ORR Partners with University of Denver on Outdoor Leadership Program

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), the nation’s leading coalition representing the $862 billion outdoor recreation economy, announced the University of Denver’s Leadership in the Outdoor Recreation Industry (LORI) program as a new Preferred Academic Partner with the intention of training and developing more leaders in the outdoor recreation industry. 

The University of Denver’s LORI program launched in early 2023, thanks to a $3 million grant from The VF Foundation, and will offer coursework across three academic units—the Daniels College of Business, Sturm College of Law, and Josef Korbel School of International Studies. The fully online curriculum of focused, one-credit “Sprint” courses is designed for existing and emerging leaders in the industry, allowing them to receive tailored workforce development and professional education. The University of Denver becomes the second Preferred Academic Partner of ORR, along with Oregon State University’s Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy. This distinction provides students with expanded access to ORR’s programs and network. 

Like all industries, the long-term success of outdoor recreation depends on well-trained, highly skilled, creative, and passionate professionals. DU is playing an important role in the development of the outdoor recreation workforce, demonstrating to universities that students are interested in careers in the outdoor recreation industry, which supports urban and rural economies and helps Americans across the country benefit from time spent outdoors.