Kol is an Air Force veteran who participated in the program in its earliest stages (with Outward Bound) and again more recently on a summer backpacking trip. He talks with Daniel about the profound ways in which the program impacted his life during his degree programs at HSU and afterward. Kol shares some of his most meaningful learnings from the program and his life, demonstrating his strengths of vulnerability, love, resilience, wisdom, and giving back to the community. Themes: bonding through the experience together, reframing challenges and hardships as experiences and gifts, healing and growing, finding a local community, giving back to the community This podcast amplifies the voices and stories of participants of the Veteran Outdoor Program, a year-round program that provides therapeutic outdoor community-bonding experiences for student veterans, military-affiliated students, and families who are a part of the Humboldt State University (HSU) Veterans Enrollment and Transition Services (VETS) population. There is no need to listen to the episodes in any particular order, please check out the episode descriptions to start with the ones that seem the most relevant for you. Episodes are uploaded in chronological order of interviews. Since 2008, the Veteran Outdoor Program has embraced the values and strived for the outcomes of adventure-based practices and wilderness therapies. Everything about this program is guided by the intention to provide support through transitions from military to civilian academic life and to nurture community relationships that form a long-term network of support. Our program events have been created to offer an experiential learning environment which has been defined as ‘a learning process that happens for an individual involved in a direct experience.’ The program provides this direct experience by arranging opportunities to embrace connections with nature and community that each person can use to build resilience in order to grow through the stressors and challenges of civilian academic life. Population data shows that this program has improved graduation rates for participants. How and why has this worked? Listen to find out! We extend a special thank you to our past and present program sponsors including HSU, Center Activities, Mt. Ashland Ski Area, Mt. Bachelor Ski and Snowboard Resort, Never Summer Industries, The Sierra Club, and Sunriver Sports.
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