Overall Rating Bronze
Overall Score 34.83
Liaison Katie Wall
Submission Date March 24, 2022

STARS v2.2

Lees-McRae College
IN-47: Innovation A

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Katie Wall
Program Coordinator
Outdoor Recreation Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine Top Adventure College

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

Lees-McRae once again took a top spot in the annual Top Adventure College competition hosted by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, finishing first in the “small school” category.

Altered from years past, this year’s Top Adventure College competition brought together 40 colleges from the southeast to compete in weekly rounds divided by large and small school categories—20 in each. Broken into four week-long rounds, schools were eliminated from the running each week based on the lowest scores.

In 2018, Lees-McRae took historic gold as the first small school to win the overall title and in 2019 the college once again landed at the top of the charts with a second place finish.

Boasting miles of trails, several rock climbing areas, and picturesque locations to set up a hammock, Lees-McRae offers endless ways to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Many of the academic offerings at Lees-McRae center around the outdoors and the lessons it can teach. Some of those programs include Outdoor Recreation Management, Cycling Studies, Wilderness Medicine, and Ski Industry Business and Instruction.

Sustainability-wise, in relation to outdoor recreation, Lees-McRae College offers a variety of certifications that focus on understanding and preserving the environments:
- Leave No Trace Trainer
- Leave No Trace Master Educator
- Certified Interpretive Guide
- North Carolina Environmental Education Certification as part of the Certified Environmental Educator
No other college in the country offers such a wide range of environmental certifications.

Read more from Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine about the win


A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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