Tag: PRTMProud

Scuba divers never dive alone. A diving buddy is needed to make sure the diver is able to get out of the water quickly and safely, if the unexpected happens. Robbie Bogan, owner of Upstate Scuba in Clemson, says that same general rule also applies to running a successful business.

Robbie’s buddy? The Leisure Skills program managed by Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department, which helped him build and grow Upstate Scuba, a local scuba diving business that trains divers in more than nine counties throughout South Carolina and parts of Georgia.

Robbie, who’s been teaching a scuba diving course for the program since 2004, has always had a passion for diving and rescue.

“I started diving as a child, and worked as a firefighter for several years,” he says. “one of the areas I always wanted to explore was rescue diving – applying my scuba experience to underwater rescue and training others to do it too.”

On a trip to Clemson in 2004 and after discussions with people in the community, he realized the area had everything he needed to start a scuba diving business. There were no existing options to learn how to scuba dive in the region, giving him an untapped market.

Most importantly, says Clemson’s Leisure Skills program Director and Senior Lecturer Dan Anderson, a local scuba diving training option didn’t exist for Clemson University students who may need certification to build their careers, such as for some jobs in marine biology.

“When we spoke with Robbie, we saw an opportunity to help our students earn a certification that was otherwise locally unavailable,” he continued. “Scuba diving is a perfect fit for our Leisure Skills program, which helps Clemson students learn new skills, get more involved on campus and broaden their network opportunities.”

Students take leisure skills program for a number of reasons, including introducing themselves to new activities, and potential new hobbies or career options. More than 150 one-credit learning options were offered last spring in subjects such as dance, shotgun sports, yoga, fitness, outdoor recreation, sports and first aid. Class sections are taught by experts in the field, like Robbie.

The Leisure Skills scuba diving course teaches basic open water diving techniques and helps students gain the knowledge they need to meet requirements of an open water diving certification. Students take four classes to learn the basics of open water diving and practice what they’ve learned in three pool sessions.

At the end of the course, students are required to pass a swim test for certification by an internationally recognized and accepted certifying agency. The test requires them to complete three dives one day and two the next. When they pass the swim test, students earn one credit towards their undergraduate degree at Clemson University, while also gaining an international certification that they can use to dive anywhere in the world.

Students can maintain that certification for life, says Robbie.

“All they need to do to maintain their certification is to keep a log of their dives,” he says. “If they complete and record two dives per year, they keep their certification. If they don’t complete their dives, they have the option of taking a half-day update class to get them back up to speed and get re-certified.”

Robbie says that after starting to work with Leisure Skills to train Clemson students, he’s never looked back. His business continues to grow, having certified more than 3,000 students over the past 15 years, and is able to offer rescue diving training to first responders.

He credits his success to Clemson University.

“We’re now making a huge impact in the region by building underwater rescue capacity, but if it weren’t for the university’s leisure skills program, we wouldn’t be doing this,” he says. “The impact of the Leisure Skills program on my small business and so many others has impacted the Clemson community in ways that they may not even realize. We’re very fortunate and appreciative.”

He also says that the program helps people in more fields than you would originally expect.

“We’re seeing scuba diving being used in a number of different professions, such as for engineers doing underwater bridge inspectors, or even astronauts, as being underwater can mimic the experience of being in space,” he says. “Some of our former students have even become rescue divers themselves. Even if they don’t ever need to actually rescue anyone, the peace of mind knowing they’re ready to help is huge.”

***

Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department employs experts in leisure studies and outdoor recreation. Learn more about its Leisure Skills program.

At first glance, Haley Plumley and Lauren Grubbs may not have a lot in common, other than their age (they’re both 12 years old). They also live in different states – Haley lives in Florida and Lauren in North Carolina – and have different connections to Clemson.

If you look a little deeper, however, you’ll see that they share a similar determination, and a strongly-held belief that despite their age, they have the power to change the world – a belief they’re proving by working to raise awareness of the plight of tigers in the wild.

