Appalachian Community Leadership Program | Adventure WV

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Explore West Virginia, meet the people shaping its future, & discover how communities create change.

Explore How Communities create change

Offered in partnership with the WVU Center for Resilient Communities, the Appalachian Community Leadership Program is a week-long immersive experience that takes WVU students across West Virginia to explore how communities build resilience, protect the environment, and create opportunity for the future.

Travel with a small group of students as you hike, raft, and visit communities throughout the state. Along the way, you’ll meet local leaders, learn about the challenges and opportunities facing Appalachian communities, and gain firsthand insight into how meaningful change happens on the ground. This program is designed for students who are curious about the world around them and interested in understanding how people, places, and leadership shape the future of communities.

Explore the Landscape

The Appalachian Community Leadership program will run from May 11th to 17th, 2026.

Hike, raft, and camp in some of West Virginia’s most beautiful outdoor places, including Cheat River and the New River Gorge.

Participants will stay at AWV’s Outdoor Education Center in Morgantown, spend a night in Charleston, and camp at River Expeditions in Fayetteville.

Meet the people creating change

Spend time with community leaders working on food justice, environmental restoration, and economic development across the region.
Engagement activities will include walking tours with community leaders working on environmental restoration, food justice and farming, arts-based community building, and neighborhood economic development in Morgantown, Charleston, Fayetteville, and Princeton, WV.

Understand Appalachia in a New way

Through conversation and shared experiences, explore the culture, history, and future of Appalachian communities.

Why Students Participate

Students participate in this program for many reasons, including:

curiosity about Appalachian communities and culture
interest in leadership and community change
the opportunity to travel across West Virginia with a small group of students
learning from people working on real challenges in the region

No prior outdoor or leadership experience is required—just curiosity and a willingness to explore.

Please Note: This trip is for any outdoor experience level, and all Adventure WV trips require that students meet the Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Trip Itinerary

Day	Date	What's Happening?
1	5/11	Introduction & team building at the Outdoor Education Center
2	5/12	Environmental regeneration, renewal, and restoration with Friends of the Cheat
3	5/13	Visiting local partners around Morgantown revolving around food, community engagement, and art
4	5/14	Exploring and visiting partners in Charleston, WV
5	5/15	New Roots Community Farm Visit in Fayetteville, WV and white water rafting on the New River
6	5/16	Exploring and visiting partners in Princeton, WV
7	5/17	Exploring Fayetteville area and returning to Morgantown

payment options

To help provide more flexiblity, students can now elect to pay a $95.00 initial deposit to secure their spot on the trip. This fee becomes non-refundable 30 days before our departure date.
The remaining balance can then be paid over time, alleviating the need to pay the full amount upfront.
Students will have the option to post their remaining balances to either their student account via a STAR Charge or opt into a periodic payment plan through our WVUGo platform.
Both these options are subject to payment deadlines and other criteria.
Payment deadline for this program is April 1st, 2026.
Visit our Guided Trip Policy and Details page for additional information on registration and cancellation procedures.

Questions

Have questions or would like to talk through the program details? Email Morgan Haas to get connected to our team of staff and faculty coordinating the Appalachian Community Leadership Program.