History of Outdoor Education @ GCSU

History of Outdoor Education at GCSU

Outdoor education at Georgia College & State University has origins reaching back forty years to the summer outdoor education workshops held at Lake Laurel, GCSU's East Campus, during the 1960s and 1970s. The opportunities offered through the outdoor education academic programs and the Georgia College Outdoor Education Center have expanded greatly since then. However, these early workshops form the foundation of the programming that exists today.

The first formal outdoor education courses offered at GCSU--at that time, Georgia College--were wellness courses developed during the mid-1980s. With the development of these courses came the formation of the first body governing outdoor education at GCSU, the Adventure Subcommittee. Another subcommittee formed around the same time was instrumental in building the first low and high ropes course elements in the late 80s. These changes led to a new vision on the academic side at Georgia College: offering degree programs in outdoor education.

By the mid-1990s, three separate academic degree programs were available in outdoor education at GCSU: the Bachelors of General Studies (later to become the Bachelors of Science), the Master of Science in Psychology with emphasis in Adventure Therapy, and the Master of Education in Health and Physical Education with emphasis in Outdoor Education Administration. The MS in Psychology, Adventure Therapy track was discontinued in 1997 due to licensure changes. The MEd in Health and Physical Education, Outdoor Education Administration track has recently undergone curriculum changes and will be offered as a Master of Education in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Outdoor Education Administration beginning in Fall 2008. It continues to be a successful and exciting program, as does the popular BS degree.

During the 1990s, outdoor education at GCSU underwent significant changes on the non-academic side as well. The outdoor club grew and expanded its offerings to become the Georgia College Outdoor Education Center, a resource for student and community groups seeking custom programming and enrichment classes. The GC OEC continues to offer a variety of programs that enrich the community, as well as providing hands-on leadership experience for students in the academic programs.

Recently, both the GC OEC and the outdoor education academic programs moved from West Campus to a new, permanent location at East Campus. This move has provided more classroom and equipment storage facilities, and allowed the construction of a new challenge course (Experiential Resources, Inc., 2006). In addition to the Lake Laurel/East Campus facilities, GCSU also maintains an agreement with Georgia Power allowing outdoor education programs to use Rocky Creek Park on Lake Sinclair for canoeing and kayaking activities.

GCSU's outdoor education academic programs and the Georgia College Outdoor Education Center have been accredited by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) since 1997. As one of a handful of universities accredited by AEE, GCSU continues to lead the profession in creating exemplary opportunities for professional education and service to a wide range of client groups.