The Basics

Company Name: Virginia Commonwealth University Outdoor Adventure Program (VCU OAP)
Location: Richmond, VA
Founded: “Building leaders and community through the outdoors since 1982”
Full-Time Employees: 60 (4 full time employees and 55 student staff)
Products: Adventure and Fun
Social: Instagram // Facebook // Website
Claim to Fame: Through diverse outdoor recreation and leadership experiences, the Outdoor Adventure Program fosters personal development and community building, which supports the academic success and holistic well-being of students at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The OAP offers more than 340 programs each year and rents over 17,000 pieces of equipment.   We serve nearly 12,000 participants, which makes up more than 62,000 contact hours annually. We have been helping students experience outdoor adventure & build community since 1982.

The Culture

Demographics (Optional):

 2019-2020 Staff - 

Of 17 student staff surveyed in August 2020 :

77% female, 6% non-binary, 27% male

77% white, 12% Asian, 6% Black/African-American, 6% Hispanic

2 receiving services from Disability support office at University, 2 Pell Grant Awardees, 2 First-Generation college students, 5 Federal Work Study Grant Awardees

Participants - Of 1020 trip respondents -

61.9% Female, 35.4% Male, 1.3% No Binary, 1.2% Prefer not to answer.  

62.3% White, 16.3%Asian, 10% Black or African American, 6.9% Latinx, 3.8% other, 3% prefer not to answer,  0.3% American Indian

11.6% International Students

The best thing about working at THE OAP is:

Being around a community of  people that are passionate about the  outdoors and excited to  share their  passion and knowledge with others. 

When we’re not working, we’re:

in the best urban park in the universe, the James River Park System in downtown Richmond, whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, or trail running.

What we’re reading:

The Adventure Gap, Endurance, Encounters with the Archdruid, Another Wilderness (New Outdoor Writings by Women).

What we’re listening to/Watching on Netflix:

Caamp, The Idles, Ariana Grande, Scene on Radio, the Dirtbag Diaries, and unfortunately Third Eye Blind.

If they made a movie about our workplace, it would be called:

“Hair on fire”

Inclusion in the outdoors matters because:

We believe that the outdoors is a place where all people should feel welcome and included. We are incredibly lucky to live in a city that has access to trails, climbing & river sports and we have been introducing students to adventure sports in our city and around the world for almost 40 years. Nature can have a powerful impact on those who are able to be present in these outdoor spaces. It has certainly had a meaningful impact on all of us who are part of the OAP. Unfortunately, many people have been made to feel excluded and unwelcomed in the outdoors. In doing so, they have not been able to experience the positive impacts that a connection to the environment and outside world can have. We believe that our world can be a better place if more people are given the opportunity to create community through outdoor experiences. If we exclude people from those experiences we are all missing out on a deeper, richer community and connection to the outdoors.

Five years down the line, it’s our hope that:

Every student who comes through VCU has a connection to the green spaces in and around Richmond, VA; and has a chance to seek out adventure in whatever way calls to them.

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