Missoula Outdoor Learning Adventures - Outdoor Education Workshop (UM C&I 455)

DISCOVER THE EDUCATOR AND LEADER IN YOU! MOLA's Outdoor Education Workshop is a 3-credit course designed to provide students with the skills and experience to be capable and confident outdoor educators and leaders. Whatever your academic or personal interests, you will learn to effectively use the outdoors as an educational tool. The course is divided into three main parts: 1) pedagogy, or how to be an effective teacher; 2) leadership,and how to manage group dynamics; 3) being outdoors, and the concerns of logistics, risk management, and Leave-No-Trace ethics involved with teaching/leading. Specific topics include:

Educational Philosophy
Learning Theory
Curriculum Design
Lesson plans
Journaling
Educational Games
Experiential Methods
Communication

Leadership
Group Dynamics
Behavior & Discipline
Team Challenges
Logistics & Equipment
Risk Management
Leave No Trace Ethics
Outdoor Skills

Along the way, you will be immersed in the experiential process as you participate in an outdoor education program as part of a close knit group. You will also have a chance to gain experience in outdoor skills such as rafting, rock climbing, backpacking, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. You'll begin to develop a sense-of-place about yourself and the Missoula area, and you'll meet other people who love the outdoors.

This course is much like a NOLS or Outward Bound course spread out over one semester, but with more firm and rigorous academic roots. It grows beyond a typical college course into something that will challenge you in many ways. You'll learn much about education, groups, and being outdoors. Most importantly, you’ll learn about yourself. Here are some quotes from students in previous classes:

"This course stretched the way I think about...
education by opening up new and different ways of going about it."

"This class has given me a new vision of my 'sense of place' and defined myself and where I want to go in life."

"The most important lesson I will walk away with is the fact that I can do it too."

This course is listed as EVST 295 and is available for 3 credits. There is a separate $295 fee for the course, payable to MOLA, which includes instruction, reading materials, equipment, and transportation. If you want the 3 credits to show up on your transcript, you must pay the university a fee of $135. You can avoid that fee and simply include the course on your resume. Financial aid may be used in some instances to cover costs.

The credits for the course may count towards full time student status or graduation requirements only with the approval of an advisor. Previous students have counted it towards both required and elective courses. There are no prerequisites for the course, and it is offered every semester.

Consent of the instructor is required to register for the course, after which you may register through CyberBear or at our first official class meeting. If you want to hold a spot in the class, you may do so with a $50 deposit. The class fills quickly, so let us know as soon as possible if you or someone you know is interested. Please feel free to contact MOLA with any other questions.