Participation Type
Workshop
Presentation #1 Title
Engaging Community, Exploring Place, and Adventures Along the Path: Reflections on Teaching a Course on the Appalachian Trail
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In his book, On Trails: An Exploration, author Robert Moore notes, “We move through this world on paths laid down long before we are born.” The Appalachian Trail is a 2,100 mile long footpath that provides sojourners with reprieve, meaning, and connection to Appalachia through community, recreation, and the potential for environmental awareness. This presentation provides reflections on teaching a course on the Appalachian Trail and how educational spaces such as these may allow students and others to engage with the centrality of community in Appalachia, the importance of experientially exploring place, and how to leverage opportunities that exist throughout Appalachia to create first-hand experiences and adventures through directly accessing the Appalachian Trail. The course, housed within the Appalachian Studies minor and Outdoor Leadership major at Young Harris College, provides students with the opportunity to explore the culture, literature, stories and lore, environmental issues, community, and actual footpath of the Appalachian Trial. Students through the course develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich natural and cultural history of the Appalachian Trail and southern Appalachian region. This is an experiential course involving field experiences, and a service project. Students receive technical skills instruction in backcountry travel to facilitate experiencing the trail first hand. Course materials, assignments, and topic sequencing and progressions will be shared and discussed with attendees.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Joseph A. Pate is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Outdoor Leadership Program at Young Harris College. His scholarship endeavors to explore the complexities of lived-experiences in contexts of leisure, music, and the unfolding dynamics of culture and place. He is invested deeply in pedagogic pursuits as well as developments in qualitative inquiry.
Engaging Community, Exploring Place, and Adventures Along the Path: Reflections on Teaching a Course on the Appalachian Trail
In his book, On Trails: An Exploration, author Robert Moore notes, “We move through this world on paths laid down long before we are born.” The Appalachian Trail is a 2,100 mile long footpath that provides sojourners with reprieve, meaning, and connection to Appalachia through community, recreation, and the potential for environmental awareness. This presentation provides reflections on teaching a course on the Appalachian Trail and how educational spaces such as these may allow students and others to engage with the centrality of community in Appalachia, the importance of experientially exploring place, and how to leverage opportunities that exist throughout Appalachia to create first-hand experiences and adventures through directly accessing the Appalachian Trail. The course, housed within the Appalachian Studies minor and Outdoor Leadership major at Young Harris College, provides students with the opportunity to explore the culture, literature, stories and lore, environmental issues, community, and actual footpath of the Appalachian Trial. Students through the course develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich natural and cultural history of the Appalachian Trail and southern Appalachian region. This is an experiential course involving field experiences, and a service project. Students receive technical skills instruction in backcountry travel to facilitate experiencing the trail first hand. Course materials, assignments, and topic sequencing and progressions will be shared and discussed with attendees.
