A college student’s idea of free-time may be eating and watching Netflix, but a new program on campus is looking to make those habits a thing of the past.
The Adventure Leadership Program will join the recreational sports options at North Central College. It aims to introduce students to outdoor activities such as canoeing, camping and hiking.
Director of Campus Recreation Lydia Pond is developing the program in hopes to get students active through nature and to better themselves. “There’s a need on this campus to get students outside and have them experience nature through experiential learning,” Pond said. “Students go from class to class, to homework, to their jobs. My hope is to get them to just take a moment and relax.”
Having an athletic background is not required, as there is always an activity available for any skill level. Some of the more notable trips include a Starved Rock hike and a D-Term ski-trip to Utah, and these are activities that anyone can partake in.
“We have expert level stuff. We have intro level stuff,” Pond said, “Different types of adventures, because not everyone can go ice climbing.”
Some activities will be used to build character and leadership skills over time. To build upon these traits, the curriculum from leadership, ethics and values courses will be implemented into the program to give the students the best growth possible.
“A lot of these activities require teamwork, trusting other people and communication…we want (students) to learn new skills and enhance their knowledge of the outdoors,” said Pond.
Up to 20 people have already shown interest in the Adventure Leadership Program and it is looking to grow. “We want to provide fun, sustainable and engaging experiences. We want to challenge the students and help them learn about themselves as well.”
