EXPERIENCE Choose Your Orientation

For over 50 years, new students at Prescott College have built transformative connections to the college, their environment, and each other while on Orientation. The first class resident undergraduate students take, Orientation, is a four-week intensive, field-based course designed to introduce students to the natural and cultural environments of the southwest, learn about themselves and the greater community, and experience the educational philosophies of Prescott College. New students choose to participate in one of the following options:

Wilderness Orientation Community, Canoeing, & the Backcountry Community-Based Orientation

Wilderness Orientation:

Wilderness Orientation is at its heart a three-week backpacking expedition in the remote desert mountains and canyons of Arizona. You don’t need to be an experienced backpacker or extrovert to have a successful Orientation experience; you just need a sense of adventure and a readiness to build an inclusive learning community.

70% SPEND UP TO OF THE SEMESTER IN THE FIELD

Community, Canoeing, & the Backcountry Orientation:

This Orientation option is specifically designed for those who are new to spending time in the outdoors and/or might be intimidated by the length and/or physicality of the traditional Wilderness Orientation course. The curricular and experiential approach is focused on a beginner’s mindset with students engaging in three shorter expeditions. OPTION 2

3

Community-Based Orientation

Our Community-Based Orientation is offered in a non-expeditionary in-town format, in which students explore the concept of Community via interdisciplinary lenses. Through connections with the greater Prescott Community, students develop cultural awareness and critical thinking tools while developing a sense of place and exploring the ecological, political, and cultural histories of their new home.