Lauren and Haley got involved in different ways. Lauren writes letters that get attention. She was learning how to write persuasive letters as part of a 5^th grade class project, when she decided to write Clemson University President Jim Clements about the need for the university to lead an effort to save tigers in the wild.

“About 70 kids in Lauren’s school sent persuasive letters to complete the project assignment, but she was the only student who received a personalized response back,” says her mother, Katie Grubbs. “She’s been writing letters ever since. It’s fascinating to see who replies and who doesn’t, and the confidence and influence she’s grown in the process.”

Clements asked Dr. Brett Wright, Director of the Tigers United University Consortium, to respond on his behalf to Lauren’s letter. The Consortium is devoted to tiger conservation and consists of four land-grant, tiger mascot universities working collaboratively on this issue – Clemson University, Auburn University, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri. Katie says Dr. Wright’s response to Lauren’s letter was written in a way that she could understand and provided useful information about the Consortium, its goals and its work.

Haley, on the other hand, was working on a community service project for school and wanted to find a unique way for a kid to further a cause she could believe in, support and help. Last year, she learned about the Tigers United University Consortium at Clemson through her Dad, who played football for Clemson between 1990-94 and remains an active supporter. Haley overheard her Dad talking about a donation he had made to the consortium and their need for help, and realized she’d found her project.

“Over the last few years, Haley had been asking me how kids can get involved in an issue, and what they can do that would really help,” said Julie Plumley, Haley’s mother. “When she heard about the consortium and that it’s something many people don’t yet know about, she realized she could spread the word and really make a difference.”

Her idea was to create an educational program for elementary-aged children about the need for tiger conservation, including how they can help, so they could share that information with their friends and families and get involved.

This idea started to become reality this past spring as a unique learning opportunity for Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management students. Associate Professor Gwynn Powell, who teaches a Youth Development in Camp course, saw an opportunity for her students to combine public service with developmental pedagogy.

“Our class was developing activities for elementary school aged children participating in the City of Clemson’s annual spring break day camp,” says Dr. Powell. “The tiger conservation program was a great project, because it challenged them to develop a curriculum that combined academic content with recreational activities.”

Dr. Powell tasked her students with creating potential programs and activities for an elementary school education program to teach tiger conservation to students in grades first through fifth grade. Given their experience with the consortium and its work, Haley and Lauren were asked to vet the class’s ideas in a ‘Shark Tank’ evaluation setting.

Holly Carlisle, one of the students that presented to Haley and Lauren, said the process was a meaningful learning experience, and that the judges provided useful feedback.

“I was really motivated to work hard because our work was for more than a class assignment,” she says. “We tested our work with children, so we know we’re designing something meaningful for them. I hope the program can be used around the world to help children see the importance of tiger conservation.”

Fellow student Caroline Self agrees, and appreciated Haley and Lauren’s (often blunt) feedback.

“Those kids did not cut us any slack!” she says. “It was helpful to hear from them, because this assignment challenged us to target specific activities for specific grades, so we had to really understand the developmental difference in the ages to strike the right balance.”

The program is now being refined with input from elementary school teachers. Haley and Lauren’s schools agreed to pilot the program when it’s ready.

Consortium Director Brett Wright says Haley and Lauren are proving that anyone can have a significant impact on the world, regardless of your age.

“These girls are two of the savviest, most invested and dedicated people I’ve come across,” he says. “They know they can make a difference, and they’re putting in some serious work to spread the message about tiger conservation, and how dire the situation has become.

He says their involvement also gives him hope for the tiger’s future.

“We chant ‘Go Tigers’ on a daily basis, but not many know the truth about the animal we hold so dear – and how close they are to extinction,” he says. “Lauren and Haley are giving us an important tool we can use to raise awareness, and hopefully bring more people to the cause. Without that help, tigers as we know it may become extinct in their lifetime.”

