The Bowdoin Outing Club is the largest club on campus and offers more than 150 excursions per year — let the adventure begin!
Whether pursuing independent study, conquering stage fright, or embarking upon an off-campus study program on the other side of the world, Bowdoin students’ spirit of discovery is alive and well. Nowhere is this more obvious than at the Bowdoin Outing Club (BOC). With over 1400 members on CampusGroups, and serving more than 1,000 students annually on some 150 excursions per year, the Outing Club is a thriving component of Bowdoin's campus community.
There are three main driving forces behind the BOC programming that takes place in the beautiful outdoors of Maine:
- Building community
We hope that every student who has a desire to spend time in the outdoors feels welcome in our space and on our trips. Students often make great connections with one another on Outing Club trips, whether it is an Orientation trip, weekend rafting excursion, sunrise walk, beach trip or ski lesson. We welcome students of all experience levels and abilities to participate in BOC activities! - Providing leadership opportunities
Student leaders make Outing Club trips happen! Peer leadership and student-to-student teaching are a fundamental component of the BOC experience. After completing one of our three leadership training programs, students are encouraged to plan, organize, and implement their vision for outdoor adventures. An eight-person team of student officers work directly with BOC staff and trip leaders to create weekly programming throughout the academic year. - Facilitate time outdoors and introduce students to new activities
However you enjoy spending time outside, there's something for you at the BOC! While there are many opportunities to develop technical outdoor skills, most of our programming is geared towards introducing folks to new activities that may become lifelong passions and creating connections to the wild places throughout Maine, both locally and further afield. From fireside knitting to beach trips and local walks to whitewater rafting down the Kennebec to hiking up Mount Katahdin there are a wide range of opportunities at the BOC.
