OUTDOOR ADVENTURE CERTIFICATIONS
RecWell offers professional trainings from national outdoor organizations. Participants learn group dynamics, teaching techniques, decision making, risk management, backcountry travel, technical outdoor skills, and leave no trace principles.
The American Canoe Association National Paddlesports Instruction Program has been acknowledged as the premier paddlesports education program throughout the United States and in over 30 countries. Participants should have the paddling skills, technical knowledge, rescue ability, teaching ability, group management, and interpersonal skills commensurate with this level of certification prior to presenting themselves for evaluation as Instructor Candidates at an Instructor Certification Exam (ICE).
A dynamic river rescue course specifically written and designed for river guides, private boaters, kayakers, pack rafters and other river users. Basic river skills are a prerequisite. Emphasis is on identifying hazards and on rescue itself; both of self and others. Thinking through rescues is also emphasized. Although this course meets agency Swiftwater Rescue certification requirements for river guides and kayakers; its pace allows for thorough integration of knowledge and practice of the skills that matter. The course addresses the river rescue needs of rafters, cat boaters, kayakers, pack rafters, canoeists, riverboarders and SUP paddlers.
The Association of Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) has developed certification standards in order to define certification in the challenge course industry, to the benefit of both the individual holding the certification and the employer looking to assess an applicant’s skills. Certification is the testing and skills verification piece that follows a training. The Practitioner Certification standards requirements for Level I, Level II and Challenge Course Manager certification, with tracks of Full Certification, High Course only, Spotted Elements only, and Site/System Specific Certification.
Participants in the two-day Trainer Course learn Leave No Trace skills and ethics as well as techniques for educating others about these low impact practices. Trainer Courses typically take place over two consecutive days and involve spending more than half of the course outdoors. Graduates of a Trainer Course are prepared to offer Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops to their community. Research has shown that this course significantly improves participant knowledge and understanding of how Leave No Trace protects the outdoor places we love.
The Top Rope Climbing Instructors (TRCI)
The Top Rope Climbing Instructors (TRCI) course provides students with an in depth and standardized understanding of the skills essential to teaching climbing in an outdoor setting. The TRCI course prepares instructors to set-up and manage groups of climbers on technical terrain with non-technical access.
Top Managed Climbing Instructor (TMCI)
Top managed sites hold different risks and require different skills from base managed sites to effectively manage climbing groups. The PCIA Top Managed Climbing Instructor (TMCI) course addresses these needs in a one-day course designed to build upon skills acquired in the TRCI course. Like other PCIA courses, the course continues to reinforce the importance of teaching technically accurate information and debunks many common climbing myths.
Single Pitch Climbing Instructor (SPCI)
Upon completion of all TMCI course components and demonstration of proficient 5.6 traditional leading ability, graduates are upgraded to a certified PCIA SPCI. There is no separate exam for this level unless an individual is challenging the exam.
Wilderness First Responder
Spring 2026
WIlderness First Responder - ENVS 460
Registration limited to VCU students
RecWell members can inquire about future classes by emailing outdoors@vcu.edu
Wilderness First Aid
This course is the ideal certification for outdoor enthusiasts looking for basic first aid training and backcountry medical skills. Wilderness First Aid (WFA) covers topics ranging from preparation and prevention to assessment and treatment. Students will have an opportunity to learn practical skills through hands-on scenarios as well as in a traditional classroom setting.Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is a 2-year certification.
Fall 2025
| Dates | Registration Deadline | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilderness First Aid | December 6 - December 7 | November 30 | 11 |
Spring 2026
| Dates | Registration Start | Registration Deadline | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilderness First Aid | March 27 - March 28 | January 16, 2026 | March 22, 2026 | 16 |