***

Tigers United Week runs from September 3 to 7 in Clemson. The consortium’s universities are all raising awareness of tiger conservation through through several activities, including a Scarcity Scavenger Hunt with a grand cash prize and an information booth while Clemson tailgates for Saturday’s game, with an opportunity to meet Clemson’s First Lady Beth Clements and her daughter, Grace. The week culminates with a launch of a new, 30-second video about the consortium’s mission during the Clemson home football game on Saturday afternoon. More information about Tigers United Week and its activities can be found on the Tigers United blog.

You can also support Tigers United by texting CUtigers to 41444.

Louise Orr had finished her undergraduate degree and was working in state government, when she decided she needed a change.

“I had always loved wildlife and been interested in conservation, and had briefly considered studying zoology in college, but went a different route by studying communications instead,” she says. “I realized a few years after my graduation that not only could I still pursue that love for wildlife, but I could apply my communications background and experience to making a difference in the conservation field.”

Louise is now pursuing her master’s degree in parks and conservation management in Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department. Her research focuses on how our political beliefs influence what types of conservation messages are most likely to reach us, or motivate us to take action.

“Most people have never seen an animal in the wild, making them largely disassociated from problems tigers face,” says Louise. “My research is exploring several variables, such as levels of knowledge about tiger conservation, their political ideologies and their moral foundations, to find out what kind of messages they would be most receptive to, so we can help organizations working to save tigers better encourage people to get involved and learn more about the need for tiger conservation and how they can help.”

One of the variables Louise is exploring is whether a person’s connection to a tiger mascot school would have any influence on their engagement in conservation behavior. If someone is passionate about their university’s mascot, does that translate to a passion for that animal in the wild and make them more likely to participate in conservation efforts?

Louise’s research for her master’s agree transfers well to her part-time job working as an Assistant Project Coordinator for the Tigers United University Consortium. The consortium is devoted to tiger conservation and consists of four land-grant, tiger mascot universities working collaboratively on this issue – Clemson University, Auburn University, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri.

The consortium’s universities are all raising awareness of tiger conservation through Tigers United Week, which runs from September 3 to 7 in Clemson. Several activities are planned, including a documentary screening about a man’s quest to get a Siberian Tiger on camera, a Scarcity Scavenger Hunt with a grand cash prize, and an information booth with an opportunity to meet Clemson’s First Lady Beth Clements and her daughter, Grace. The week culminates with a launch of a new, 30 second video about the consortium’s mission during the Clemson football game on Saturday, September 7. More information about Tigers United Week and its activities can be found on the Tigers United blog.

Dr. Brett Wright, dean emeritus of Clemson’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, is the consortium’s Director and Louise’s faculty advisor. He says Louise’s background in communications and her current research focus makes her a valuable part of the consortium team.

“A big part of the work we do at the consortium is getting the message out in a way that motivates people to make a difference, and Louise’s research and communications expertise will help us figure out how to best get our message across,” he says. “After all, students, faculty and alumni chant ‘Go Tigers’ on a daily basis, but not many know the truth about the animal we hold so dear – and how close they are to extinction. Fewer still may know how they can help.”

Louise is excited to help organizations like the consortium refine their conservation messaging.

“It’s a great feeling to combine what I’m passionate about with my knowledge and experience in the communications field, and to use it to make a difference in the world” she says. “Especially since this work is critically important. If we don’t continue to work hard and do what we can – our children and grandchildren aren’t going to have tigers in the wild. They’re going to be gone.”

Any graduate student will tell you that earning a master’s or doctorate is a very different experience than earning their undergraduate degree.

Graduate school often presents new challenges, such as how to successfully navigate juggling school and life, securing funding support, the academic job search, and imposter syndrome. These challenges don’t end after graduate school, as new faculty members find themselves working towards and beyond the tenure track.

With that in mind, several current and former faculty members in Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department guest edited and contributed to a two-part special issue of SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education that focuses on the academic profession in parks, recreation, tourism and leisure.

