Your gift will help Michigan Tech students discover the great outdoors.

The Michigan Tech Outdoor Adventure Program has been providing students with the opportunity to get outdoors since 2006. With a vision to provide all MTU students with access to outdoor recreation, we built an inventory of outdoor equipment and resources available to add students for a low rental fee. What started with a few kayaks and canoes has grown to include more than 20 canoes, 25 kayaks, seven trailers, four vans, 12 mountain bikes, and over 100 pairs of both nordic skis and snowshoes. All items are available to students to rent for a low cost to encourage participation and exploration of the Keweenaw.

The OAP works with student groups, in addition to campus departments, to provide custom experiences to meet the needs of their group, which could include the high and low ropes course and the indoor climbing wall at the SDC. Annually, we coordinate with the Graduate Student Government to provide basic instruction for kayaking, Nordic skiing, and snowshoeing. As an added bonus, those who chose to try ziplining got the chance on our high ropes course. These groups are typically over 75 people and include many students who are first-time participants in the activity.

Seeing the need for more instruction regarding these activities, OAP added one credit P.E. courses in 2018 in canoeing, kayaking, indoor rock climbing, log rolling, snowshoeing, and wilderness first responder. These courses allow students to try something new in a controlled environment with instructions to assist with building skills and fulfilling their required P.E. credits while gaining skills in a lifelong recreational activity.

Help the OAP continue to offer great programs and opportunities to Michigan Tech students by donating today! Your support will go towards maintaining high-quality equipment inventory for our rental program, the funding necessary training for staff and students, and hopefully building a new outdoor recreation facility at the Tech Trails.

Top Three Impact Programs

Adventure-Based P.E. Courses — This addition to the OAP in 2018 has been very popular as our students are looking for P.E. credits in areas that they have an interest in, and may be unique to our area. We have the demand to expand our offerings to include more advanced level instruction in some areas, but the need for increased funding and staffing presents the largest roadblock. Current offerings include: Intro to Indoor Rock Climbing, Intro to Kayaking, Intro to Canoeing, Showshoeing, Intro to Log Rolling, Wilderness First Responder
Equipment Rental Program — Offering a wide variety of outdoor recreation equipment for low-cost rent to the students and general public. Inventory includes: canoes, kayaks, trailers, stand-up paddle boards, mountain bikes, tents, sleeping bags/pads, cooking and water purification equipment, snowshoes, nordic skis/boots, and general camping equipment
Trips Program — Offering a trip leader (student employee) to lead a group of other students to locations in the Keweenaw and beyond. The goal is to get students out and exploring where they live and how they take advantage of their time in Houghton. Locations include many waterfalls, conservation areas, public nature areas, and many of the 'usual suspects' in the Keweenaw: Brockway, Hunters Point, Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor; as well as some of the lesser-known spots (sorry, it's a secret!)

Your gift will allow the OAP to continue to offer low-cost access to the outdoors of the Keweenaw for Michigan Tech students for years to come. The outdoors has, for many years, been a top reason students choose to come to Michigan Tech. Your support will help the OAP get those students outdoors, adventuring in the Keweenaw, developing a connection to the place they call home, and creating many memories.

Donors can join the Huskies Club with a gift to any area in Athletics. Visit this page for Huskies Club perk levels and fair market values of each perk.