{"id":3494,"date":"2017-06-20T20:52:26","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T20:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/atb\/?p=3494"},"modified":"2017-06-21T01:20:06","modified_gmt":"2017-06-21T01:20:06","slug":"bridge-scholars-colombia-trek-provides-much-more-than-just-a-hiking-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/atb\/2017\/06\/20\/bridge-scholars-colombia-trek-provides-much-more-than-just-a-hiking-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridge Scholars Expand Leadership Skillset on Colombia Trek"},"content":{"rendered":"

This spring, ten Bridge Scholars embarked on a trek through the steamy tropical jungles of Colombia in search of a lost ancient city. It was the first trip of its kind: Taking the outdoor education experience to an international location. When they returned, they brought back much more than the physical mettle they earned on miles and miles of mountain hiking (though the physical aspect was certainly grueling).<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how much more we\u2019d get than a hiking trip,\u201d says Dylan Compton\u00a0\u201919, after returning from the eight-day trip to the jungles of Colombia. \u201cWe had\u00a0the cultural aspect and learning from our local guides, supporting and encouraging one another, and the physical aspect. I do think everyone\u00a0underestimated how much we should physically prepare for this,\u201d Compton says.<\/p>\n

The trip took place over Spring Break 2017 and was a collaboration between the Office of Outdoor Education, the Butler Center, the Office of International Programs, and the Academic Dean\u2019s Office. The participants were first-year and sophomore students in the Bridge Scholars program, which serves as a gateway into college life for first-generation students, who applied for the opportunity to travel to Colombia over Spring Break.<\/p>\n

Throughout the trip, students got to explore and experience the local\u00a0culture, learn about its rich history, and develop their own leadership style and skillset. All participants completed CC\u2019s Ahlberg Leadership Institute Backcountry Level I Training curriculum throughout Blocks 5 and 6. Now, they\u2019re qualified to lead fellow students on Outdoor Recreation Committee and New Student Orientation Priddy Experience trips.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to help these students develop as leaders,\u201d says David Crye, assistant\u00a0director of the Office of Outdoor Education and one of the trip guides. The trip\u00a0was the culmination of a two-year process initiated by the Office of Outdoor\u00a0Education to make CC\u2019s outdoor experiences more inclusive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe college has had several conversations about the outdoor culture at CC, outdoor education, how to continue to engage a spectrum of people with different levels of experience, and with different ideas about outdoor culture,\u201d says Paul Buckley, director of the Butler Center and assistant vice president, who led the trip along with Crye. \u201cThis is an ongoing collaboration; we are always in pursuit of ways to make these (outdoor education) opportunities more inclusive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compton says he experienced the trip both as a participant and also through the lens of being a future trip leader. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to recognize how much the group dynamic can affect what people get out of a trip, and learning how to foster that positive dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a positive dynamic that can make a difference for students as soon as they arrive at CC. NSO trips are important in developing students\u2019 initial connection to the campus community. \u201cThe investment to develop this more diverse group of leaders, who also have a keen interest and ability to help nurture an inclusive experience for those new students, the importance of that can\u2019t be overstated,\u201d Buckley says.<\/p>\n

For many of the participants, it was their first time traveling out of the country; for students like Karina Grande \u201920, the success of the jungle trek has empowered her to explore other travel opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter going to Colombia, I feel like I could travel anywhere,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m starting to make a list of where I want to go; it made it possible to think that I can actually go outside the US and travel. I\u2019m trying to take advantage of every opportunity to travel abroad and experience the outdoors abroad.\u201d Next up for Grande is this summer\u2019s trip to Iceland with the Office of Outdoor Education. She says trips like the one to Colombia not only built her confidence, but also strengthen relationships with other students.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a different connection with people in the outdoors. You\u2019re not tied to the internet, or your phones. My favorite part was connecting with one another, the talks we had over dinner. In the span of a week we became a little family together,\u201d Grande says.<\/p>\n

Buckley says experiencing a trip like this creates strong bonds among participants. \u201cIt helped me to understand firsthand how meaningful it can be to develop relationships with people on these trips. Having the shared experience creates a unique connection. That\u2019s special.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also got a taste of the local culture, with guides preparing locally sourced\u00a0meals for them at the camps where they stopped each night along the trail.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was better than what I cook at home, and this was out in the jungle,\u201d Crye\u00a0says. \u201cFish, fresh juice, plantains; it was very local, we ate whatever what the locals would eat. And everyone would try things. The group was awesome \u2013 they were very open to experience it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grande says she embraced local meals at the end of each long day of hiking. \u201cAfter the six hours on the trail, we got to have coconut rice and plantains and fresh fruit, the food was really great,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The long hours of hiking were often followed by group discussions about the region\u2019s culture and history; Buckley says it was also a chance to think intentionally about the definition of \u201cthe outdoors\u201d and how we engage with it. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be extreme, it doesn\u2019t have to be expensive. It is about the relationship between the environment and people. We were thinking about how to nurture this interest in the outdoors for a range of students, students with a range of experience in relation to the outdoors; these student leaders will now help their peers to engage with their environment differently while they\u2019re here at CC,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited to see how this ties in to the greater goal of the college to make sure our experiences are welcoming and open to all,\u201d Crye says. \u201cMaking sure we have knowledgeable, experienced leaders that reflect the diversity of our student body will help ensure there are different perspectives on every trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buckley says he will continue to foster support for this new program, and would gladly lead another trip. \u201cI\u2019m all in with this partnership. I strive to facilitate the cultural exchange and to help the leaders think about how they themselves will help facilitate a more inclusive experience for other students. That\u2019s my passion point, that\u2019s why I do what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those who haven\u2019t experienced a trip like this, or an opportunity to get outside their comfort zone and test physical and mental limits, Grande says, don\u2019t be discouraged. She learned she\u2019s stronger than she thought she was.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it is not just physical strength, it\u2019s mental strength. If anyone\u2019s hesitant about not being able to do it, don\u2019t worry about your physical abilities. It\u2019s all mental strength, and you\u2019ll acquire that on the trip. It will make you a stronger person. For us, it was a shared intensity; and we were in it together.”<\/p>\n

Photos courtesy of\u00a0Padah Vang ’19.<\/em><\/p>\n

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This spring, ten Bridge Scholars embarked on a trek through the steamy tropical jungles of Colombia in search of a lost ancient city. It was the first trip of its kind: Taking the outdoor education experience to an international location. When they returned, they brought back much more than the physical mettle they earned on … <\/p>\n

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