Learning Communities Tackle Mason’s EDGE Challenge Course

In This Story

Body
A group of students pose for the camera with one of them laying on his side.
Members of the Democracy Lab and International Relations Policy Task Force at the EDGE. Photo by Gretchen Curry/Schar School of Policy and Government

On a brutally hot day in August, more than 50 Schar School students participating in the Democracy Lab and International Relations Policy Task Force learning communities, plus a few game professors, tackled George Mason University’s EDGE team-building climbing course at the Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia. The EDGE provides powerful and positive experiential learning experiences—not to mention a bit of intimidation—that turn disparate students into bonded classmates. From the looks of things, mission accomplished!

A person sits atop a tower made of logs and ropes while another in a white shirt climbs.
An ambitious student scales the fearsome Alpine Tower to the top while Learning Communities director Jennifer Victor awaits at the top. Photo by Olivia Hollenbach/Democracy Lab
Four people in tee shirts pose for a group selfie.
Associate Professors Jennifer Victor, Eric McGlinchey, Matthew Scherer, and Assistant Professor Christopher Berk didn’t just watch, they climbed with the students.
A group of cheering students.
Celebrating survival with an intense “rock-paper-scissors” competition. Photo by Eric McGlinchey/Schar School of Policy and Government