Mission and Values
JOINING PENN OUTDOORS
MISSION
Penn Outdoors has a three-fold mission:
- TO CREATE A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY for Penn Students who have a common interest in and/or experience with outdoor recreation.
- TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES for Penn Students to travel off campus and enjoy the outdoors as a regular part of their college experience.
- TO EDUCATE members of the Penn Community on how to enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly across a wide range of outdoor activities.
CORE VALUES
The following list of core values reflects what is truly important to Penn Outdoors as an organization. These are not values that change from semester to semester, situation to situation or student to student, but rather they make up the basis for our whole approach to outdoor recreation at Penn.
ADVENTURE
Outdoor recreation offers the chance to unplug from the campus environment and gain a richer perspective on city and college life. We are dedicated to providing new and experienced members of the club with the opportunity to expand their horizons and build confidence in the wilderness. Similarly, we value people who aren’t afraid to test their limits and try new things, no matter how challenging or unfamiliar they might seem.
COMMUNITY
The wilderness setting offers a unique opportunity to experience what a community is at its fullest: trust, friendship, cooperation, self-sacrifice, mutual respect, leadership and followership, learning and teaching. We are committed to creating strong bonds among our members by organizing trips and events that are accessible, frequent, varied, rewarding and memorable.
FUN
We are a student group devoted to outdoor recreation, and we believe that student groups should be fun. We acknowledge the significance of humor, casualness, generosity and goodwill as central elements in the culture of our organization.
SIMPLICITY
We believe in keeping red-tape to a minimum wherever possible, while maintaining clear and comprehensive policies and procedures to promote consistency and understanding among all our stakeholders. We respect the importance of regular dialogue between our leaders and members to ensure the organization develops in accordance with the changing needs of the membership.
RESPONSIBILITY
Penn Outdoors is part of a larger community here at Penn, and we are committed to fulfilling our financial and ethical responsibilities not only to our members, but also to our sponsors, partners, alumni and regulatory bodies. We also affirm our commitment to the highest standards of environmental stewardship and responsibility in all our trips and events.
WHAT WE DO
Penn Outdoors organizes and promotes trips, speaking engagements, networking events, film screenings, skills courses, social occasions and fundraisers related to the following activities:
- Hiking/Backpacking
- Camping
- Climbing
- Paddling
- Biking
- Caving
- Fishing
- Skiing/Snowboarding
- Extreme or Alternative Sports (Skydiving, paintball, bungie-jumping, hangliding, slacklining, geocaching)
Joining the Club >>