The special issue was guest edited by Mariela Fernandez, Lauren Duffy, Gwynn Powell, and former faculty member Lincoln Larson. Contributors included Professor Emeriti Brett Wright and Fran McGuire, current department faculty member Iryna Sharaievska, and former faculty member Dart Schmalz.

“As professors, we have a unique perspective, having experienced the academic system through the lens of both graduate students and by working as faculty members at different stages of our careers,” says Fernandez. “The special issue is a valuable resource that can serve as a guide for students at every stage of their graduate studies, up to, including, and after their job search, as well as for our colleagues working in the academy.”

Part 1 of the issue provides advice about successfully navigating the different stages of an academic career, from graduate school to the post-tenure years. Part 2 explores contemporary challenges in higher education that influence academic programs and may impact faculty members throughout their careers, such as changing approaches to governance in academic institutions, the evolving experience economy, and the ongoing struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The goal is to help graduate students and faculty colleagues recognize and address common challenges, ultimately enhancing success at both the professional and personal level.

Although the special issue is written to address challenges in the parks, recreation, tourism and leisure fields, contributing editor Lauren Duffy notes that the general principles could also apply to other fields.

“The challenges we all face in the leisure studies field are often not dissimilar from challenges others may encounter over the course of their academic training and career,” Duffy says. “Although information provided in this special issue is focused through the lens of our work, there are common threads that can be useful to any graduate student or academic professional.”

Contributing editor Gwynn Powell notes that the special issue can also start a dialogue about issues that are important topics of discussion, but are not often publicly discussed.

“For example, one of the articles in the special issue focuses on post-tenure pathways – the fact that extensive mentorship is provided pre-tenure, but disappears in the decades following that achievement,” says Powell. “Highlighting challenges like this can help colleagues working in the field realize they’re not alone, while also helping them address it.”

When many of us think about summertime for university students, we imagine vacations with family or afternoons spent on the lake.

For many Clemson University students, however, part of their summer is spent on-the-job, as they complete practicum requirements for their program of study. Michael Fanning, a Clemson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) major, was one of those students.

Michael completed his summer practicum on Clemson campus through the university’s Summer Scholars program, which helps middle and high school students explore the college experience through subjects they’re interested in.

Michael worked as a counselor, mentoring students and acting as a Clemson ambassador, by sharing his insight on what it is like to learn on campus in his chosen area of study.

“Our counselors come from a diverse set of majors so that there is always someone our scholars can connect with to learn more about being trained in a certain discipline,” says Camille Swanson, Director of the Summer Scholars program. “Michael was able to represent his major to the scholars, while also making them feel welcome and supported on campus.”

Michael says that the experience worked both ways, as the program hosted high school students from throughout the United States and other parts of the globe, such as South Korea and Japan, giving him insight into how other cultures perceive Clemson. He says he also benefited from an increased awareness of programs offered by other parts of the university.

“My favorite part of the Summer Scholars experience was experiencing different programs offered at Clemson, such as audio and civil engineering, various animal farms during vet camp, genetics and others,” he says. “I also enjoyed meeting and building relationships with counselors from other majors.”

Practicum experiences for students majoring in PRTM are designed to give students an opportunity to build their resume, while also gaining knowledge and work experience, according to Jamie Cathey, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Lecturer and Michael’s internship coordinator.

“For many of our students, their practicum is their first experience working in their field,” she adds. “Practicums serve an exploratory purpose, in that they give students a chance to try different jobs out and see what they enjoy doing most, while also giving them an opportunity to put what they’re learning in class into action.”

Both Jamie and Camille agree that Michael was well-suited to his practicum position, as he has a natural affinity for helping others.

“If Michael saw one of our scholars sitting by themselves, he would immediately go and reach out to them, and find a way to get them involved,” says Camille. “He’s always calm, inviting and welcoming, and ready to connect with everyone he comes into contact with.”

Michael also knows that he’s picked the right major. “A PRTM major has a wide variety of rewarding career choices and is critical to the development of happy families,” he says. “I hope to take my experience and invest in the lives of young people and families to help create experiences for family time – the most valuable thing any family can share.”

