QUESTION:
What do you get when a world-class research university partners with a leader in the outdoor education industry?
ANSWER:
A pioneering approach to experiential learning that is shaping the next generation of thought leaders. Available to students of all ages and disciplines, the new Experiential Leadership in the Outdoors Certificate integrates outdoor education, social justice and problem-solving. Read on to learn more.
Headquartered in Cincinnati’s historic Hyde Park, the Camping & Education Foundation owns and operates two of the finest wilderness camps in America, Kooch-i-ching for boys and Ogichi Daa Kwe for girls.
The Foundation's mission is to develop young men and women, in body and spirit, through wilderness experiences that celebrate a love of the outdoors.
The Foundation also oversees the Urban Wilderness Program in Cincinnati, runs a remote leadership development outpost in Ontario, and even sponsors Arctic canoe expeditions.
Established in 1925, Kooch-i-ching is a world-class wilderness camp for boys in northern Minnesota, offering countless opportunities for growth through a variety of in-camp activities, challenging river and mountain trips, and a reverent Native American program. For a boy, Kooch-i-ching is an investment in a man of the future.
Kooch-i-ching's mission is to inspire the growth of young men through fun and challenging wilderness adventures that promote self-discovery, teamwork and service to others.
Taking its name from the Ojibwe term for Strong Spirited Women, Ogichi Daa Kwe is a world-class wilderness camp for girls in northern Minnesota. Undistracted by technology and immersed in the calming power of Mother Nature, the young women of Ogichi learn to live with a peaceful spirit, affirming beauty, truth, fortitude and love.
Ogichi's mission is to empower the strong spirits of women through wilderness trips and lifelong community.
URBAN WILDERNESS Program
A perfect blend of experiential and STEM-based learning, the Urban Wilderness Program empowers Cincinnati schoolchildren through outdoor experiences across the city. With an emphasis on boatbuilding, canoeing and woodsmanship, the program teaches self-confidence and an affinity for nature.
Thank you for bringing this experience for us. Building and riding a canoe was one of the best gifts anyone could ever give me. If I could, I would go on this field trip unlimited times.
—STUDENT, KILGOUR SCHOOL
EXPERIENTIAL LEADERSHIP IN THE OUTDOORS CERTIFICATE
The 15-credit Experiential Leadership in the Outdoors Certificate develops skills essential to success—leadership, communication, collaboration and problem-solving—while facilitating environmental sensitivity and a respect for the outdoors. Students explore issues ranging from ethical controversies and risk management to how humans connect with the wilderness. To learn more, contact Linda Plevyak.
REQUIRED COURSES
- Inquiry to Innovation (PD 2030)
- Wilderness Immersion Course (OLHR 4091)
- Urban Wilderness Course (NEW)
ELECTIVES
- Introduction to Environmental Studies (EVST 1011)
- How to Change the World (OLHR 2010)
- Foundations for Non-Profit Leadership (OLHR 2048)
- Foundations for Leadership (OLHR 2050)
- Organizational Behavior for Effective Leaders (OLHR 2051)
- Practice of Leadership (OLHR 3050)
- Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 1001)
- Ethnography of Communication (ANTH 2090)
- Environmental Activism (HIST 2023)
- Global Environmental History (HIST 2024)
- Communication in Problem-Solving Groups (COMM 2021)
- Intercultural Communication (COMM 3049)
- Intro of Ethics (PHIL 1003)
- Sustainable Development (POL 3031)
- Global Environmental Law & Policy (POL 3032)
- Global Biodiversity (POL 3033)
INQUIRY TO INNOVATION
The Inquiry to Innovation course introduces students to the creative process of research and innovation, as well as collaborative cross-disciplinary teamwork necessary to address specific and real-world urban problems. In 2017, students were tasked with designing an Urban Wilderness Center in Cincinnati. Four of those students won UC's prestigious Neil Armstrong Innovation Award for their work on the project. To learn more, contact Kari Dunning.
This course was unlike any other I have taken. You have a lot of freedom when it comes to creating a final project. I loved the professors and enjoyed the overall experience.
—KYLE OBLONG
Kari Dunning is professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. With her passion for the outdoors, UC and the local community, Kari has been a leader in developing and sustaining the academic partnership with the Camping & Education Foundation.
Frank Russell is the director of UC Forward, a university-wide program that promotes collaborative innovation among diverse disciplines and community partners. Frank is also director of the DAAP Community Design Center and the Niehoff Urban Studio, a pioneering off-campus partnership program.
NEW: URBAN WILDERNESS COURSE
In the new Urban Wilderness Course, students will help lead the Foundation’s Cincinnati-based Urban Wilderness Program, now in its eighth year. In the classroom, students will work in teams to advance the curriculum and evaluate the program’s impact. In the field, they will work with Foundation staff to inspire and instruct local schoolchildren participating in a variety of outdoor activities.To learn more, contact Hugh Haller.
WILDERNESS IMMERSION COURSE
Whether gliding across a glassy lake, winding your way down a seething set of whitewater or frying fresh-caught fish over a crackling fire, you’ll be learning leadership, management and collaborative teamwork to the tune of loons and lapping water. Communication, problem-solving, self-reliance and an affinity for nature will be key to the group’s success—in the canoe, on the portage trail and at the campsite.
THE DETAILS
- Dates: August 6-19 (subject to slight change)
- Location: Camp Owakonze, Ontario
- Cost: $1,200*
- Course code: OLHR 4091 (Fall 2019)
- Credit hours: 3
- Transportation: Included
- Accommodation: Provided
- Gear: Supplied (packing list to follow)
- Pre-Course Requirements: Selected readings
- Post-Course Requirements: Presentation to Inquiry to Innovation class
*A $350 UC International scholarship is available to students with a minimum 2.0 GPA.
The Wilderness Immersion Course is available to all college students. Due to the high number of sign-ups in 2018, a questionnaire and short essay will help us determine which students would benefit most from the course. To learn more, contact Trace Dunning.
CAMP OWAKONZE
Camp Owakonze occupies two small islands on Baril Lake, Ontario. Founded as a wilderness boys camp in the 1920s, it closed down in the early ’70s when the train stopped carrying passengers north to the area. Seeing a kindred fraternity in the Camping & Education Foundation, Owakonze’s loyal alumni purchased the property in 2016 and gifted it to the organization.
With nearly a century of experience in outdoor education, the Foundation immediately put the camp to use as a remote expedition outpost—the perfect backdoor to the best of Canadian canoe country. With no paved roads leading to the lake and no access to the island except by boat, Owakonze remains virtually unchanged. Facilities include a dining hall, boathouse, gymnasium and various residential cabins. To learn more, contact Hugh Haller.
Questions? ConTACT US!
- Camping & Education Foundation: Hugh Haller
- Experiential Leadership Certificate: Linda Plevyak
- Inquiry to Innovation: Kari Dunning
- Wilderness Immersion Course: Trace Dunning