Virtual Education
The Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) is the leading organization in the United States dedicated to serving the needs of outdoor recreation professionals and facilitators. We work to provide valuable content to our members through our benefits, including virtual education and professional development.
We are bringing on speakers from all over the world to speak on topics you’ve requested through surveys and conversations with us. We encourage you to not wait for our Annual Conference to learn and network — join us from anywhere in the world — no travel costs required!
April 2025: Inclusivity in the Outdoors
The 2025 Inclusive Summit wraps up Inclusivity in the Outdoors Month, featuring three powerful pre-summit workshops on engaging marginalized communities, communication disorders, and creating inclusive outdoor spaces.
What to Expect:
- Diverse Perspectives – Experts like Courtney Schultz, PhD, Heather West, and Joe Stone share strategies for accessible outdoor experiences.
- Measure Your Impact – Gerry James of the Sierra Club explores how to position outdoor access as a unifying issue.
- Actionable Tools – Attendees receive a toolkit/workbook to apply key insights.
Don't miss the live Summit on April 24, where we’ll turn conversations into action!
Registration now open.
May - June 2025
Reaching New Heights: Reaching New Heights: Marketing, Community, and Risk Management
The outdoor industry continues to evolve, bringing new challenges and opportunities for organizations, educators, and program leaders. Reaching New Heights is a four-part webinar series designed to equip outdoor professionals with the knowledge and strategies needed to navigate key aspects of outdoor programming. From building strong partnerships and fostering community connections, plus leveraging digital marketing, and managing risk, this series will provide actionable insights from industry experts.
Each session dives into a critical topic, offering expert perspectives, real-world examples, and interactive discussions to help you strengthen your outdoor initiatives. Whether you’re a program coordinator, guide, educator, or marketing professional, this series will provide valuable tools to elevate your work and create more inclusive, engaging, and safe outdoor experiences.
This series will offer free learning credits to participants in partnership with American Trails.
Each webinar in the series is free for AORE professional members, $5 for AORE supporter members, and $20 not yet AORE members.
May 22, 2025 | 1pm
Social Trails: Leveraging Marketing and Social Media to Promote Outdoor Programs
May 29, 2025| 1pm
Safety Culture and Risk Management: Empowering your Outdoor Program Staff
June 5, 2025| 1pm
Community at the Core: New Approaches to Building Connection in Outdoor Spaces
June 12, 2025| 1pm
The New Outdoor Model: Post-Pandemic Trends and Opportunities
Previous Series + Webinars
January / February 2025: Navigating the Outdoors: Facilitated Recreation, Policy, Permitting, and Partnerships
Events
Risk Management for Outdoor Programs
Nature for All: Redefining Inclusivity in the Outdoors [Panel]
When “Woke” Isn’t Welcome: Embracing a Systems Approach to Justice Work
The Declassified Field Guide to an Outdoors For All
2025 Inclusive Summit
Risk Management for Outdoor Programs
Outdoor Rec Connect
Social Trails: Leveraging Marketing and Social Media to Promote Outdoor Programs
Safety Culture and Risk Management: Empowering your Outdoor Program Staff
Risk Management for Outdoor Programs
We offer professional development and learning opportunities in three ways:
- Annual Conference
- Live sessions:
- Professional Development Webinars
- Networking
- Inclusive Summit
- On demand content, including:
Why Attend AORE's Virtual Education?
- It is important to invest in yourself to grow and stay up to speed on current trends and regulations. Professional development is like giving your brain a workout!
- When you commit to professional development with AORE you will receive a framework to grow your programs, interact with public land managers, influence decisions that affect the human-powered outdoor recreation industry, and more.
- When you invest in your professional development journey, this means you are registering and showing up for events. You are engaging and asking questions. Many of our sessions are casual and a great place to network and meet fellow education leaders and facilitators.
- We encourage you to register and set aside time each month to your professional development and engage with these opportunities.
- AORE aims to provide professional development in a cost-effective manner. As an AORE member, you will benefit from the most cost effective access to programming. While we can’t offer everything for free, so do work to offer a variety of opportunities in different cost brackets.
I volunteer with AORE because it's a great way to network within the Outdoor Adventure community. It's also a great way to gain experience in different roles within the industry than I generally play and to give back to the community.
Candace Brendler
Coordinator for Outdoor Action at Princeton University
Be a Speaker
We would love to have you join as a speaker. Tell us about your expertise and what type of event you'd like to host. We'll be in touch if you are fit!
Share an Idea
Interested in learning about a certain topic or from a particular speaker? Tell us about it! Submit your ideas and we will reach out if we have any question.