Camp Directors
Our students know that summer camp experiences are life-changing. Many ORPT students work at summer camps, offering incredible opportunities for skill development and self-discovery. With strong leadership skills, and solid understanding of group dynamics and well developed risk management skills, our graduates gain meaningful employment as upper-level leaders and directors of summer camps.
Luc Cousineau
HBOR/ BA (Women's Studies)/BSc (Natural Science) 2010
I have been a lifelong camper with more than 20 years of summer camping experience as a participant and employee. I was able to cater my education and my ORPT experience to the skills that are required to be successful in the residential summer camping field. This included my thesis which bridged my ORPT and Women's Studies degrees and examined gender bias in the leadership preferences of seasonal summer camp staff persons.
Immediately after leaving Lakehead I entered into full-time employment in the field working with the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, and subsequently moved to the YMCA-YWCA of Guelph to pursue an employment opportunity there.
I have continued with academic pursuits writing articles for industry publication and wider ORPT journal publication.
Why should other students pursue and ORPT education at Lakehead?
Your degree may say that it is Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, but it really is much more than that. This degree prepares you to be lead right out of school, and to excel in leadership within your chosen field. You have more experience working in groups than most, and you have experience both leading and working as a team in that group atmosphere. ORPT grads are some of the most creative and active problem solvers that I have employed or worked with. You are infinitely employable in many, many fields, and the theoretical base knowledge that you can gain through this program can carry you a long way in business, the outdoors, or abroad.