ALTITUDE - Team Development and Leadership Program
McMaster Outdoor Orientation Student Experience
McMaster Outdoor Orientation Student Experience (MOOSE) takes incoming first years and exchange students on a multi-day adventure orientation program.
.
The mission of the McMaster Outdoor Education Student Experience (MOOSE) is to provide incoming students with a mentored, outdoor experience for transitioning into university life while providing them with the tools necessary to build strong relationships and develop self-efficacy. The MOOSE program is offered to 2 primary demographics; incoming first year students and incoming exchange students.
MOOSE First Year
MOOSE FY is a faculty-based outdoor orientation program that connects and supports students with an interest in nature, sustainability, leadership, and the outdoors! . This program is open to ALL First-Year students, regardless of skill level. We welcome anyone from the occasional weekend trail hiker to the intense white-water paddler! MOOSE will help you with your transition to first year, help you build a strong sense of community, and help you to explore and connect with nature.
This year, MOOSE FY will consist of two separate trips, and students can choose to participate in one or both. The first is a 2-day trip which begins at Crawford Lake, where participants will get a guided tour of the longhouses and museum. The group then travels to Rattlesnake Point, where they will camp overnight and hike, explore caves and rock climb in the surrounding area. The second trip is a 2-day canoe trip on the Grand River and the group will camp overnight at Five Oaks campground. MOOSE FY leaders will facilitate these outdoors activities while creating a safe, fun and inclusive atmosphere for first-year students.
email: moose@mcmaster.ca
MOOSE eXchange
MOOSE eXchange is for incoming exchange students and occurs over 3 days and 2 nights during the start of the school year. As welcome week events are not open to exchange students, this program provides an alternative welcome week experience for exchange students to get to know their new country, campus, and community as well as meet other exchange students that will be here during the year.
Join us for an adventure trip on the historic Grand River! Students will be able to experience this Canadian heritage river through camping, canoeing, rafting, kayaking, and turbo tubing. Each evening during the trip, local indigenous educators from Six Nations of the Grand Riverwill join us at camp to lead storytelling sessions about Indigenous Iroquois culture and history. These indigenous educators will also lead traditional ‘Powwow’ activities such as drumming, singing and dancing.
The Grand River is the largest river valley and watershed in Southern Ontario, running 290 kilometers from the Dundalk Highlands to Lake Erie. It is one of the few remaining Carolinian forests in Canada and is home to thousands of wildlife species, including bald eagles, and an immensely popular recreation area.
Trip runs August 29 to Aug 31, 2022. $395.00 per person. Camping gear, food, travel and equipment are included. https://www.oscarplusmcmaster.ca/upcomingEvents.htm?eventId=41312
email: mooseX@mcmaster.ca
MOOSE First Year
MOOSE for incoming first-year students
MOOSE First Year
With over 400 first years participating over the past 8 years since its inception, the McMaster Athletics and Recreation based Welcome Week orientation program continues to provide a strong foundation from which first-year students can transition and succeed in university. Mark your calenders for this years outdoor orientation program running from August 31st 2022 to September 3rd! This year, the program will be run fully online through various platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and more. Students are then immersed right into welcome week programming after the outdoor orientation programming. Outdoor orientation programming provides you with opportunities to get to know your fellow students in your program and encourages team development through a wide variety of outdoor activities. This program will be a great warm-up for your transition to university life in September! The friends that you meet on MOOSE will be your peers in class and also your colleagues for years to come.
Description
Between being on your own for the first time, scheduling your time between academics and extra-curricular activities, and meeting new people, transitioning to university can be challenging; it can also be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. We are committed to supporting you as you join our community. The McMaster Outdoor Orientation Student Experience (MOOSE) is just one way we do so.
Mission
The mission of the McMaster Outdoor Education Student Experience (MOOSE) is to provide incoming students with a mentored, outdoor experience for transitioning into university life while providing them with the tools necessary to build strong relationships and develop self-efficacy.
Dates
Rattlesnake Point: August 31st - September 1st, 2022, Grand River: September 2nd - 3rd
Program Cost
There is no cost for this program.
Registration
The program will accept all students who register! Registration is through McMaster Athletics and Recreation, and will open soon!
