Bria Hilliard

Asst. Features Editor

If you were the high school student who never wanted to leave gym class because that was the highlight of your day, Utica College has the major you need.

UC has been in the works of bringing a number of new majors to campus including Wellness and Adventure Education.

The Wellness and Adventure Education program is for students who want to become a leader in health and wellness programs in a corporate and/ or educational environment. Students are offered courses in health studies, biology, and psychology as well as advanced courses in rope course, technical skills, sports programming, and other relevant courses. The program already has a number of students both majoring and minoring in the area. Major profile: Wellness and Adventure Education Bria Hilliard Asst. Features Editor

“This is a great area of study because schools are trying to weave out physical education classes. What we do in Wellness and Adventure Education (WAE) is make physical education classes more enjoyable with games that have a purpose behind them,” Wellness and Adventure Education minor Kyle J. Sykes said. “The program offers several different opportunities to learn games and sports while teaching students how to adapt to specific lessons. Students also learn how to tend to individuals with disabilities, allowing them to participate without being different from others.”

WAE was created to appeal to students who are also athletes. It was created in the light that not only is it possible for students to be classroom smart, but physically smart as well. Allowing students to shine light on their physical talents the program teaches students to motivate people to challenge themselves through physical activity.

This major is great for students who love to be active and learn new ways to get those who surround them up and moving. These students can often be found in the gym creating new games to try out with their classmates, games that require a lot of teamwork and creativity. Students also take part in high ropes classes in the gym where they climb rope ladders to walk from platform to platform on a course that hangs from the ceiling. If students want a closer look at what this looks like, there is a video on the UC home page titled “Today’s class: The Ropes”.

“Teaching education as an employment outcome is a bit of a struggle so we worked really hard to pack in a number of career prospects associated with our degree,” Dr. Sarah Wolle, Chair of the Wellness and Adventure Education program said. “Physical education is one, health education is another and adventure education is another career prospect.”

WAE consists of a two degree, five to five and a half year program where students can earn their bachelor’s degree in wellness and adventure education and their master’s in physical and health education. In this program students begin graduate courses within their fourth year. By earning these degrees, students are becoming prepared to enter careers such as physical education, coaching, health education and even personal training. Students can also take a corporate route landing them positions such as management in wellness programs, challenge course facilitating as well as health education. This route is a four-year program which students graduate with their bachelor’s.

“There are many aspects students can achieve with this major. We have two tracks. We have the teaching track, which allows students to become physical education and health teachers, and a coach if they have that aspiration,” said Dr. Carrie Taylor. “They will have Adventure Education as their bachelor’s, but with the Masters to become a teacher and it will be a Teaching of Physical Education and Health Degree.”

Taylor adds that the corporate wellness track “allows individuals to work as a Corporate Trainer, either with the Wellness Track or Wellness and Leadership track for a corporation.“

WAE is now in full swing and is open to all who desire to inspire others to get up and active.

For more information visit the Wellness and Adventure Education page.