How WLV Facilitates Leadership:
Leadership Ventures are experiences that facilitate self-discovery, leadership, and character development. Participants are able to step out of their comfort zone, exceed personal limitations, and experience leadership firsthand. WLV programs provide a set of engaged, hands-on experiences for exploring and mastering the capabilities for effective individual and team leadership in business and beyond. Leadership Ventures that are offered consist of:
INTENSIVES
Intensives are consolidated and immersive group based experiences ranging from 1 – 3 days.
EXPEDITIONS
Expeditions are outdoor, experiential programs that span the globe and range from 7 – 12 days. Expeditions tend to be high in physical intensity.
The defining characteristics of a Venture include:
- Limited distractions
- Immersion event — limited opportunities to quit or exit
- Critical decision-making — the outcome is dependent on the decisions of the leader of the day and the team
- Authentic uncertainty —path/process to goal or outcome is not guaranteed, risk of failure is inherent
- Opportunities of stress — from ambiguity, risk of failure, conflict, and unfamiliar roles and responsibilities
- Expedition and goal-oriented with many opportunities for reflection
Registration and Dates
REGISTRATION – all registration occurs via Course Match.
Expeditions: All expedition registration will happen at once in September and all participants will be notified by October. There will be an Information Session held in September for ALL ventures which will provide additional information – expeditions vs. intensives and what is involved in each.
Intensives: Registration for an intensive will occur via CourseMatch during the same run of Expeditions. All students will be emailed with a registration link. Students will be notified that by their Venture Fellow if they have been selected. Participant lists are randomly selected.
| Venture | Dates | Focus |
| Antarctica Trekking | Winter Break | Backpacking, Mountaineering, Glacier Travel, Winter Tent Camping |
| Patagonia Trekking | Winter Break | Backcountry Trekking, Natural Horsemanship |
| Utah Canyoneering | Spring Break | Backcountry Trekking, Canyoneering |
| Caribbean Small Crew Sailing | Spring Break | Caribbean Ocean Sailing |
| Venture | Dates | Focus |
| Gunks Ridge Traverse: Mountain Bike Navigation | Fall and Spring | Mountain Biking, Navigation, Team Building, Decision-Making, Collaboration, Team Dynamics |
| Leadership in the Sky: High Ropes Challenge Course | Fall and Spring | Team Building, High Ropes Course, Leadership Strategy, Communication, Rapport Building |
| Leadership at Sea: Team Sailing | Fall and Spring | Team Sailing, Feedback, Communication, Decision-Making, Team Dynamics |
| Outdoor Rock Climbing | Fall and Spring | Rock Climbing, Trust, Rapport Building, Communication |
| Leadership at the Big Top: Circus Arts | Fall and Spring | Communication, Teamwork, Trust & Rapport Building, Expressiveness, Creativity |
More Venture Resources
Financial Aid
Scholarships for the Leadership Ventures are awarded annually for expedition-based Ventures. Only initial Course Match registrants will be eligible for the Scholarship.
Policies and FAQs
In the CourseMatch system, students should input their true preferences for all ventures. There is no limit to the number of ventures that a student can select. For more information on Enrollment Policies, click here.
We are here to help.
We encourage you to speak to any Venture Fellow or Associate Director Erica Montemayor.
Apply for a Fellowship
Venture Fellows are comprised of Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors who serve as student leaders on expeditions and intensives. Prior participation in a Wharton Leadership Venture is not necessary to become a fellow.