By Rachel Berry

Ice climbing. Sea kayaking. Backpacking. Biking.

The Outdoor Leadership in New Zealand program combines all of these activities while also helping students develop their leadership skills.

Before the program begins, students take a class in Oxford to discuss backpacking and learn about the culture of New Zealand. The program accepts students from those who are advanced backpackers to those with no outdoor experience. The instructors give the students a list of equipment they’ll need, although much of the equipment can be rented from Miami.

Over the course of the program, students will see much of the South Island, the largest of the New Zealand islands. The group first spends a day or two in the city to go grocery shopping and prepare for the trip. There is often free time to explore the city as well. Then they spend a few days on each adventure.

The majority of the program is spent in the backcountry of New Zealand. The instructors emphasize leaving no trace and not impacting the environment in the places they visit. The country is environmentally conscious, and because of this, they have small cabins for campers to sleep in instead of tents.

Students are split into groups of 3 or 4 with one leader. For each trip, two groups are paired together. They take turns being the leaders for the trip. The leading group will plan all the meals and the route and make other decisions about that excursion. The instructors make sure the students stay safe but mainly let the students take charge and make the decisions for the larger group.

The groups switch partner groups for each trip and take turns being the leader.

“There’s a difference between leadership in a classroom setting where like at the end of it you know you’re all going to depart and go sleep in a warm bed versus leadership in situations that some people feel uncomfortable in,” said Travis Lysaght, a former student on the program.

Students make a video at the end of the program as their final project for the class and also complete a research project based on an aspect of New Zealand culture, potentially something that related to their major. For example, a Sports Leadership and management major could research rugby.

Overall, the experience gives students the opportunity to grow and to learn outside of the classroom.

“I think everyone at some point should do something like this in college whether it’s outdoor leadership or in general going abroad somewhere where they can interact with peers and learn in a non-classroom setting, but I think specifically this trip is something that I’m always going to be like do it, do it, do it,” said Michael Rice, a former participant on the program.