Association of Outdoor Recreation & Education

Now Accepting Student Scholarship Applications
Due August 22, 2008

The AORE is pleased to announce that scholarship applications are being accepted for the 2008 National Conference in San Diego, California. Any enrolled student interested in attending the conference is invited to apply. This year up to 8 students will be awarded scholarships and assistance toward attending the AORE Conference. The scholarship awards will be used to cover registration fees for those individuals. Awarded students will also be asked to contribute their talents to the 2008 Conference by; supporting the AORE exhibit booth, assisting other students and professionals at the AORE Career Center, and introducing presenters during educational sessions. For more information click here.

AORE Conference 2008 is just around the corner!

Whether you are an outdoor recreation veteran, an up-and-coming professional, or a student new to the industry, expand your horizons and attend this year’s International Conference; A Climate for Change. The conference runs from October 30th to November 1st, 2008 in beautiful San Diego, CA for a few days of learning, collaboration, professional development and fun. This year’s conference is action-packed with the following (and so much more!):

Workshops: Outstanding pre/post workshops and top notch conference presentations.
Day at the Bay: come do what we do best – outdoor recreation! Try your hand at sea kayaking, sailing, or even surfing! This fun filled afternoon will have ample opportunities for learning new skills, networking, and socializing.
Reel Rock Film Festival: check out the latest & greatest climbing videos, sponsored by Sender Films.
Super-Social: celebrate the conference in style with a super-social and student-auction. This is an event you WON’T want to miss!
Regional Socials: connect with those closest to you as you sample some of San Diego’s finest cuisine in Old Town.

We are pleased to announce two spectacular key note speakers, Jon Bowermaster, sponsored by Mountain Hardwear, and Steven Kazlowski, sponsored by The Mountaineers Books.

Jon Bowermaster has explored the environment and exotic corners of the world for a variety of national and international publications, primarily for the National Geographic Society and the New York Times. Author of eight books, three with renowned polar explorer Will Steger, his travels have taken him to seven continents and included two-person sledging across Antarctica, sailing a 60-foot sailboat across the Atlantic, and first descents of rivers from Chile to China. Jon’s OCEANS 8 project is a series of expeditions launched to explore the world’s oceans from the seat of a sea kayak. Used as both transportation and as floating ambassadors, sea kayaks allow Bowermaster and his teams— comprised of some of the world’s top photographers, filmmakers, scientists and navigators—to reach corners of the world rarely seen. The goal of each expedition is adventure crossed with an assessment of the health of the seas and the lives of the people who live and depend on them. Their goal during the Antarctica 2008 Expedition was to get as close to the Larsen Ice Shelf as possible and document how the ice and sea that surrounds Antarctica’s most exposed corner is changing due to climate change.

Steven Kazlowski earned a degree in marine biology from Towson State University and worked briefly in the Florida Keys as a marine biologist before setting out for Alaska to pursue his true passion – wildlife photography. His photographs have been featured in Audubon, Backpacking, Canadian National Geographic, National Geographic For Kids, National Wildlife, Sierra and TIME magazines, and he has published several books: Alaska’s Bears of the North, Alaska’s Wildlife of the North, and Alaska Wildlife Impressions. He is the only wildlife photographer to date who has extensively photographed the Alaskan polar bear and its critical Arctic coastal habitat, something he wishes to continue throughout the international Arctic - an area rapidly being affected by climate change. He is known within the photography community for his skills of observation and his determination to capture an image even in extreme weather conditions.

This year’s conference theme of “A Climate for Change” has inspired some amazing presentations and with the following focus areas, you’re sure to find workshops that meet your needs:

Environment
Student Development
Experiential Education
Technical Skills
Marketing & Technology
Facilities
Challenge Course
Programming
Therapeutics
Research Symposium
Professional Development
Risk management

The National Office is currently overhauling the website, so please check back to the website (http://www.aore.org/conference) over the next few weeks for more information and details. Participation in AORE is the best opportunity you can take for establishing your professional worth and productivity. Involvement in the conference creates the opportunity to meet and influence the forces behind the outdoor recreation movement. We hope you’ll consider joining us for a weekend of professional development, fun, and contribute to the climate for change!