PLC hosts its first wilderness leadership program

May 15, 2013

We know that practicing leadership in a traditional classroom setting can be hard. That’s why PLC gives its students the opportunity to lead in a different type of classroom, one that looks a lot like this:

This summer, PLC will hold its first wilderness leadership program. The program gives students an opportunity to practice leading in a challenging, unpredictable, and exciting environment.

During a week of classroom instruction, students learn aspects of leadership and planning through lectures, practical exercises and mock challenges. Each day ends with an overview of a wilderness hard-skill, such as water purification, Leave No Trace, or food rationing to prepare them to be comfortable and confident in the wilderness portion of the class.

Then, on a two week wilderness expedition, students have numerous opportunities to put their leadership to the test. Be it leading their group to summit a mountain or taking charge of one of the many complex scenarios given to their group each day, they each have the freedom to try new methods of leadership, advance their own style, and learn from experienced wilderness guides, all in the beauty of Colorado’s Medicine Bow Mountains.

Students will come away from the course with an ability to confidently lead through rapidly changing and unpredictable situations and a toolkit of new skills for working in groups, giving and receiving feedback and problem solving. On top of all that, students will explore a remote and beautiful corner of Colorado’s wilderness, developing a repertoire of backcountry hard-skills along the way.

Registration for the course is open until May 31st and if you would like to participate (Alumni are welcome too!) contact PLC Program Director Jake Davis at [email protected].