Student Life is planning a series of fun-filled activities to help boost students’ leadership skills. The events are a part of the Madison College leadership adventure series. The series is an initiative on combining outdoor education with leadership exercises. The focus is to bring students together and challenge them to test their typical boundaries.

“You basically learn different things: get past your fear points, push past your boundaries,” said student ambassador Tammy Weisensel.

She will be a part the program’s first event, Risk Taking and Rock Climbing. Initially, the goal was to have this outing at Devil’s Lake for a more real climbing experience, however Boulders was chosen to accommodate students with disabilities.

“What the ambassadors did last semester was pilot this to see if it would work here,” said Renee Alfano, director of Student Life. She also is an organizer of the leadership program with the help of a consultant.

Students thought the trip was interesting and said they gained knowledge from the experience.

“You’re kind of blind in there,” Weisensel said.  “We had different people taking leadership roles. It was pushing people past their comfort zone.”

The workshop at Boulders will entail a discussion on a person’s personal zones and how they relate to behavior, growth and creativity. The zones are the comfort zone, the growth zone, the panic zone, and the edge (the zone between the comfort and growth zones that typically includes anxiety, confusion and insecurity).   Students will also acquire some tangible skills.

“We learn how to tie different knots and stuff like that too. That’s kind of cool,” Weisensel said.

Risk Taking and Rock Climbing will take place at Boulders Climbing Gym on Feb. 19. It starts at 9 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m. For eating purposes, students are encouraged to bring bag lunches. Food can also be delivered to the gym.

Students can sign up to attend the event on the Student Life website. Fifteen people will be allowed to go. There will be a waiting list in case of cancellations.

The leadership adventure series will continue following Risk Taking and Rock Climbing with Leadership in the Dark on March 27 and Communication Through Canoeing on April 30.