Develop Yourself, Develop Your Community
2021 Workshops
App-Based Community Engagement Programs
Presented by Susan Herndon-Powell, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor at Roanoke Parks and Recreation | Kat Andrew, Outdoor Recreation Coordinator at Roanoke Parks and Recreation
Description- As the global pandemic continues, many agencies and organizations are looking for ways to engage their communities in unique and safe ways. Join Roanoke Parks and Recreation as we discuss how we hosted two successful app-based scavenger hunts for the Roanoke, VA and the Go Outside Festival communities, and engaged over 300 community members . We’ll talk through logistics, marketing, support, partnerships, as well as ways attendees can engage their own communities.
COVID-19 and the Outdoors
Presented by Davis Tingle, Assistant Guide, Roanoke College
Join a round table discussion about what actions college outdoor organizations have taken in regard to COVID-19, including programming from the previous semester and how they plan to navigate current and upcoming semesters.
Empanadas as Expedition Fuel: How to Travel Patagonia on a Budget
Presented by Joey Parent, Assistant Director, Outdoor Adventure Program, Virginia Commonwealth University; Christina Spohn, Outing Rental Center & Climbing Wall Coordinator, Outdoor Adventure Program, Virginia Commonwealth University
An empanada is a fried hand pie, with a sweet or savory filling, that can be found in some iteration in countries across the world. With a mix of fat, protein, deliciousness and portability, it may just be the perfect food to eat on an expedition. Join our presenters to learn tips and tricks for international travel for students/young professionals/seasonal employee budget. Joey and Christina both have experience leading students on international expeditions, and will use their recent Patagonian trek as an example.
Learning the Job: Working with Students with Disabilities
Presented by Christina Spohn, Outing Rental Center & Climbing Wall Coordinator, Virginia Commonwealth University; Katherine Cassels, Student Trip Leader & Outing Rental Center Attendant, Virginia Commonwealth University
Have you been seeking ways to diversify your outdoor education program staff? Have you been considering hiring people with disabilities and/or neurological differences, but are not sure how to go about it? The VCU Outdoor Adventure Program partners with a nationwide program called Ace It in College to employ students with learning differences and other disabilities (such as Autism, Down Syndrome, etc.). Through this three-year partnership, OAP students have learned how to coach their peers with disabilities to learn skills in bike maintenance, customer service for an equipment rental shop, and general workplace interactions. This presentation will give some examples of successful workplace integration of students with and without disabilities, and provide resources for further education and assistance.
New Permitting Requirements for DWR-owned or Managed Boating Access Sites
Presented by Eddie Herndon, Coordinator for Recruitment, retention and reactivation for the VA Department of Wildlife Resources | John Kirk, Access Coordinator for the VA Dept of Wildlife Resources | Tim Slusser, Outdoor Leadership Programs Coordinator from University of Lynchburg
DWR staff will present on the new regulation that will require people to possess a valid permit when using Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)-owned or managed facilities, including boating access sites. The presentation will provide more information on acceptable permits and how to acquire them, why the regulation was implemented, and what it means for users moving forward.
Quick Shifts to a Virtual World of Recreation
Presented by Stacey Ellis, Associate Professor of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Lord Fairfax Community College | Kelli Williams, Social Media and Outreach Strategist for Lord Fairfax Community College
March 2020 brought the sudden, quick transition to online education and recreation programming. Instructors, recreation programmers, and business owners had to adapt in order to continue meeting student learning outcomes, engagement numbers, and revenue streams. Recreation students and professionals had to ask themselves what knowledge and skills could be leveraged to make the quick shift to online programming. Join us as we focus on adaptations made at the college level, including instruction techniques and creative recreation programming. Participants will engage in discussion surrounding challenges and successes with the shift to online programming and will leave with programming ideas that can be adapted for their academic or professional setting.
Stupidity Explored: Why Some People Get Hurt in the Outdoors
Presented by Lester Zook, Owner of WILD GUYde Adventures
Let's be honest -- have you ever seen someone do something ill-advised and thought, "That was really stupid"? This workshop will invite you unpack that idea. Let's not use "stupid" as an insult; let's use it as a descriptor of actions guided by a particular way of thinking. And then, let's try to understand it -- what it is, why individuals are sometimes led by it, how we might be able to predict it, and then how we as leaders can mitigate stupidity in the interests of safety, well-being, and ultimately, more enjoyable outdoor experiences for ourselves and our students, clients, and friends.
Trip Leader Prep Course: COVID Edition
Presented by Danny Bavis, Graduate Assistant for Adventure and TEAM Programs, James Madison University
2020 was the year of canceled programs and being inside but 2021 doesn't have to be! This presentation will cover all of needed skills to safely run a trip leader prep course for new instructors and some adaptations to make standard programming COVID-19 friendly. There will also be time towards the end to discuss the pros and cons of online programming.
You’re on Native Land
Presented by Mary Zook-Tapolyai, AmeriCorps VISTA, Appalachian Conservation Corps; Michelle Marsich, Associate Director, Appalachian Conservation Corps, Conservation Legacy
The land we now call the United States originally belonged to someone else. Whose land are we on when we go to class, work at our camps, recreate outdoors? This workshop will briefly visit the native groups who once inhabited the Shenandoah Valley. We'll then discuss "land acknowledgments" and other ways to honor those who came before us.