Michael’s looking forward to graduating and exploring all of the options his Clemson degree can afford him. After his summer scholars experience, we’re confident his future looks bright.

Raquel Simpson started playing golf in Illinois when she was 9 years old.

She’d been playing for a few years when she caught the attention of Tiffany Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of Black Girls Golf LLC. Fitzgerald told Raquel’s father about an opportunity to improve her golf game and learn more about the industry through a summer scholars program she was developing with Clemson University.

Two years later, Raquel was practicing her swing on Clemson’s campus.

“When I found out about the Clemson opportunity, I was really excited about the chance to be around people who both look like me and play the same sport as I do,” says Raquel. “My Dad signed me up and now I’m here, and everything is going really well.”

Raquel is one of fifteen African American high school students who improved their golf game and learned about golf management through Clemson University’s PGA Golf Management Summer Scholars program, run in partnership with Fitzgerald’s organization. The program began in 2017 to foster increased diversity in the golf industry, and to help students see they’re not alone in their love of the sport.

“We’ve created a safe space and environment where these girls can show up knowing they are welcome and don’t feel like they need to prove that they belong,” says Fitzgerald. “It warms my heart to know they’re creating new friends and bonding with people who have a shared experience.”

Students also spend the week learning the many benefits the game can offer them outside of physical activity. Classes students take between training sessions cover career paths, industry trends and opportunities, business planning, golf instruction and player development programs.

“The program is more than just golf, because we want these students to consider turning their passion for the sport into a management career in the golf industry,” says Rick Lucas, director of the PGA golf management program and senior lecturer in Clemson’s parks, recreation and tourism management department. “Teaching them key business skills, such as business planning and customer relations, can help them get a feel for managing and running a golf facility and how to work in the golf environment.”

Before they’re accepted into the program, students are required to demonstrate high academic achievement, as well as golf ability. Many of the students in this year’s program have GPAs over 3.5.

As awareness of the program grows, Fitzgerald says more applications are being seen from students across the country.

“We received 50 applications this year from girls as far away as California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Texas, which demonstrates the need for this type of program throughout the United States,” says Fitzgerald. “The sweet spot for our camps is 10 participants at a time, which means that one of the vital pieces moving forward is going to be finding the resources and funding to continue to grow.”

Students receive scholarships from ONE Clemson to attend the program. After taking the program and seeing what Clemson has to offer, some of the students are expressing interest in pursuing their higher education at Clemson University. Additional scholarship support is now needed to help those students achieve that goal.

“These are exceptional students that have the potential to achieve great things in the golf industry if we can find them scholarship support,” says Lucas. “These students have already demonstrated they’re the best of the best, and we want them here at Clemson.”

If you would like to contribute to the Black Girls Golf program or fund a scholarship for one of these scholars to attend Clemson University’s PGA Golf Management program, please contact Rick Lucas at rlucas@clemson.edu.

Related: Clemson promotes diversity through golf camp for African-American girls (Clemson Newsstand, June 19, 2017)

More than 140 park leaders in 40 states and one Canadian province recently signed up for the first installment of an interactive new webinar series developed by Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department and the National Association of State Park Directors.

The webinar series leads discussions about key issues affecting state park leaders. Every webinar starts with an overview of academic research about the topic and on-the-ground examples of how the issue is being addressed in different parts of the country. Participants use that information to frame a dialogue about what solutions are working in their state and challenges they are still facing.

“We’re excited to blend the academic knowledge of our Clemson University team with the expertise of leaders of America’s State Parks to develop and deliver an interactive, engaging and timely webinar series,” said Wayne Freimund, Chair of the Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department. “We’re also switching up the traditional webinar model to create something that makes sure everyone is engaged, contributing to and benefiting from the discussion.”

The first webinar on July 29 focused on capacity issues, including a case study from Maryland State Parks. An overview of current research was provided by Clemson University Associate Professor Dr. Matt Brownlee. Phil Gaines, Professor of Practice and retired South Carolina State Park Director, then led a discussion about how different states can balance creating a positive experience for visitors, while also protecting state-managed resources. The webinar was recorded and uploaded to the Clemson PRTM YouTube channel.

