The Wilderness Project WashU

The Wilderness Project was founded in 2003 by a group of like-minded students at Washington University in St. Louis. The project's purpose was to provide an outlet for incoming students to engage in the outdoors before entering the academic and social climate of collegiate life. Annually, the program culminates in a week-long trip outside for incoming first-year students, with student leaders facilitating both hiking and rock climbing. The founding members shared a belief that the natural environment provides a neutral space for facilitating life's transitions, promoting personal growth, and discussing pressing social issues. The program aims to provide students an outlet to gain a powerful perspective on their lives, their communities, and how they fit into a global perspective outside the context of everyday routines. The project is designed to challenge the participants to be socially and environmentally conscious leaders.