Preconference Workshops
Please note that all Preconference Workshops have a maximum capacity. Registration is first come, first served.
Outdoor Leader Training Workshop
Tuesday, April 7 • 8:00am-Noon
$89/person early bird rate
$99/person post early bird rate
Please note that this workshop has a maximum capacity. Registration is first come, first served.
Designed for outdoor recreation professionals at a variety of experience levels, this interactive preconference workshop focuses on the foundations of effective trip and outdoor leader training programs. Facilitated by experienced campus outdoor professionals and AORE Board members, the session will explore how institutions structure, deliver, and continuously improve leader training to support safe, meaningful, and high-impact outdoor experiences.
Participants will examine real-world training models, lesson formats, and program structures, with opportunities to ask targeted questions, workshop their own training approaches, and learn from peers with similar program contexts. The session emphasizes practical takeaways, shared resources, and collaborative discussion, creating space for attendees to leave with ideas and tools they can adapt immediately on their campuses.
In addition to supporting outdoor and adventure program staff, this workshop will also be relevant for higher-level administrators interested in leadership development, risk management, and the transferable skills cultivated through outdoor leader training that apply across campus recreation and wellbeing programs.
Intramural Sports Foundations & Future Trends
Tuesday, April 7 • 8:00am-Noon
$69/person early bird rate
$79/person post early bird rate
Please note that this workshop has a maximum capacity. Registration is first come, first served.
You asked for more foundational intramural sports content—and we heard you. After the strong response to last year’s two-hour workshop, this year’s conference features an expanded four-hour preconference designed specifically for new professionals, newly assigned intramural coordinators, graduate assistants overseeing intramural sports, and early-career recreation staff looking to build confidence and operational readiness.
This interactive workshop focuses on the essential building blocks of successful intramural programs, including scheduling formats, rules and modifications, staffing structures, technology platforms, and facility logistics. Participants will also explore how participation trends, student expectations, and limited resources are shaping today’s intramural sports programs—and how to adapt accordingly.
Through a mix of short presentations, hands-on activities, scenario-based discussions, and peer exchange, attendees will work through common challenges such as behavior management, forfeits, conflict, official recruitment and retention, and risk-related decision-making. The session emphasizes equitable, sustainable practices and practical strategies that can be implemented immediately, regardless of program size or budget.
Participants will leave with new tools, shared resources, peer connections, and a personalized action plan to guide their next steps—ready to manage intramural programs that are both foundational and future-focused.
FREE 2-hour Preconference Workshops!
Tuesday, April 7 • 12:30pm-2:30pm
Please note that this workshop has a maximum capacity. Registration is first come, first served.
- Start with the Goals: How answering the why can help you set the how of your Department Trainings
- From Data to Decisions: Building Data Literacy in Campus Recreation & Wellness
- A Long Talk: How to Have Conversations vs. Confrontations
- How Using CBPR for a Research Project Led to Meaningful Research:Â An Inclusive Outdoor Community and Safe Outdoor Spaces for BIPOC College Students
For more information on these workshops, check out the sessions overview.
