31 UNIVERSITY OUTREACH HAVE KAYAK? WILL PADDLE FOR TAMIU! OUTDOOR ADVENTURES LAUNCHES You might say there’s some different modes of transportation at TAMIU now. In fact, there’s also an expanded sense of the great outdoors at your fingertips as well. It’s all part of TAMIU Outdoor Adventures (TOA) a new program that sees students kayaking their way across Lake Casa Blanca International State Park or camping there to embrace an education that celebrates the great outdoors. Funded by a competitive grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department TOA hopes to foster a lifelong connection to nature through camping, kayaking, and outdoor education, said Juan G. Pérez, TOA program coordinator and associate director of TAMIU Rec Sports, which oversees the program. “Through TOA we want to connect varied and underrepresented communities to the outdoors by providing accessible and impactful recreational opportunities. We’ll do so through activities like camping, kayaking, and outdoor education, focusing on welcoming all and encouraging skill-building,” Perez explained. TAMIU vice president for Student Engagement Rosalinda García concurred and said TOA offers opportunity and promise for all. “We’re thrilled to have TAMIU Rec Sports receive this TPWD grant to support TOA. This will provide broad, multi-season opportunities for our students and community to immerse themselves in nature. Participants share experiences that promise to enrich lives, foster environmental stewardship, and promote healthy lifestyles right here...close to campus and home,” García observed. The new TAMIU Outdoor Adventures program is offered at no cost to participants, she noted. For details, visit go.tamiu.edu/adventures. See an award-wining overview video at go.tamiu.edu/oa-video.
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