Outdoor Recreation

The natural environment all across Vermont is one of our greatest resources. We love to take advantage of what this place has to offer; hiking, mountain biking, skiing and riding, hunting, fishing, camping, and snowmobiling, to name a few. The Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Sustainability program studies these recreational activities and identifies the impacts that they have on our shared environment. Students will learn about outdoor occupations, businesses, and organizations that thrive in our state and the related skills of preparedness, safety, emergency management, required certifications, and educational pathways to find a career in this industry. Utilizing our surrounding resources, students will learn and experience outdoor living skills, such as shelter building, map and compass use, trip planning leadership skills, and group management strategies. Equally important, students will explore ecological systems and the importance and strategies for conserving our environment while responsibly enjoying all that our regional location offers.

This program includes Project Bike Tech, which will provide students with a Level I bike technician certification, which is one of the most desired certifications in the industry. Introduction to ski technician skills and wilderness first aid are anticipated in the program. The knowledge and skills attained in Year I will provide the essential foundation to pursue Year II, which will take students further into our environmental resources and expand trip planning and leadership opportunities, ecological studies, and connections with the outdoor recreation industry in our region.

The knowledge and skills developed through year I of this program prepare students for the excursion-focused part of the program. Students can expect increased interaction with the environment and more in-depth ecological studies throughout the year as they experience each season and the activities associated with them. Year II students will take on leadership roles for trip planning, including preparation of equipment, meals, and outdoor survival gear. This second year will also include greater access to work-based learning opportunities throughout our region and the development of pathways for potential careers in this exciting and ever-growing field.