Mike Wagner
Lead Academic Success Coach and Lecturer for Teachers Education

mjwagner@fortlewis.edu

Expertise: 

  • Adventure education – three degrees and over 1,000 days in the field
  • Program administration – former enrollment, staff, and operations manager in the non-profit sector
  • Service learning – over 500 field days of service learning in Peru, Africa, Navajo Nation, Hopi Nation, and Zuni Nation
  • Place-based education – focused on the Four Corners
  • Group facilitation – veterans, adaptive sports, private schools, Waldorf Schools, wilderness therapy, health clinics, coaching, and human resources
  • Authentic leadership – currently pursuing a Leadership Doctorate of Education, Educational Equity in Higher Education.
  • Indigenous survival skills/ wisdom – bow drill, small game traps, shelter construction, foraging

Education:

  • M.A., Adventure Education, Outdoor Program Administration, Prescott College, 2016
  • B.A., Adventure Education, Human Services, Prescott College, 2011
  • A.A., Outdoor/ Physical Education, Red Rocks Community College, 2009

Pursuing Ed.D., Leadership in Education, Educational Equity in Higher Education, University of Colorado Denver, expected completion 2028

About Mike "Wagz" Wagner

Since 1998, Mike has worked in the outdoors as a mountain bike and ski patroller, wilderness therapy instructor, raft, and canoe guide, pedicab cyclist, and behavioral health counselor. He holds three degrees in outdoor/ adventure education and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Colorado, Denver. He has collected over 1,000 field days throughout the American Southwest, Alaska, Peru, Malawi, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Baja, Catalonia, and Hawaii. He holds over 5,000 river miles.

His pedagogy is anchored in student-centered, social-emotional learning that uses place-based experiential education to cultivate inspiration, and self-actualization in his students.

Read Mike Wagner's Curricula Vitae

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Selected Publications and Presentations

“Land acknowledgement in adventure education? Working towards reconciliation through curricula, practice, and pedagogy.” Power Teaching Conference, Fort Lewis College, FA25, and the International Association of Experiential Education Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, FA25

“Empowering Students through Holistic and Inclusive Learning Design.” POWER Teaching Conference, San Juan College, Farmington, NM, FA24

“Authentic Leadership – Leading with style.” Association for Experiential Education Rocky Mountain Regional Conference, Colorado State University, Pueblo, CO, FA19

“Diversification Strategies for Study Abroad Programs from the United States – A Delphi Consensus Study.” Master’s Thesis, Prescott College, 2016

Professional Connections

  • Deer Hill Expeditions
  • Prescott College
  • Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions
  • SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab
  • Mountain Studies Institute
  • Project Venture
  • Association for Experiential Education
  • National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
  • Colorado Alliance for Environmental Educators
  • Durango Trails
  • San Juan Citizens Alliance

Highlights and awards

  • Field Instructor of the Year – Mountain Homes Youth Ranch – 2012
  • First overall – Salt Flats 100 – 19:14 - 2015
  • Field Guide of the Year – Big City Mountaineers – 2015
  • First overall – Devils Mountain 50 – 10:10 - 2017
  • Nominated for First Year Launch Instructor of the Year – Fort Lewis College – FA22