of Art

    The Outdoor Education and Leadership degree program is provided through a partnership with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). This unique program combines extended wilderness expeditions offered through NOLS with a general studies curriculum offered through CWC. The wilderness expeditions are designed to develop environmental awareness and outdoor living and travel skills.

    Students taking a NOLS semester course for CWC credit must concurrently enroll in the following courses: G&R 2050, BIOL 2045, and EDUC 2050. For semesters that include a wilderness first responder component, students should also enroll in HLED 2010. The NOLS semester courses run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for 64-94 days in these locations: Alaska, Arizona, Australia, Chile, India, the Yukon, New Zealand, Brazil, Scandinavia, Idaho, Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. Consult the NOLS website or catalog for specific dates, locations and formats. No more than 16 credits of NOLS or WMI courses may be applied toward graduation.

    All wilderness courses require students to have the physical ability to carry a 65 pound backpack and hike 70-100 mile in rugged wilderness terrain. Regardless of the location or activity, four recurring themes are stressed: safety and judgment; leadership; outdoor skills; and environmental ethics.

 

Outdoor Recreation

Associate of Applied Science

   This program offers students a business/entrepreneurial perspective of the outdoor recreation service industry that includes learning, training, and assessment of leadership and program management skills along with an understanding of human behavior and development.
    Upon completion of this program, students will:

  1. Follow basic business practices.
  2. Apply elements of human development and psychology to outdoor recreation program settings.
  3.  Evaluate and promote leadership styles and group dynamics.
  4. Demonstrate intermediate to advanced skill sets in a specific area of interest within outdoor recreation.
  5. Effectively manage physical and psychological risks associated with a variety of outdoor activities.

   The Outdoor Recreation program is especially appropriate for students wishing to start their own outdoor-related small business or seeking careers in parks, recreation and tourism.  This program is not designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution for a bachelor degree.

 
Consistent with its mission to value diversity and to treat all individuals with dignity and respect, Central Wyoming College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its educational program services or activities. The college makes reasonable accommodations to serve students with special needs and offers services to students who have the ability to benefit.
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