Linda Lanterman, President of NASPD and current Director of Kansas State Parks, says the new approach helps the association’s members come together without having to leave their park sites.

“Opportunities to share information, and discuss ideas and innovations are the cornerstone of our organization,” says Lanterman. “Having the chance to use technology to examine current issues and challenges in an engaging format is appealing, particularly with limitations on travel and time.”

Now that the first webinar is complete, the partners are working together to find ways to keep the webinars interactive and engaging for 100 participants – and provide opportunities for everyone to contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way.

Freimund says this is a good problem to have.

“The first webinar demonstrated a clear need for this type of programming,” says Freimund. “Now we need to work on refining the system to ensure these webinars can be engaging, relevant, and informative for larger groups of people.”

We all know that healthy eating and being active are important. According to Clemson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management assistant professor Mariela Fernandez, however, where you live also has more of a role in our overall health than you might think. In fact, she says, research shows that some neighborhoods are more detrimental to your health than others.

“There’s a documented link between your health and whether or not you live in a built environment with access to core services such as health care, internet, transportation and recreational infrastructure,” says Fernandez. “If you live in this type of environment, you’re more likely to be physically active and make healthier choices, because the tools to do that are readily available to you.”

Many Latinx people, however, particularly those who have recently immigrated to the United States, are more likely to live in rural communities without access to those core services. Families are drawn to these communities for several reasons, such as affordability of housing, the possibility of increased job opportunities, and existing socio-cultural networks.

Although research has been conducted on the link between the built environment and health, Fernandez and former graduate student Garrett Stone wanted to find out how much of that existing research focused on Latinx communities. In 2016, they teamed up with undergraduate student Alondra DeSantiago to conduct a systematic review of academic literature that examines the influence of the rural built environment on Latinx health outcomes and behavior in the United States. The results of that review were recently published in Ethnicity and Health.

The group looked at nearly 2,500 articles before narrowing them down to approximately 146 full-text sources for their final review. Results suggested that the lack of a built environment in rural Latinx communities does contribute to negative physical, mental and behavioral outcomes.

“We found that Latinx families living in rural areas throughout the United States are facing a number of challenges, including access to health care and medical information,” says Stone, now an Assistant Professor at Vancouver Island University. “It doesn’t help that these families tend to be living in run-down, crowded places, and are disproportionally exposed to environmental hazards such as pesticides and agricultural run-off, which increases their need for ongoing medical services that are out of reach.”

The study found that health disparities are exacerbated by the fact that rural Latinx communities have become new destination sites for first generation immigrants who have unique challenges and concerns tied to their documentation status, English language proficiency and unfamiliarity with the medical system.

“This adds another barrier to those who, even if they had the means to search for health information, don’t know how, where or if they are able to access basic services,” said Fernandez.

Although the review identified several issues for Latinx communities in rural areas, Fernandez notes that they also found several limitations to existing research, necessitating further study.

“The articles we reviewed made clear connections between the rural built environment and Latinx health outcomes and behaviors, but few explored those connections in detail or if changes to the built environment could result in changes in health over time,” says Fernandez. “We see a clear and pressing need for more focused research in this area.”

Fernandez plans to use the findings of the systematic review to start building relationships with local rural communities in South Carolina to verify her study findings and work with families to create a plan of action to address them.

Initial findings can also provide useful information to those working in the field. For example, urban planners can use the study results to better understand the needs of Latinx communities and find ways to creatively design communities. Medical professionals can start to prepare for an increase in Latinx patients in their practices, as these groups continue to migrate into rural communities, or use the study to help advocate on behalf of their patients for better living and working conditions.

