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Eleven ���ϲ����� students attended and presented at the Association for Experiential Education’s southeast regional conference Feb. 29th  in Hendersonville, N.C. with Carol Smith, associate professor of wellness, and Evan Small, instructor in Department of Education and Wellness and assistant director of Experiential Learning and Outdoor Adventures – Campus Recreation and Wellness.

The Association for Experiential Education (AEE) is the international association and governing body for experiential education and incorporates fields like service-learning, study abroad, outdoor/adventure-based education, internships, and others. AEE hosts regional and international conferences designed to promote best practices in experiential education.

Students in the Adventure-Based Learning and Experiential Learning and Outdoor Adventures programs developed and submitted conference presentation proposals focused on topics such as mental health and the outdoors, technology use, and group dynamics on expedition programs. Students presented research and facilitated conversations with conference participants on ways to engage college students in adventure-based learning opportunities.

Student presentations included:

• Rylie Torretti ‘20: “Numbers and Nature: Adolescent Perceptions of Learning Math Outside”
• Kendall Kirkpatrick ’20 and Laine Nabors ‘20: “Barriers for College Students Engaging in Experiential Learning”

AEE’s southeast region encompasses eight states and more than 700 members involved in college/university programs, wilderness therapy organizations, nonprofit educational groups and many others. The regional conference happens annually and draws around 120 participants.

At the regional conference, ���ϲ����� was announced as the site for the 2021 conference. In February 2021, the university will welcome practitioners, students, and researchers from across the southeast for a weekend of learning and development around experiential education.