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. 

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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 First Year

MOOSE for incoming first-year students

MOOSE eXchange

MOOSE eXchange

MOOSE for incoming exchange students

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!...

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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"

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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"

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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"

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Amanda Yates

MOOSE Participant and Leader (Humanities)

I met my best university friends through MOOSE...

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Rachel Zlater

MOOSE Participant and Leader (Business)

I met my best friends and the people who became my housemates at MOOSE back in 2018....

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