Welcome to the 30th Annual Adventure Education Conference Hosted by
Western Carolina University
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Conference Schedule
7:30-9:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast (Blue Ridge Conference Center)
9:30-10:30 Opening Remarks and Keynote speech The Power of Holding Space: Creating More Equitable Futures in the Outdoor Adventure Field by Dr. Callie Schultz (Blue Ridge Conference Center)
10:30-11:00 Exhibitor Highlight (UC Illusions Room)
11:10-11:55 Workshop Session A (See Workshop page for details)
12:05-1:20 Lunch (Courtyard Dining Hall)
1:00 Poverty Simulation Begins (UC Grand Room)
1:30-2:15 Exhibitor Highlight (UC Illusions Rooms)
2:20-3:50 Workshop Session B (See Workshop page for details)
3:50-4:00 Transition to the Blue Ridge Conference Room
4:00-5:00 Closing Remarks by Dr. Roslynn Powell entitled Recreation as Resistance: Recognizing our Role in Change (Blue Ridge Conference Room)
Speakers
Keynote Address
The Power of Holding Space: Creating More Equitable Futures in the Outdoor Adventure Field Presented by Dr. Callie Schultz of Western Carolina University
Callie Schultz, Ph.D. [she/her], is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Services at Western Carolina University. She directs the Parks and Recreation Management undergraduate program and teaches in the Experiential and Outdoor Education graduate program. Dr. Schultz also helped develop the new Social Justice Minor at WCU. Her major research interests include leisure and new media, leisure and social justice, and the performance of gendered subjectivities in leisure spaces. She is particularly interested in methodologies that do “edgework,” challenging what “counts” as “research” in the field. In other words, she seeks spaces/paradigms/methodologies that produce different knowledge differently. Dr. Schultz will also be facilitating the Poverty Simulation at 1:00 during the conference, so if you are interested in hanging with her some more, please plan on attending the simulation.
Contact at [email protected]
Closing Remarks
Recreation as Resistance: Recognizing our Role in Change, presented by Dr. Roslynn Powell of Western Carolina University
Contact at [email protected]
Exhibitors
Exhibitors can be found in the UC Illusions Room on the 3rd Floor
Landmark Learning
Waypoint Adventure
American Conservation Experience (ACE)
Riviter NC Indoor Climbing Gym
Wilderness Education Association (WEA)
Friends of Panthertown Valley
WCU’s Experiential Outdoor Education Program
Camp Carolina
The Creativity Doctor – Daniel Cape
Nantahala Outdoor Center
Camp Pinnacle
Camp SOAR
Camp Gwynn Valley
Camp Merrie-Woode
Pivot Point Therepy Adventure Company
North Carolina Outward Bound
Green River Adventures
Falling Creek
Wildwater
2nd Nature Trek
Our Sponsors
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors who helped make this conference possible
Our Donors
A special thanks to all of our amazing donors who helped contribute to this year’s prize
End Of Conference Survey
ADditional Resources
A Lactation Room is available in the UC Green Room
(Information and directions are available at the Second Floor University Desk)
Gender Neutral Bathrooms can be found on the First Floor of the Apodaca Science Building next to the Welcome Desk
Meet Your Conference Planners
Avery Shumpert
Avery Shumpert is a Junior in the Parks and Recreation Management Program at WCU. He is the creator of this event site and currently works at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as an Elk Rover. Long term he aspires to work alongside wildlife and travelers in the ecotourism industry, helping people to appreciate the natural world and all it has to offer.
Contact at: [email protected]
Brent Whitaker
Brent(he/they) is a senior in the Parks and Recreation Management program at Western Carolina University. They are planning on working in the outdoor education field to help expand overall interest in the natural world.
Contact at: [email protected]
Robyn Smyth
Robyn Smyth (they/them) is a Senior in the Parks and Recreation Management Program at WCU. They have spent time at Girl Scout Camps in AZ, GA, and UT! They aspire to help kids grow into leadership roles, find an appreciation for the outdoors, and gain confidence when faced with adversity.
Contact at: [email protected]
Jordan Kerr
Hi, I am Jordan Kerr, a senior at WCU, a Parks and Recreation Management major with a minor in hospitality and tourism management. I am interested in pursuing a career in Directing and overseeing Summer Camps and also planning events for my community. I am very excited that I have the chance to plan and execute the event and what it holds.
Contact at: [email protected]
Sarah Bogue
Hi! My name is Sarah. I am a senior here at WCU with a major in psychology and a minor in parks and recreation management. I am interested in pursuing a career under the umbrella of recreational therapy. I am super excited to be part of making the 30th annual AEC conference possible!
Contact at: [email protected]
Jacob Scruggs
Jacob is a 1st-year transfer student at Western. He is a PRM major and hopes to eventually work for The National Park Service or the US Forest Service in some capacity, most likely in natural resource management.
Contact at: [email protected]
Kinley Cook
Kinley Cook (she/her) is in her final year at Western Carolina University. She fell in love with the AEC during her first semester at WCU and co-presented a workshop with instructor Rebekah Henderson at last year’s conference. She is currently the Park Naturalist at Gorges State Park (a North Carolina State Park) and is a Recreation Resource Inventory intern with the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (a unit of the National Park Service). Post-grad, she hopes to work in environmental education. She wants to thank everyone who has supported this year’s AEC!
Contact at: [email protected]
Ella Flynn
I’m a freshman at WCU majoring in parks and rec management hoping to continue within the Rec. Therapy field. I love backpacking and meeting new people!
Contact at: [email protected]
Cooper Rodriguez
Cooper is a junior at WCU as a parks and rec management major. He spends his free time as a professional downhill mountain bike racer and works building a variety of trails from hiking to biking.
Contact at: [email protected]
Grace Slabaugh
Grace Slabaugh (she/her) is a junior at Western Carolina in Parks and Recreation management, her concentration in PRM is commercial recreation. She was the marketing coordinator for the AEC. She hopes to graduate with a future in resort management and is super excited to see what the future holds!
Contact at: [email protected]
Event Site QR Code
