BA Outdoor Education

Program Details

• Live What You Learn

  Outdoor Education is a trailblazer in hands-on, experiential education at NEC. Outdoor experience and leadership are taught in a supportive environment where trying new things, stepping outside your comfort zone, and exploring possibilities are encouraged and nurtured. You will become more confident in your judgment and decision-making skills and grow as a trusted, self-assured leader and educator.

  Wilderness Trips: Build your wilderness leadership and outdoor education skills during three- to 10-day wilderness immersion trips in backcountry environments, such as Gaspésie National Park in Canada, Zion National Park in Utah, or leading a first-year wilderness pre-orientation program. Lead middle and high school students, adults, and your peers on wilderness adventures.

  Ropes Course: Engage in intensive group projects like building ropes course elements on NEC’s Adventure Bound Ropes Course; designing school programs on the course; and teaching middle and high school students, adults, and your peers on the College’s course.

  Mock Rescues: Participate in Wilderness First Responder mock rescues, including winter rescues in cooperation with local public service personnel and volunteers.

• Career Opportunities

  • Outdoor Educator
  • Outdoor Education Program Director
  • Camp Director/Program Director/Counselor
  • Environmental Instructor/Educator
  • Recreation Director
  • Guide Services
  • Adventure Therapy
  • Ropes Course Leader/Builder/Trainer
  • Ropes Course Facilitator
  • Nature’s Classroom Teacher
  • Experiential Outdoor Coordinator

  Students who earn their degree in Outdoor Education can also go on to earn a Master of Education or Master of Leadership degree.

The teamwork, support, and comradeship I see in my classes is amazing. I watch students become confident, open, and accepting. I want them confront weaknesses and overcome obstacles.

Raelyn Viti, Associate Professor Outdoor Education

Faculty

• Viti, Raelyn

  Professor, Outdoor Education
  Phone: 603.428.2468
  Email: rviti@nec.edu

  Awards, Expertise, Memberships, Presentations, and Recent Publications

  Awards:

  • Campus Compact for New Hampshire President’s Good Steward Award, 2020
  • National Ski Patrol—Outstanding First-year Patroller, 2013–2104
  • U.S. Army Honorable Discharge, 2001
  • U.S. Army Certificate of Achievement, 1995

  Expertise:

  • Experiential Education practices in traditional and nontraditional classrooms
  • Outdoor Education curriculum design
  • Risk management in the outdoors and recreational environments
  • Self-efficacy enhancement in children to adults
  • Universal design and inclusion in all classroom environments
  • Leadership development
  • Working with special needs populations, such as students with reading and language disorders, autism spectrum, and more
  • Wilderness medicine

  Memberships, Certifications, and Professional Development:

  • Association for Experiential Education (AEE), member since 2005
  • National Ski Patrol, member since 2013
  • Outdoor Emergency Care, certified since 2013
  • NREMT, licensed 2000–2016
  • WEMT, certified 2000–2016
  • WFR, certified 1998–present
  • Wilderness Education Association, 2017–present
  • National Outdoor Leadership School Risk Management Conference 2018
  • AEE Regional Conference 2013–present
  • WEA member 2017–present

  Presentations:

  • “Shuttered in Quicksand: How Politics and Climate Change can impact your itinerary development, trip planning, and trip execution,” WRMC International Conference (virtual), 2020
  • “Supporting student engagement, lesson intentionality, conceptuality, and ownership while not freaking out: The art of stepping back,” AEE Northeast Regional Conference, 2018
  • “There’s TEAM in AssEssMenT.” 2nd Annual Assessment Conference at New England College, 2018
  • “Assessment Encompasses Student involvement,” 1st Annual Assessment Conference at New England College, 2017
  • “Psychological Effects of Preorientation Wilderness Programs for first-year students entering four-year institutions,” AEE Northeast Regional Conference, 2014

  Recent Publications:

  • “A how to: The experiential education handbook,” DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2793.6488, 2015
  • “The Psychological effects of preorientation wilderness programs in first-year students entering four-your institutions,” DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2531.5047, 2013

  Educational Background
  PhD, in Experiential Education, Walden University
  Orton-Gillingham Tutor Levels 1 and 2, The Carroll School: Garside Institute for Teacher Training
  MEd in Moderate Special Needs, Lesley University
  Wilderness EMT, NREMT, Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities
  NOLS India Mountaineering, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
  BS in Biology and Outdoor Recreation, Plymouth State College

  Research Interests
  Self-efficacy in the learning environment
  Outdoor programming and self-efficacy
  Using wilderness to overcome trauma
  Teaching K–12 content in non-traditional classrooms

  Bio
  Dr. Raelyn Viti is an experiential educator with significant classroom and backcountry experiences, teaching people young and old about leadership, behavior, engagement with nature, and more. Bringing the practice of experiential education into traditional classrooms has shaped her approach to a career in education. Her passion is working in educational environments that embody a holistic approach to supporting all learners in their emotional enhancement and future endeavors.

  Dr. Viti came to NEC in 2008 and since has developed the Outdoor Education curriculum, supporting and achieving accreditation of the program by the Association of Experiential Education (AEE) in 2019. Dr. Viti has also achieved a partnership with PureLife Adventure in Costa Rica supporting students in attaining college credit while taking time to work on personal well-being.

  Dr. Viti has also Directed Adventure Races to support local charities and community programs. She also spends time training and teaching camp staff throughout the New England region in ropes course facilitation and wilderness medicine. Dr. Viti is a veteran of the U.S. Army and spends her winters as a volunteer member of Pats Peak Ski Patrol.

Degree Requirements