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Want to participate in fun, enriching outdoor activities? How about doing these activities while gaining leadership experience and a chance to learn about yourself, others and, of course, the environment? Well, if your answer to the questions were yes, the Venture Organization is for you.
Venture is an organization that provides many opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the Charlotte community to learn in various outdoor activities.
Some of the activities that people will experience are Adventure Trips, Low and High Challenge courses (the ropes course), and the Indoor Climbing Wall.
The Venture program began in the fall of 1971. The first program had 15 UNCC students, faculty and staff participating. These people were participating in the program known as the pilot program.
What this group did was spend two weeks in the wilderness on an unforgettable experience. They were taught backpacking, rock climbing, map and compass reading, bushwhacking, first aid and leadership skills. Ever since the pilot program, the Venture program has significantly grown.
With Venture’s expansion, it has also come up with a new program called VOLTAGE. VOLTAGE stands for Venture Outdoor Leadership Training And Group Experience.
With this program, students are trained and hired to lead programs in all of the Venture activities. The VOLTAGE program was started in 1991 and has become very popular and successful since then.
One thing that Venture offers and finds a lot of participation in is the Wall. The Wall is located in the Student Activity Center (SAC) on the same level as the basketball courts and indoor track. The Venture Climbing Wall is available to all UNCC students, faculty, staff and guests.
Delisa Washington, a freshman here at UNCC, said, “I remember coming here during the summer orientation and I was really curious about the wall, when my group was brought into the SAC. I never have the time to utilize the wall, but it’s really cool that our school has something like that available to many people.”
There are climbing workshops available to those that have never climbed before. For the cost of $15, you’ll be able to learn everything from climbing the wall to actually tying knots for the climbing.
Venture also has another program for team building called “Venture’s Challenge Course.” In the program, there are two challenge courses; the Team Challenge course (TC) and the High Team Challenge course (HTC). The TC involves trust building as well as problem solving tasks. In order for each task to be successfully completed, a certain level of group cooperation and interaction is definitely required. The HTC is where the main focus is on the client’s needs. Whether the need is simply for recreation or intensive teambuilding, it is offered.
If this group sounds interesting, be ready to work past the boundaries of your comfort zone and work as a team … in the air! Alma Toska, a junior here at UNCC said, “One of my close friends participated in one of Venture’s programs. She went in a really shy girl that was scared to be around new people and participate in different activities.
“After she came back from one of the trips, she was so much more outgoing and adventurous. Ever since then, she always tries to participate in Venture activities and wants to bring all of her friends along to see what they are all about.”
One of the more exciting things that Venture offers is trips. These trips are led by people who are highly trained and qualified. With people like that guiding the trip, it will be much easier to have a fun and exciting adventure in store.
Also, with someone in charge who knows what he or she is doing, learning from the experience will come easier as well. There is no previous experience necessary to participate in these trips. That’s what the staff is for! The staff will provide any instructions needed. Be prepared to really participate in the trip, because everyone needs to participate in the tasks.
Some of the tasks will involve setting up tents, cooking and even cleaning. This sense of working together will mostly build teamwork and trust among the participants.
Get out there and participate! Whether you are that shy person or that outgoing person, Venture will have you participating and having a great time. Venture will help to get you ready for any adventure they throw at you.
Whether you are up for rock climbing, high ropes courses, or even adventurous trips in the wilderness, Venture has what you are looking for. For more information on the Venture Organization, or any remaining questions, go to www.venture.uncc.edu
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