Minor in Wilderness Education

Minimum of 22 credit hours required

Contact Person: Mark Simon   100D Satterlee, (315) 267-3130, simonm@potsdam.edu   The wilderness education minor prepares students to become leaders in wilderness settings. If winter camping, rock and ice climbing interest   you or are already your passion, this is the program for you. The lakes, forests, and climbing crags within the six-million acre Adirondack   Park are your classroom. Prepare yourself to teach others about how to travel safely through wilderness environments. In the process, you   also learn a great deal about leadership and group dynamics, which are transferable to work settings outside of the wilderness. The wilderness education minor will prepare you for a primary or secondary career as a field instructor within the following broad areas:

  • Education: secondary science, field-based science, environmental education, outdoor-based physical education

  • Recreation: college campus-based outdoor recreation, wilderness guide, adventure recreation

  • Personal development/therapy: challenge programs, youth-at-risk, people with disabilities

  • Community health: adolescent health education, drug prevention programs

All courses are 3 credits unless noted. Credits are divided as follows:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Complete all of the following courses
   
11
WILD 240Backpacking (2 credits) 
WILD 220Wilderness First Responder 
WILD 320Outdoor Education 
WILD 350Wilderness and Adventure Program Planning 

  Choose one of the following Emphases
  8-10
Wilderness Leadership Emphasis Requirements 
WILD 340Wilderness Leadership I (4 credits) 
WILD 345Wilderness Leadership II (6 credits) 

  Adventure Education Emphasis Requirements		 
WILD 160Introduction to Rock Climbing (1 credit) 
WILD 170Rock Climbing (2 credits) 
WILD 360Leadership In Adventure Education (2 credits) 
WILD 445Therapeutic Recreation 

    Students may choose to take the following electives
      0-8
WILD 175Ice Climbing (2 credits) 
GEOL 101Environmental Geology 
BIOL 111Adirondack Ecology