At the start of the fall semester, on Aug. 24, Pfeiffer University began offering Outdoor Education and Leadership with support from a grant from the Alcoa Foundation. The new major aims to provide students with a launchpad for careers in outdoor-industry fields such as park management, adventure guiding, recreation, and environmental education.

The Alcoa Foundation grant funding helped support the new curriculum development and created an “outdoor classroom” on campus. The classroom includes movable chairs, a fire ring, portable whiteboards, chart paper, and storage for outdoor education materials. Its design is meant to be conducive for doing lessons outside or providing outdoor programming in a comfortable learning environment.

“The Alcoa Foundation’s investment has allowed Pfeiffer to bring our vision for this program to life,” said Jo Ellen Newsome, VP for Institutional Advancement. “From developing a strong academic program to creating an outdoor classroom where learning can take place in a dynamic setting, this support will have a lasting impact on our students and the communities they will one day serve.”

Dr. Alayna Schmidt will serve as Program Coordinator for the program, which replaces a previously offered minor in outdoor education and leadership. She holds a doctorate in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson University and a master’s degree in Experiential & Outdoor Education from Western Carolina University. She gained extensive experience in Outdoor Education and Leadership programming before pursuing her doctorate.

“We are especially excited to welcome Dr. Schmidt as the founding Program Coordinator,” said Dr. Dawn Lucas, Pfeiffer’s Dean, Undergraduate College and Department Chair, Teacher Education. “Her expertise, vision, and passion for outdoor education make her the ideal person to launch this program and create transformative opportunities for our students. We look forward to seeing the impact this program will have on students who are seeking meaningful careers and lives connected to the outdoors and service to others.”

Schmidt touted Outdoor Education and Leadership as “a really good fit for people who want to do the people side of things” outdoors, adding that there “all kinds of different types of jobs that you can do with Outdoor Education and Leadership.”

“They might go on to be park rangers and deliver ranger-education programs,” she said. “They might lead whitewater rafting, backpacking or biking trips for others who pay for those experiences. And a formal teacher in a classroom might want to give their students different experiences outdoors.”

Outdoor Education and Leadership aims to secure seven students who are majoring in the subject by the fall of 2027. One of the first will be Joao Manuel Allen, a junior from Charlotte, N.C.

Allen has a passion for outdoor pursuits and a gift for communicating well with others. He said that Outdoor Education “gives me the flexibility to explore different career paths while still staying connected to the environment and working with people.” He said there are so many opportunities to choose from: wildlife conservation or forestry technician, park ranger, outdoor adventure guide, state park interpreter, a naturalist, or an environmental educator.

“Ultimately, I want a career where I can be outdoors, connect with others, and help people develop a deeper appreciation for the environment around them,” he said. 

The Outdoor Education and Leadership major will feature courses such as Experiential Education and Leadership in Wilderness. The curriculum will also include courses from other majors, on subjects such as environmental science and business. 

Students will spend significant time outdoors engaging in team-building challenges and field-based science activities. They’ll also learn practical skills such as fire building, learning to pack a backpack in ways that prevent injury, orienteering, and basic survival techniques. They will develop a personal philosophy of outdoor education and leadership through reading and writing.

Pfeiffer is well-positioned to offer Outdoor Education and Leadership because of the abundant natural resources of its 340-acre campus and because of the University’s quick access to Morrow Mountain State Park, Uwharrie National Forest, Lake Tillery, Badin Lake, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

These settings will become the backdrop for a key component of Outdoor Education and Leadership, namely “experiential education.” “We’re not just learning through rote memorization or just reading and taking a test,” Schmidt said. “We’re actually having an experience and reflecting on that experience to glean the learning from it.”