Ten 科罗拉多大学 students spent their Spring Break road-tripping across the West Coast, where they visited numerous national parks and spent nights at different campgrounds. 这次旅行是由 科罗拉多大学户外教育 (CCOE), is one of about 200 outdoor trips the CCOE hosts each year.
The purpose of the road trip was to visit as many national parks as possible. In just eleven days, students visited various sites in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and 加州. 这群人首先去了加州, 他们参观红杉国家公园的地方吗, 旧金山, 圣荷西, 和死亡谷. 然后他们前往犹他州, where they visited four of Utah’s five national parks: Zion, 布莱斯峡谷, 国会礁, 和拱门, 几个学生最喜欢哪一个.
For many students, however, the trip emphasized the importance of the CCOE and what it does.
“I've been able to visit numerous national parks and other locations through the CCOE that I wouldn't have been able to visit on my own outside CC,25岁的亨特·马科维奇说. “My favorite part of the trip was seeing new places across the west coast, 比如红杉和锡安国家公园, and also spending time in the outdoors camping with my peers, 还有挤在一辆货车里旅行, 到底哪个是值得的.
Mila Naumovska ’26 echoed that appreciation for the trip and all that CCOE does. “户外教育 is important and valuable because it gives an opportunity to low-income students to enjoy the outdoors to an extent they would not be able to without the financial help from the CCOE,她说。. “It also strives to create an inclusive environment for everyone who wants to participate.”
Naumovska’s biggest motivation to participate on the trip was to see the ocean, 因为这是她第一次看到太平洋.
Audra Burrall, 23岁, 此行的两名CCOE领导人之一, proposed the idea of a road trip after driving on the Pacific Coast Highway and falling in love with it last summer.
“It was pretty sweet driving a CC van out to the pacific and back,伯尔说。.
从她入学第一年开始, Burall has participated in and led New Student Orientation, 冬季开学方向, and block break trips to various places across the West Coast, 包括大沙丘, 梅萨维德国家公园, 以及卡尔斯巴德洞穴国家公园.
这次旅行中Burall最喜欢的部分是驾驶Mt. Carmel Highway at Zion, where students had a sing-along session to 2000’s pop music.
“户外教育 has been an all-inclusive bundle of leadership, 管理, 和发现,伯尔说。. “The CCOE has afforded me opportunities to explore the southwest and develop a passion for the outdoors I didn't know I had before coming to CC. I've loved being a part of 户外教育 and its 'come as you are' culture during my time at CC.”
Wade Noelke ’24 says participating on the Spring Break road trip made him realize how grateful he is for the CCOE, because he was able to see and hike many of America’s western national parks.
“I might have never seen parks like Redwoods 和死亡谷 otherwise,” says Noelke. “This trip made me realize the silent beauty of our national parks and how we must work together to protect and support them in the future.”
“户外教育 at CC really creates an experiential way for students to apply some of the learning from the classroom into a real-world setting,瑞恩·哈梅斯说, CCOE主任. “The opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills in the natural world allows for personal discovery while in community with one another. Trips like this allow students to see new places and interact with each other in different ways that could never be replicated on campus. We are so fortunate to be able to provide the transportation, 设备, and affordable experiences for any student who wishes to participate on these trips.”
学生 do not need prior camping experience to participate in the CCOE. For more information and to sign up for CCOE emails, please 请填写这张表格.