BIG PROGRAM NEWS!!

Beginning with the Fall 2013 semester, the Outdoor Education program will be operating on a Block Semester Format.  The new FOCUS Semester, Focusing on One Course for Ultimate Success, will operate by offering one class at a time.  The students will take one class for 3-4 weeks, spending 5+/- hours a day focusing on that single course for the 3-4 weeks.

This will alsow for multiple benefical outcomes.  First, the students will only have one class to put their attention towards, not the classic 5-6 classes at the same time.  This allows for attention to be devoted to the one subject without taking anything away from other subjects.

Second it opens up the possibilities of how courses are taught.  The program will be based much more on an experiential model where the students will be in the traidtional classroom much less, and in the field practicing and learning new skills and knowledge.

We will also be starting some new classes.  Some of these include Backcountry Traveler where the students will spend two week learning backcountry skills followed by 10-14 days straight in the field.  What better way to learn about Outdoor Education and leading groups in the field than actually being in the field.

Unlike many programs that have one semester or a summer class that is spent outdoors, NWC students will spend their entire time at college with a focus on the outdoors.  Each semester will have classes that will spend time in the backcountry. 

The General Education courses will also follow the same format.  In many cases, those Gen Ed calsses will also have more of a focus on Outdoor Education, making them more practical and related to the students degree.

Part of the new program will also incude a partnership with the National Park Service in Lovell, WY at Bighorn Lake National Recreation Area.  Students will spend their OEPR 1550 course actually working with professionals in the aprk service out in the field.  They will have the ability to learn first hand about the Park Service, Forest Service, BLM and Game and Fish by working with them.  This will give the students the benefit of seeing what areas within those agencies might interest them as well as a foot in the door for future career oppertunities.

Out students will also be working with the Park Service to implement their new Water Ways program where Park Service will be starting a new program to increase non-motorized water travel on Bighorn Lake. 

This will be an exciting new adventure for the Outdoor Education program and students.  The new format should allow for better retention and more directed to the area(s) of interest for our students.

Also, keep an eye out for the new A.A.S. Outdoor Recreation Leadrship degree we are developing for the program.  Our planned implementation date is Fall 2013.  This will be ideal for the students that plan to start their Outdoor careers immediately following graduation from Northwest College.

The PEAC 1600 Ice Climbing class headed out to test thier skills on February 9-10th up the Southfork in Cody, WY.  On Saturday we went up to Broken Hearts, a WI3 and climbed multiple lines on the first pitch.  Day two was spent up Deer Creek where the class divided into two groups.  The first group stayed at the first pitch, which was a 15m vertical flow, while the other half continued up to the second pitch for a longer WI4 pillar.  It was a great day. 

There will be some photos added shortly.

AIARE Avalanche 2 Course -Alaska, Chugach Mountains

AIARE Avalanche Course- Alaska, Chugach Mountains

Backpacking

The OEAC 1150 Outdoor Living Skills: Mountain class again traveled up to the Beartooths this fall.  We did a short 4 mile hike in on Friday, set up camp and talked about topics such as Leave-No-Trace, dealing with bear inhabited areas, site selection and more.  Saturday the group set out to the north towards Lonesome Mountain, with some of the class making it to the top of the peak, elevation 11,400'.  Below are a few photos from the weekend.

Challenge Course

The students in the Challenge Course Facilitation class were working on setting up and taking down the challenge course, as well as learning and practicing on the elements themselves.  Northwest College is fortunate to have two different challenge courses, one inside the main gym, the second located outside at the A.L. Michelson Field Station.  The outdoor course is a traditional telephone pole course with a static (i.e. lobster claw) belay while the indoor course on campus is a dynamic belay, meaning the participant is belayed  separately for each individual element.  The image below is from a couple students learning the process for the lowering the log from the ceiling of the gym.  Once lowered, the participant is challenged to walk across the log with a stationary rope to assist them.  The Log itself is lowered with a 3:1 pulley system to help the facilitators in the lift.

PCIA Climbing Certification

Acadia Mountain Guides was in Cody, WY last week offering the Bottom/Top Managed Climbing instructor and Single Pitch Instructor certification courses for NWC Outdoor Ed students.  The course took place over a 5 day period teaching students instructor skills.  These skills included hard skills for anchor building, instructional and teaching strategies, environmental awareness, rescue scenarios and more.  The course concluded with a one day exam in which 2 of the students passed the certification, 3 others had a few skills to work on and will take the exam at a later date.

Thanks goes out to PCIA and Acadia Mountain Guides for offering this opportunity to our students, and we look forward to more certifications again in the future.