Adirondack Leadership Course

The Adirondack Leadership Course is NOT AVAILABLE for Summer 2021.

The Adirondack Leadership course is for students in all years who have either taken the Adirondack Experience course (XLRN 101) in their first year or have significant outdoor experience. 

Similar to the other Summer Experience Programs, this course runs prior to the start of the fall semester and is based out of Paul Smith's College in Paul Smiths, NY, on beautiful Lower St. Regis Lake. 

Students will spend four days learning about outdoor education and leadership and then serve as mentors and TAs for the XLRN 101 students the following week.

More Information

May not be current for 2021. Please check back for updated information.

Application and Payment

Our payment system is not yet set up for this course.  If you are interested, simply fill out the application form and, once the payment system is set up, we will reach out to those who have filled out the application to let them know.

Adirondack Leadership Course Application - This will hold your spot on the trip until July 1

Make your payment - Your deposit is due June 30 and the full payment is due July 15.

Financial Assistance

We do have financial grants available for students to subsidize the cost of each trip through the Summer Experience Scholarship and Grants Committee.  All required paperwork for participation in a work trip must be submitted with this request.  NOTE: Students are expected to pay for trip fees if they have the resources and the grants will only cover partial funding for a given trip.  Any participant is eligible to apply.  Just fill out the form.  Please contact Meg Reitz (reitzm@geneseo.edu) with any questions. 

Program Costs

Fees and Room & Board:

• Housing at Paul Smith's College
• All meals; starting with dinner on Monday and ending with breakfast on Wednesday (the following week)
• Activities Fees (canoe rentals, etc.)
• Transportation to and from program activities
• Services of Residence Life Program Coordinator and Geneseo faculty

Total Cost

• $800 per student

Financial Assistance

We do have financial grants available for students to subsidize the cost of each trip through the Summer Experience Scholarship and Grants Committee.  All required paperwork for participation in a work trip must be submitted with this request.  NOTE: Students are expected to pay for trip fees if they have the resources and the grants will only cover partial funding for a given trip.  Any participant is eligible to apply.  Just fill out the form.  Please contact Meg Reitz (reitzm@geneseo.edu) with any questions. 

Program Cancellation Policy:

A non-refundable $150 deposit is due at the time of your application in order to hold your spot in the program.  The program is organized and planned in such a way that many of the costs are paid ahead of time as a means of guaranteeing housing/food/activities. 

After July 18, there will be no reimbursement for program costs. 

Your payment in full is due by July 30.

Course Description

The focus of this course is to provide an introduction for using the outdoors/nature as a classroom to enhance leadership in skills used in schools today. Students will be immersed in outdoor experiences and exposed to how these natural settings can effectively change leadership roles in a milieu of settings. We will also discuss and apply strategies learned in the ‘nature of education’ as we know it to be today; discussing NCLB and NCLI acts. How does NCLB affect teaching and how might NCLI (No Child Left Inside) change the course we are presently on?

Learning Outcomes

Students demonstrating successful completion will:

• Have incorporated the knowledge, skills, and perspectives acquired through their baccalaureate programs and experiences into their graduate work and their professional and personal lives.
• Apply critical thinking to the production of knowledge through research, intellectual inquiry, and practice.
• Exhibit responsible decision-making and personal accountability.
• Demonstrate an understanding of group dynamics and effective teamwork.
• Distinguish ways to  adjust one's leadership style appropriate to the situation.
• Build meaningful relationships with peers, leaders, and community members.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively facilitate reflection and discussion among peers
• Acknowledge the impact of one's decisions and actions upon others.
• Demonstrate leadership skills with the students participating in XLRN  101

Texts

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv; Algonquin Books, 2008

Teaching in the Outdoors, by Donald Hammerman, William Hammerman, and Elizabeth Hammerman; Pearson, 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

Program Details

Dates

Students arrive at Paul Smith's College on Monday, August 17.

Tuesday - Thursday: travel into the wilderness and do coursework, returning to Paul Smith's each night.

Friday - Wednesday: first-year students taking XLRN 101: the Adirondack Experience arrive and students in INTD 395 will work as mentors and for the XLRN 101 students.  

Wednesday: return to Geneseo or home - Returning Student Move-In is on Saturday (if you are living on campus and would like to move-in early, reach out to Meg Reitz, reitzm@geneseo.edu, to plan accordingly).