Presented by Susan Herndon-Powell, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor at Roanoke Parks and Recreation | Kat Andrew, Outdoor Recreation Coordinator at Roanoke Parks and Recreation
Description- As the global pandemic continues, many agencies and organizations are looking for ways to engage their communities in unique and safe ways. Join Roanoke Parks and Recreation as we discuss how we hosted two successful app-based scavenger hunts for the Roanoke, VA and the Go Outside Festival communities, and engaged over 300 community members . We’ll talk through logistics, marketing, support, partnerships, as well as ways attendees can engage their own communities.
COVID-19 and the Outdoors
Presented by Davis Tingle, Assistant Guide, Roanoke College
Join a round table discussion about what actions college outdoor organizations have taken in regard to COVID-19, including programming from the previous semester and how they plan to navigate current and upcoming semesters.
Empanadas as Expedition Fuel: How to Travel Patagonia on a Budget
Presented by Joey Parent, Assistant Director, Outdoor Adventure Program, Virginia Commonwealth University; Christina Spohn, Outing Rental Center & Climbing Wall Coordinator, Outdoor Adventure Program, Virginia Commonwealth University
An empanada is a fried hand pie, with a sweet or savory filling, that can be found in some iteration in countries across the world. With a mix of fat, protein, deliciousness and portability, it may just be the perfect food to eat on an expedition. Join our presenters to learn tips and tricks for international travel for students/young professionals/seasonal employee budget. Joey and Christina both have experience leading students on international expeditions, and will use their recent Patagonian trek as an example.
Learning the Job: Working with Students with Disabilities
Presented by Christina Spohn, Outing Rental Center & Climbing Wall Coordinator, Virginia Commonwealth University; Katherine Cassels, Student Trip Leader & Outing Rental Center Attendant, Virginia Commonwealth University
Have you been seeking ways to diversify your outdoor education program staff? Have you been considering hiring people with disabilities and/or neurological differences, but are not sure how to go about it? The VCU Outdoor Adventure Program partners with a nationwide program called Ace It in College to employ students with learning differences and other disabilities (such as Autism, Down Syndrome, etc.). Through this three-year partnership, OAP students have learned how to coach their peers with disabilities to learn skills in bike maintenance, customer service for an equipment rental shop, and general workplace interactions. This presentation will give some examples of successful workplace integration of students with and without disabilities, and provide resources for further education and assistance.
New Permitting Requirements for DWR-owned or Managed Boating Access Sites
Presented by Eddie Herndon, Coordinator for Recruitment, retention and reactivation for the VA Department of Wildlife Resources | John Kirk, Access Coordinator for the VA Dept of Wildlife Resources | Tim Slusser, Outdoor Leadership Programs Coordinator from University of Lynchburg
DWR staff will present on the new regulation that will require people to possess a valid permit when using Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)-owned or managed facilities, including boating access sites. The presentation will provide more information on acceptable permits and how to acquire them, why the regulation was implemented, and what it means for users moving forward.
Quick Shifts to a Virtual World of Recreation
Presented by Stacey Ellis, Associate Professor of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Lord Fairfax Community College | Kelli Williams, Social Media and Outreach Strategist for Lord Fairfax Community College
March 2020 brought the sudden, quick transition to online education and recreation programming. Instructors, recreation programmers, and business owners had to adapt in order to continue meeting student learning outcomes, engagement numbers, and revenue streams. Recreation students and professionals had to ask themselves what knowledge and skills could be leveraged to make the quick shift to online programming. Join us as we focus on adaptations made at the college level, including instruction techniques and creative recreation programming. Participants will engage in discussion surrounding challenges and successes with the shift to online programming and will leave with programming ideas that can be adapted for their academic or professional setting.
Stupidity Explored: Why Some People Get Hurt in the Outdoors
Presented by Lester Zook, Owner of WILD GUYde Adventures
Let's be honest -- have you ever seen someone do something ill-advised and thought, "That was really stupid"? This workshop will invite you unpack that idea. Let's not use "stupid" as an insult; let's use it as a descriptor of actions guided by a particular way of thinking. And then, let's try to understand it -- what it is, why individuals are sometimes led by it, how we might be able to predict it, and then how we as leaders can mitigate stupidity in the interests of safety, well-being, and ultimately, more enjoyable outdoor experiences for ourselves and our students, clients, and friends.
Trip Leader Prep Course: COVID Edition
Presented by Danny Bavis, Graduate Assistant for Adventure and TEAM Programs, James Madison University
2020 was the year of canceled programs and being inside but 2021 doesn't have to be! This presentation will cover all of needed skills to safely run a trip leader prep course for new instructors and some adaptations to make standard programming COVID-19 friendly. There will also be time towards the end to discuss the pros and cons of online programming.
You’re on Native Land
Presented by Mary Zook-Tapolyai, AmeriCorps VISTA, Appalachian Conservation Corps; Michelle Marsich, Associate Director, Appalachian Conservation Corps, Conservation Legacy
The land we now call the United States originally belonged to someone else. Whose land are we on when we go to class, work at our camps, recreate outdoors? This workshop will briefly visit the native groups who once inhabited the Shenandoah Valley. We'll then discuss "land acknowledgments" and other ways to honor those who came before us.
