QUICK HITS
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
TOP OF THE CLASS
makes these two Mountain State schools perfect for students ready to explore the outdoors.
Readers Pick Region’s Best Adventure Colleges
Morgantown, W.Va.
BY ELLEN KANZINGER
E
arlier this year Blue Ridge Outdoors asked readers to help pick the region’s top adventure college. In our annual contest we placed 32 schools against each other in a bracket-style competition and received a flood of online voting from fans of their favorite schools. The colleges were chosen based on academic curricula, outdoor clubs, commitment to environmental initiatives, and, of course, access to adventure. Ultimately two winners— West Virginia University and WVU Institute of Technology—tied for the top prize. Read on to learn about what
West Virginia University UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT: 26,269
students
RELEVANT MAJORS/MINORS: Sports and
Adventure Media; Wildlife and Fisheries Resources; Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources RECREATION HIGHLIGHTS: 500 established climbing routes within a 10-mile radius; 605 miles of whitewater and seven downhill and cross-country ski areas within an hour and a half drive; Monongahela River; Coopers Rock State Forest ALTHOUGH ISSABELLA COLEGRANDE
has lived in Morgantown for most of her life, she said it took attending WVU to truly appreciate all that was around her. She and a friend signed up for one of
Adventure WV’s First Year Trips as a way to meet people before starting classes. “I absolutely loved it,” Colegrande said. “That trip actually helped me realize some of the true beauty of the state because it took me to different parts I hadn’t traveled to before.” An initial favorite was Seneca Rocks, due to its secluded location. Now the rising junior is a trip leader herself, sharing her love of the area’s outdoor spaces and welcoming other students to the university. Outside of her engineering and Spanish classes, Colegrande also works in the university’s Outdoor Education Center, leading team building and day programs. The debrief at the end of the activity demonstrates the programming’s importance as students share reflections on the experience. “You get comments sometimes that really make you feel good about what you’re doing and push you to keep doing this because you know you really are having an effect on
L E F T: C L I M B I N G S E N E C A R O C K S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F W E S T V I R G I N I A U N I V E R S I T Y | R I G H T: C L I M B I N G V I A F E R R ATA . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F W E S T V I R G I N I A UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
people,” Colegrande said. In addition to an on-campus climbing wall and aerial adventure course, the school offers a number of majors for the outdoor-minded student, including a new sustainable trails curriculum as an undergraduate minor and graduate certificate program launching this fall. The university’s reach also extends beyond the students on campus. The Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at WVU is an emerging program working to promote the state’s outdoor recreation opportunities. “What we’re trying to do is leverage institutional, intellectual, social capital, and outdoor assets to transform the state,” said Danny Twilley, assistant dean of the collaborative. “We’re working on building and developing high quality outdoor recreation infrastructure and elevating
JUNE 2021 | BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
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