Diploma in Adventure Recreation And Parks Technician (Co-op) Sault College - Ste. Marie Campus, Canada

Looking for a fun and challenging career in the outdoors? Interested in learning a variety of recreational and wilderness-based skills? This is the program for you.

The natural, rugged wilderness of the Algoma Highlands and Lake Superior region make the Sault area an ideal location for studying parks and Adventure recreation. The area contains several provincial parks and Parks Canada facilities, conservation areas, municipal parks, and outdoor recreational facilities. Included in this list are several Michigan State parks and U. S. National parks and forests, all within a short drive of Sault College.

Unique in Canada, our two-year Adventure Recreation and Parks Technician program offers you a broad background in natural resource management, with quality instruction in three major areas of concentration: Parks, Adventure Recreation, and Travel & Ecotourism. Specialty courses in the parks field include Park Operations, Park Interpretation, and Park Protection.

Adventure recreation training forms the second major component of our program and includes specialty courses in Recreation Planning, Adventure Recreation, and our Second Year Field Camp travel & ecotourism training forms the last major component of our program, and includes specialty courses in Ecotourism, and Adventure Expeditions.

Field trips and hands-on experience form an important part of the program. Students will visit a number of park systems and outdoor recreational facilities in the Lake Superior region. Knowledge of the natural environment will be stressed through acquiring field identification skills in a number of different courses such as Trees and Shrubs, Plant Diversity, Animal Diversity, and Regional Geology. During fall camp, students will be exposed to a number of skill areas in the outdoor recreation field, such as canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, and wilderness camping.

As part of our commitment to providing practical, hands-on training and skills necessary to secure long-term employment, our program offers valuable opportunities to acquire employer recognized certifications where feasible. Many of these certifications are provincially or nationally recognized. Some of the specialized parks-related training which may be outside of class includes Chainsaw Operator Safety and Heritage Interpreter certification. Specialized outdoor recreation-related training may also be offered and may include certification in wilderness survival, kayaking, canoeing, nordic and alpine skiing, snowboarding, rock and ice climbing, and scuba diving. All certifications are subject to specific requirements and where applicable additional fees. Some certification courses are arranged through the School of Continuing Education at an additional cost to the student. Most of these certifications are provincially or nationally recognized.

Students may have the opportunity to be involved in applied research projects. Please see the `Applied Research Centre` section for more information relating to the Sault College Applied Research Centre.

Co-operative Education (Co-op)
Co-operative Education (Co-op) provides opportunities for you to learn beyond your classroom as you integrate relevant work
experiences into your academic studies. Co-op also lets you further develop life and employment skills while earning money.
You can also get a better idea of the career options available to you and build your network of contacts for future employment. Many employers prefer hiring co-op grads because of the applied learning they receive. We will prepare you for your summer work term and employment upon graduation.

Goals of Co-operative Education:

• Provide opportunities for students to learn and apply job search skills.
• Enable students to develop a network of employer contacts.
• Expose students to the realities of the workplace in their chosen field.
• Provide quality work experience where students can apply their knowledge and skills.
• Assist employers by providing well-trained, enthusiastic Co-op students.