Skip to main content
West Virginia University Adventure WV

Educator & Advisor Resources

Connecting students with meaningful experiences that foster resilience, connection, and the confidence to thrive at WVU. 

What You Need to Know

We’re inviting advisors and educators to partner with us in identifying students who may be struggling with their fit at the university or could benefit from a positive outlet to support their overall well-being. Together, we can connect these students with meaningful experiences facilitated by Adventure WV that foster resilience, connection, and the confidence to thrive at WVU.

What is Adventure WV?

Adventure WV is housed within Student Life and specializes in planning and delivering outdoor-based activities designed to facilitate connection, belonging, and persistence among WVU students. 

We're most well-known for our   First-Year Trips , which have been shown to positively impact  participants' year-to-year retention and 6-year graduation rates . This programming approach extends to our  Guided Trips,  Well-being Adventures Series, and WVU Outdoor Education Center. Through experiential and outdoor programming, we aim to serve the broader WVU community by helping students create and find community. 

How to Facilitate Student Involvement
Academic Advisors are often the first to notice a student struggling. While certain aspects of a student's experience at WVU are often outside our control, we can assist in combating loneliness, finding community, and addressing certain aspects of student well-being. 

To facilitate student involvement, faculty and staff are encouraged to refer students to upcoming Adventure WV programs and events. They can do this by sending students the information below or contacting Adventure WV directly to help with program placement. 

While most Adventure WV programs do carry a program registration fee, students being referred will most likely have their fee waived or fully refunded. This means students can participate free of charge. More information on that is below. 

Resource #1 - Guided Trips
Adventure WV Guided Trips incorporate traditional outdoor recreation activities and are designed for students to explore new places, gain skills, meet new people, and have fun. Most programs are half-day (meaning 4 hours or less), entry-level, and local to Morgantown. Other fellow students lead these trips with a specific objective of facilitating meaningful connections between student participants. 

  • Best Referral For: Loneliness, lack of community, or weak social support systems. 
  • Registration Platform: WVUGO
  • Discount Code: MyWVUAdventure—This code will deduct $30 off any program registration, covering most program options offered each semester. Each student referred can use this code twice. 

Resource #2 - Well-being Adventures Series
This collaboration between Adventure WV and The Carruth  Center offers students subsidized immersive programs that blend social connection with wellness-focused curriculum into experiences that enhance their overall well-being. Like Guided Trip, these include leisurely outdoor-based activities led by fellow students. The main difference is the dedicated curriculum that fosters discussions about student well-being. Carruth Clinicians also frequently participate to help guide conversations and help students proactively address their well-being. 

  • Best Referral For: Students struggling to balance their well-being and make positive social connections
  • Registration Platform:  WVUGO
  • Refundable Fee: A $10 payment is required at registration, though it will be fully refunded as long as the student attends.


Resource #3 - Contacting Adventure WV Staff
Are you unsure which activity option would work best, or do you want to help facilitate a student's involvement in a particular program? We can help. Working directly with an Adventure WV staff member can help ensure we find the best programmatic fit and reduce any barrier to participation. This includes consulting on what program options are available, completing the registration process on the student's behalf, and working directly to reduce or subsidize the program's costs. 

  • Best Referral For: Situations where direct placement or consultation on program options is best. 
  • Contact: AdventureWV@mail.wvu.edu

Questions?

If you have any questions about the program options above or how to best facilitate a student's placement in an activity, please do not hesitate to reach out.