The Outdoor Studies (ODS) program allows students to learn skills for exploring the wilderness while earning credits toward a certificate.

“A lot of schools have (classes) in specific environmental areas,” said Amanda Brown, a 21-year-old senior from Hebron, Conn. on exchange from the University of Maine at Farmington, “but they won’t just have classes where you can go out and kayak for credit or go mountain climbing or backpacking or ski for credit. I think that is definitely a unique opportunity for anybody.”

ODS was first conceived at UAS in the early 90s by university instructors Kevin Krein and Beth Weigel, said Forest Wagner, the current coordinator of the program. In 2001, the program became official and since then it has been growing.

“It’s only getting better,” Wagner said. “I really think it is a great opportunity for students both in bachelor degrees here and visiting students to get a good feel and take away some skills from Alaska.”

Being able to explore Alaska’s outdoors is a big draw for students, Brown said. Katie Boucher, a 21-year-old senior from Ridgefield, Conn., is another visiting students drawn to UAS by the ODS program. Boucher, also on exchange from the University of Maine at Farmington, is majoring in international studies, but enrolled in several ODS classes.

“My outdoor sport of choice is skiing, but while I have been here I have taken kayaking classes and backcountry cooking classes,” Boucher said. “It has really helped me expand my horizons a little bit.”

To make it easy for students, most equipment is provided through the Rec. Center and covered through course fees.

“We don’t have to pay to check all the stuff out,” Boucher said. “It’s really nice because coming here on a plane, packing your life into two bags and a carry-on, you can’t always bring all the outdoor equipment you need or even have it shipped here.”

Most of the ODS classes include some classroom time, which provides students the information they need before they take it into the real world. Regular outings allow students to apply what they have learned in a real life situation.

“I like that we got all the information stuff out of the way and went straight to the practical and spent more time on the practical side of it instead of the theoretical side,” Brown said, who took the backcountry cooking course. “You could put in to use what (the instructor) was telling you instead of having to remember it and try to use it later.”

The backpacking course held two outings and taught the basics of backpacking and survival in outdoor Southeast Alaska.

“It is interesting having a backpacking class in October because hiking up the mountains, you don’t know if you are going to run into snow or rain.” said Matt Kern, 20, a sophomore from Juneau who took the introduction to backpacking class offered in the fall semester. “It’s nice and short; it’s only three class periods and two outings, so I think it’s worth it just to get one credit for it.”

Individual ODS classes are open to all students, regardless of major, as physical education credits. Or students can enroll in the full ODS program to earn a degree certificate.

The ODS degree certificate can be completed in a year, making the structure of the program different than a regular 4-year degree program. Students are required to complete a fall semester of programs, 13 credits, specific to the degree: wilderness first responder, introduction to leadership, leadership 2, capstone experience, and perspectives on the natural world.

In addition to the required classes, 12 skills class credits, chosen by the students, and 9 elective credits are needed to finish the program for a total of 34 credits.

“I wish I could stay longer and take the rest of it and get my certificate because that would be pretty cool,” Brown said. “They cover a lot of the territories that people would be interested in if they were going to start working in some aspect of the industry.”

The program curriculum has continued to develop through the years. Originally ODS required a separate small group communications class, which has now been integrated into the other classes. In 2007 the backcountry cooking class will be combined with the introduction to backpacking class for two academic credits, Wagner said.

 “A big part of our mission here is offering educational opportunities and preparing students to be able to react to the outdoors,” Wagner said.

The instructors of the ODS programs are skilled in their fields. Jodee Goldsberry, who teaches backcountry cooking, has been involved in outdoor activities since she was a child. She would tag along on expeditions her parents ran in the backcountry.  Brock Tabor, the sea kayaking instructor, guides in Panama during Juneau’s off-season. They bring a level of hands-on experience and expertise with them into the classroom.

“One thing that I really like about the ODS program, their teachers are not just professors, they do this for a living, they do it on a daily basis,” Boucher said. “They really like what they do, and they are kind of teaching the class just to supplement having a little bit more fun and you can see that.”

The instructors are also prepared for emergencies. When a student on a backpacking trip overloaded her pack, instructor Goldsberry hiked with the student most of the way. Then Goldsberry ran to the end of the trail, dropped off her own pack, and ran back to carry the student’s pack out, Boucher said.

“My overall experience was definitely really good. I met a bunch of cool people and got a chance to get outside when I probably wouldn’t have if I had just been taking normal academic classes,” Kern said. “Basically, it’s just a good opportunity to meet people that have similar interests and get out and see some places you wouldn’t normally see.”