Name: EEC Seasonal Social Series: Developing Grit through Adventure & Risky Play
Start: 2026-02-11T17:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-11T18:30:00-06:00
Location: The Green House - Iowa City

EEC Seasonal Social Series: Developing Grit through Adventure & Risky Play

Join the Experiential Education Collaborative for its new Seasonal Social Series. This winter, explore how adventure-based activities, nature education, and risky play can help youth develop grit, hone their problem-solving skills, and build other lifelong skills. This event will feature an intimate discussion with Jay Gorsh, Director of the University of Iowa's School of the Wild, and Kristen Morrow, a Naturalist with Johnson County Conservation. The discussion will be moderated by Mal Hellman, a founding member of the Experiential Education Collaborative.
This is a casual event where you can learn from our speakers, chat with others working in the field, and enjoy a cozy evening at this lovely Iowa City establishment. The Green House has an extensive selection of drinks but they do not currently sell food. If you need an after-work snack, feel free to bring one with you. The New Pioneer Co-op is located directly across the street from The Green House.
This is a drop-in event and there is no fee to attend.
Schedule:
5:00-5:30 p.m. Arrive, mingle, check out tables
5:30-6:00 p.m. Discussion with Jay Gorsh & Kristen Morrow moderated by Mal Hellman
6:00-6:30 p.m. Mingle & self-guided activities
Read our featured speaker bios below!
Jay Gorsh Bio:
I have been the Director of University of Iowa's School of the Wild program for the past 10 years. Prior to leading School of the Wild, I spent 10 years as a public school teacher. I also teach outdoor education courses at the University of Iowa. I'm a proud alum of the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, and the University of Iowa. I love most things outdoors, but my favorites are biking, backpacking, and canoeing. I live in Williamsburg with my wife and 3 kids.
Kristen Morrow Bio:
I grew up on a farm up in northeast Iowa. I was lucky to have the whole countryside to explore, and spent many hours running through the forests and catching crawdads in the Cedar River. I was also lucky to get into adventure sports early in my life, and was started on backpacking, wilderness canoeing, and biking/bikepacking adventures as a kid on family trips. These experiences shaped me into a passionate conservationist and outdoor enthusiast, and guided me to later major in Environmental Science at Iowa State University. I spent a lot of time studying watershed science in school, and the topic of wetland, stream, and river health continues to be one of my main passions today. Before starting with Johnson County Conservation, I spent many years working as a backpacking guide/naturalist in New Mexico, working for a traveling restoration crew with The Nature Conservancy here in Iowa, in northern Idaho working for a watershed restoration organization, and up in northern Minnesota where I worked as a naturalist.
I've been a naturalist with Johnson County Conservation since 2015. As a naturalist, I get to help connect people to the world around them, and I'm lucky that each day looks different. In my job, I lead elementary through high school fieldtrips, host adult educational programs, lead restoration-focused volunteer events, and get to organize and lead adventure programming, including backpacking trips, canoe/kayak ventures, campouts, bike trips, and more. I also get to create educational resources through artistry and craftswomanship, one of my favorite parts of an already cool job.
In my free time, I'm either hiking with my dog and husband, cooking and processing a hoard of garden vegetables, working on my latest watercolor, on a backpacking or Boundary Waters trip, skiing anytime the snow falls, or reading a good book.
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JCC is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. We welcome and encourage people with disabilities to attend programs and events. Accommodations may be requested by contacting naturalist staff at 319-645-1011 or [email protected]