Division of Campus Life
Student Activities

The BOLTer Experience

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The BOLTer Experience

BOLT is the only outdoor orientation program in the country specifically for college sophomores, transfer students and resumed undergraduate students. We call participants in the program “BOLTers”. The BOLTer experience begins with a five-day backpacking trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire before the fall semester, and continues back on campus with Fall Program. The goal of Fall Program is to provide support and mentoring, create opportunities for experiential learning and leadership, and promote community and individual relationships for BOLT leaders and BOLTers.

The Fall Trip

BOLT runs a five-day trip in the White Mountains at the end of the summer. This Fall BOLT trip offers five different opportunities within the fall trip that are open to all participants and designed for participants interested in issues impacting people of diverse identities and abilities. There are two backpacking groups that aim to build community around identities (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender), and two groups that provide additional accessibility options for people who either do not want to or cannot backpack.

  1. Gender Diverse & Women’s Group: This group is open to all participants and is designed to provide a safe space and community in the backcountry. Mission: Acknowledging that the outdoors are dominated by cis men, this trip serves as a safe and inclusive space in the outdoors for participants interested in issues impacting women and gender diverse individuals. This trip is modeled after the Classic BOLT trip and involves backpacking in the White Mountains.
  2. BIPOC Group: This group is open to all participants and is designed to provide a safe space and community in the backcountry. Mission: Acknowledging that the outdoors are dominated by whiteness, this trip serves to create a safe and inclusive space in the outdoors for participants interested in issues impacting Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. This trip is modeled after the Classic BOLT trip and involves backpacking in the White Mountains.
  3. Accessible Backpacking Group:  This group is open to all participants and is designed to provide backpacking opportunities for a range of accessibility needs and comfort levels. This backpacking route in the White Mountains includes less daily mileage and elevation change than other routes and runs as part of the Fall BOLT Trip. Mission: Acknowledging that the outdoors are often physically inaccessible, this trip aims to establish a more accessible environment in the outdoors for varying levels of ability and comfort. This trip is modeled after the Classic BOLT trip and involves backpacking in the White Mountains.
  4. Camping Group: This group is open to all participants and is designed to provide backcountry opportunities for a wide range of accessibility needs and comfort levels. This group does NOT go backpacking; instead, participants will camp at one site and go on day hikes and do activities in camp. Mission: Acknowledging that the outdoors are often physically inaccessible, this trip aims to establish an inclusive and accessible environment in the outdoors for all levels of ability and comfort. This trip is adapted from the Classic BOLT trip, runs in the White Mountains, and does NOT involve backpacking.
  5. Classic BOLT Trip: This group is open to all participants and is designed to provide backpacking opportunities to sophomores, transfer students, and RUE students. This backpacking trip spans across a variety of moderately challenging routes in the White Mountains. Mission: Acknowledging that the outdoors are a wonderful space for students to learn, grow, and push themselves, this trips aims to provide the opportunity for all students either experienced or inexperienced to backpack in the White Mountains.

Prospective BOLTers may express their interest in these trips on their application.

On Campus

We have three levels of support for our BOLTers: BOLT Community, BOLTer Group, and 1:1 Leader/BOLTer check-ins.

During the fall individual groups continue to meet. A strong component of our fall program is the gatherings and activities planned by individual groups. Most groups meet throughout the semester for dinner at one of the on-campus dining halls.

As a community, we also continue to enjoy some traditional full community events such as the Post Trip Banquet, BOLT Olympics and BOLT Fall Feast when we invite all all member of the current and past BOLT community.

On some weekends, groups often explore Providence in pursuit of various adventures, including:

  1. Movie nights
  2. Trips to Lincoln Woods
  3. Trips to the rock climbing gym
  4. Brunches at Louie’s Diner
  5. Apple picking
  6. Pumpkin carving
  7. Ice skating at Kennedy Plaza