The end of September 2024 marked the start of the Fall academic year and the celebration of the oldest Orientation program here at Princeton, Outdoor Action. From September 20th through September 22nd over 130 Outdoor Action Leader alumni and friends from Classes of 1972 to 2024, returned to campus to celebrate 50 years of the Outdoor Action Program.

For Rick Curtis '79 the Outdoor Action Program Director, the Outdoor Action Anniversary weekend was a “moment to take a step back and look at OA’s impact, from developing thousands of OA Leaders to introducing over 25,000 Princetonians to the outdoors and each other on the OA Orientation Trip,” was something that he believed spoke to the vast reach that the Outdoor Action program has provided. 

For those in attendance, the anniversary weekend was an “inspirational event that brought back so many memories of good times on OA trips. Some of the most powerful moments were people reflecting on how transformative the OA experience was for them as leaders. Transformation and personal growth have been OA’s ‘business model’ for the past 50 years, and everyone present and virtually, celebrated Outdoor Action and OA Leaders' positive impact on so many other Princetonians,” shared Curtis. The weekend of course had outdoor components, such as local hikes, canoeing, kayaking, an on-campus tree tour, and rock climbing at the OA climbing wall. The weekend was brought to a close with a keynote dinner and discussion around leadership and the positive impact Outdoor Action and the OA Leaders have had on so many in the Orange Bubble and beyond led by Rick Curtis ‘79 and Peter Bregman ’89.

Outdoor Action continues to be a part of the Orientation small group experiences that all incoming students take part in, during the month of August, as a start to Orientation. These small-group experiences allow students to form strong bonds among other incoming students across residential colleges and with their student leaders across class years.  Experiential learning encourages all students to engage Princeton’s values—especially service to others and intellectual reflection—outside the classroom.

Please follow this link for a full collection of photos from OA's 50th Celebration: OA's 50th Celebration Photos