This study extends Fernandez’s research on how the lack of access to green spaces can affect the health outcomes of Latinx communities. Her dissertation on using the non-profit sector to advance social and environmental justice received the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration’s 2016 Best Paper Award. Other research activities have included projects on the programmatic aspects limiting Latinx participation in a recreation center, the development of life skills in Latinx youth and the cultural competence youth leaders need in order to address challenges arising from an increasingly diverse society.

Related: Office of Hispanic Outreach at Clemson University

What do Disneyworld, the US Tennis Association’s National Campus and Camp Boggy Creek have in common?

They are all sites visited by Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) students as part of a multi-day field trip in June that gave students an opportunity to speak directly with professionals in the field about the challenges and successes involved with operating different types of industry organizations.

The trip is part of the department’s Engaging in Diverse, Guided Experiences (EDGE) program, an innovative, immersive experience for sophomores that takes a collaborative approach to delivering core parks, recreation and tourism management content.

Unlike a traditional semester with several classes, the EDGE program incorporates the content of those classes into one learning experience. Learning is reinforced through lectures, small group work, individual assignments, readings, field trips, research and collaborations on real-world issues.

Field trips are designed to get students out of the classroom to see parks, recreation and tourism agencies in action, says Dr. Teresa Tucker, PRTM EDGE Program Coordinator and Senior Lecturer.

“Seeing concepts they’ve learned in the classroom being applied in the field, and in different settings, gives our students a better understanding of the qualifications and skills they’re going to need to succeed after they graduate,” she added.

The trip was planned to focus on topics that affect all parks, recreation and tourism management agencies, such as facility operations, administration, finance, marketing, programming and risk management. Students traveled to Orlando and Eustis, Florida to learn about leadership strategies from the Disney business model, tour the US Tennis Association’s national campus, and talk to Camp Boggy Creek Director David Mann about managing a camp for children and families with serious illnesses.

Tucker says that students left with a well-rounded understanding of the different challenges these organizations face and how they address them, and that the trip also helped to create lasting relationships between students and program faculty.

“This trip helps reinforce core concepts in our field, which is important,” says Tucker. “But it’s also rewarding to see these trips help our students create lasting bonds with their fellow students and faculty – relationships that can help them succeed with their degree, and that they can continue to rely on as they build their careers after graduation.”

Read more about the EDGE program:

• EDGE Abroad program sends eight Clemson students to Europe (February 9, 2016)
• PRTM EDGE team awarded Clemson University’s Phil Prince Award for Innovation in Teaching (August 19, 2014)

Clemson’s Master of Public Administration Program (MPA) has a lot to celebrate! The program was recently ranked 10^thof the 50 best online Master in Public Administration degree coursesby TheBestSchools.org.

Clemson’s MPA program ranking was based on its program quality, including the types of courses offered, faculty, rankings, awards and reputation, compared to all other accredited online MPA Programs in the United States.

“We’re proud of this designation, which recognizes our program’s ability to provide the advanced training our students need to assume leadership roles in the public sector,” says Lori Dickes, Program Director of the MPA program and Associate Chair of Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department. “Over the past several years, we’ve grown this program from a regional offering to a national program that draws students from across the country.”

MPA students can choose to specialize their training in emergency management, homeland defense and security, local and state government, nonprofit management or regional sustainability – ensuring the program meets the needs of a diverse range of public administration and non-profit professionals. Before they earn their credential, students take a comprehensive exam or complete a capstone research project to either demonstrate or expand on the knowledge they’ve gained.

The MPA program is also working to expand its specialized training options through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Starting this fall, students can also further develop their professional and academic knowledge in two new certificate programs focused on Emergency Management and Homeland Defense and Security.

Although the program ranking confirms the quality of learning in the program, Dickes feels the real strength of Clemson’s MPA students rest in its people.

“This ranking confirms what we and our students already know – that our program, faculty and students are among the best of the best,” says Dickes. “What makes our program really special, however, are the relationships that come from this online program. Our students form close bonds with our faculty and one another and truly become part of the Clemson family, even though they only actually set foot on campus a few times.”

Learn more about Clemson’s online MPA program from its students and faculty: