Adventure Education Goes Global

The exchange program is open to all students who have a 2.5 GPA and are in good standing with PSU. The program is designed for an Adventure Education major in mind.

Thomas Janis, the International Programming Coordinator at the Global Engagement Office here at Plymouth State said, “Their outdoor program has so many parallels with our Adventure Education, yet throw in excursions like glacier walking, life in Scandinavia, and the cultural phenomenon ‘Friluftsliv’ or open air philosophy.”

Adventure Education majors have the opportunity to take a semester during their sophomore year and go to Norway. The exchange program will serve as a replacement of their unique “excursion” semester, where the students plan week-long backpacking or canoe trips all over New England. The exchange program is not, however, exclusive to only Adventure Education majors. The University College of Southeast Norway offers majors in English, Business Administration, International Tourism, and many others.

Students in majors that will complement those in the university are also able to travel. It is also an opportunity for students who wanted to take classes in the Adventure Education major here at PSU, but were not able to because of the fact that it is a closed enrollment.

Due to the inherent risk that outdoor education runs Christian Bisson, the coordinator for Adventure Education undergraduates and an Adventure Education professor here at PSU, has been investigating the risk management of the university in Norway.

“Safety is paramount for [PSU] in regards to our students,” Bisson said. “Our program has a certain amount of risk involved, no matter how much planning is done. My job was to see if the University College of Southeast Norway’s curriculum matches with our own, and if they manage the risk well. And they do. I am not worried at all for the students who travel there.” What will students who travel to Norway be able to experience? Thomas Janis said, “Fresh air! Beautiful nature, mountains, European and Scandinavian culture. A different perspective, both in and out of the classroom. The ability to travel to so many places. Paris for the weekend? Why not! Network connections for future career opportunities and lifelong friends from all over Europe and the globe.”

Students will be able to sign up for the program at the Global Engagement Office and begin the necessary paperwork as soon as it is finalized.