What We’re About

Adventure Programs provides opportunities for the campus community to get out and explore the forests, rivers, and mountains surrounding Warren Wilson’s campus. While on campus, Adventure Programs hosts the indoor rock wall, swimming and tubing in the Swannanoa river, as well as a variety of events and clubs. As an Adventure Programs crew member, you will have the opportunity to lead weekend trips and teach classmates new skills all while widening your own. 

Activities led by the Adventure Programs crew include:

  • Climbing
  • Paddling
  • Rafting
  • Hiking

And so much more!

Adventure Programs Crew Members and Supervisor stand with gear in hand posing and smiling

Student Leadership Opportunities

Students at Warren Wilson have the opportunity as they progress academically to gain even more experience in their crew by taking on a leadership role.

  • Crew Leader: Mentor new crew members and help with the admin tasks related to running the program.
  • Aerial Arts Manager: Teach Aerial Arts classes, train new crew members, manage risk management, and rig the silks.
  • Climbing Wall Manager: Teach climbing classes, help lead climbing trips, and mentor new crew members how to run the wall.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll spend years working alongside your peers with the mentorship of your supervisors.  Part of the experience of work at Warren Wilson is guided critical reflection, which helps ensure that you achieve both your own educational goals as well as our Common Learning Outcomes. These intentional learning outcomes distinguish our Work Program, giving it focus and relevancy that set it apart from a federal work-study or your average part-time job. 

Our Common Learning Outcomes:

  • Professionalism & Work Ethic: accountability, effective work habits, punctuality, dependability, time management, integrity, and commitment to the well-being of the community.
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: working with available resources to creatively address issues and solve problems, and gaining confidence to make decisions.
  • Communication: the ability to convey and receive information effectively with intentionality, honesty, and confidence in both speech and writing.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: actively collaborate with peers to achieve common goals, Distribute labor fairly, and hold each other accountable as committed members of a group.
  • Civic Identity: understanding your active influence within the community and how your decisions directly impact the work around you.

In addition to our Common Learning Outcomes, each crew in the Work Program identifies crew-specific goals for learning and performance. These are reviewed with you each semester. Your crew-specific learning goals outline skills and abilities your supervisor will teach you during the semester. 

Some of our Adventure Programs Crew Learning Goals include:

  • Leadership Skills such as Judgement and Decision Making, Self Awareness, Teaching Skills, and an Understanding of Group Needs and Dynamics.
  • Technical Skills such as Climbing, Paddling, and First Aid.
  • Safety and Risk Management
  • Trip Planning