Registration Opens
TBD
Risk Management
All MOOSE activities follow McMaster University’s Health and Safety guidelines. Potential risks are outlined in participant waivers and all MOOSE Leaders are CPR- and First Aid-certified, and several of the Program Coordinators have certification in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness Advanced First Aid. McMaster Outdoor Recreation has been organizing and leading outdoors programming for the past fifteen years.
Duke of Edinburgh Program
Founded in 1956, the Duke of Edinburgh program aspires to equip youth with life skills that will benefit themselves, their community and the world. Today, the program is promoted in over 140 countries and is considered as a valuable accreditation by many educational institutions and employers.
A requirement to achieve any award level (bronze, silver or gold) is the act of going on an “adventurous journey”. Founded upon the goal of developing hard and soft skills in an outdoor setting, MOOSE provides a valuable opportunity to fulfill this component of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program. For more information on the requirements for the “Adventurous Journey”, please refer to the Duke of Edinburgh Award program’s guidelines page.
The MOOSE program highly encourages its participants to enroll in the Duke of Edinburgh program and will provide as many resources and support possible through the process of completing their award. For more information please refer to the Duke of Edinburgh program website.
MOOSE eXchange
MOOSE for incoming exchange students
MOOSE eXchange
The MOOSE-eXchange programis a 3-day paddling trip on the historic Grand River. MOOSE-eXchange provides you with opportunities to get to know your fellow students in your Exchange cohort as well as local students from your faculty and encourages team development through a wide variety of outdoor activities. This four-day program will be a great warm-up for your transition to university life in September! The friends that you meet on MOOSE will be your peers in class and also your colleagues for years to come.
Mission
The mission of the McMaster Outdoor Education Student Experience (MOOSE) is to provide incoming students with a mentored, outdoor experience for transitioning into university life while providing them with the tools necessary to build strong relationships and develop self-efficacy.
Description
Going on Exchange to a different country can be both a stressful and an exciting time in your life, during which you will be faced with many challenges. These challenges may include living on your own for the first time, scheduling appropriate time for school and extracurricular activities, as well as meeting new friends. McMaster University is committed to supporting all students through their transition into the Exchange program. The MOOSE-eXchange program endeavors to help Exchange students experience a successful start to their university life in Canada.
Dates
August 29th - August 31st, 2022
Program Overview and Cost
Costs cover all meals, accommodations, transportation and gear rentals. 3 day paddling-camping trip on the Grand River
Meals
All meals are included in the cost of the program. Please indicate any allergies/ dietary restrictions on the medical form (distributed upon confirmation of registration).
Gear
All necessary trip gear, such as packs and camping equipment.. Packing lists, including proper clothing and packing methods, will be provided to participants. Participants are only responsible for bringing their own clothing, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat. Sleeping bags and sleeping mats can be borrowed from the McMaster University Outdoor Club upon request.
Risk Management
All MOOSE-eX activities follow McMaster University’s Health and Safety guidelines. Potential risks are outlined in participant waivers, and staff review medical forms to ensure they are educated on the medical and health needs of each participant. All MOOSE-eX Leaders are CPR- and First Aid-certified, and several of the Program Coordinators have certification in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness Advanced First Aid. McMaster Outdoor Recreation has been organizing and leading canoe trips of this size for the past fifteen years. Parents/Guardians will be provided with an emergency contact sheet prior to the trip should they need to make contact with a participant.
Ella Anderson
MOOSE Participant and Leader (Science)
I absolutely loved my experience at MOOSE! I made some amazing friends on the trip and found the staff involved to be welcoming and helpful!...
Learn More
Jaquline Mills
MOOSE Participant and Leader (kinesiology)
"I was able to make connections to leaders who I trusted to ask questions to throughout the year"
Learn More
Linus Pardoe
MOOSE Xchange Participant (England)
"MOOSE is a gateway ...I met people that have become my best friends and allowed me to do so much more while in Canada"
Learn More
Hanna Traeger
MOOSE Xchange Participant (Germany)
"I Saw a lot of great Canadian Wildlife which made it an experience I would never want to miss"
Learn More
Amanda Yates
MOOSE Participant and Leader (Humanities)
I met my best university friends through MOOSE...
Learn More
Rachel Zlater
MOOSE Participant and Leader (Business)
I met my best friends and the people who became my housemates at MOOSE back in 2018....
Learn More