BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – WVU Tech offers students the best of both worlds – learning while having fun doing outdoor activities.
“I have seen probably over the past five years if not ten is the research that demonstrates how important it is for human beings to be out in nature,” said Director and Instructor T. Grant Lewis.
The four-year program combines technical knowledge with an outdoor experience. The curriculum is hands-on. The classroom is often outdoors and the completed degree will open up doors to graduates in a variety of fields.
“Adventure Recreation or Outdoor Recreation is just the vehicle for management and so the hope and the intent is that our students graduate they will move into the field into managerial roles right away which will be great, I’m not going to say that’s going to happen right away. But at the same point, that can find themselves in managerial roles in industries that are not specifically recreational orientated,” said Lewis.
T. Grant Lewis says that he believes West Virginia is the prime spot for this program.
“Preliminary numbers are showing in the New River Gorge area that they’re over 800 miles of whitewater available. There’s over 1,300 climbing sites available. There’s is over a hundred I believe trails for mountain biking,” said Lewis.
WVU Tech Adventure Recreation Program is now in its second year.