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Young Guns
Greg Corio
Virginia and provide them with a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose at a time of significant transition in their lives ,” he says .
Corio ran the Adventure WV program until 2018 . During that time , the program grew from one full-time staff member to 11 and is now one of the largest outdoor orientation programs in the country .
“ Our data shows that every dollar invested in the program returns $ 10.60 to the institution as a result of increased graduation rates among students who participate in the program ,” says Corio .
MAGGIE HATFIELD TRACY A . TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
program for other initiatives for the collaborative . The Adventure WV model is being used for a new program he developed called the Science Adventure School .
“ It ’ s an orientation to middle school and STEM education program for sixth graders ,” says Corio . “ We are focused on building community among the students and connections with their teachers , while also boosting the confidence of our youth , and it ’ s all based around STEM curriculum and adventure sports .”
The program is in its third year and has served approximately 1,167 students .
“ Our goal is to grow the program so we reach every student in the state , and to achieve that , we are partnering with the Summit Bechtel Reserve ,” he says .
“ I feel that if we show them the beauty of the state and foster a sense of belongingness among the program participants , they ’ ll feel a strong connection to the state and want to stay .”
Since receiving his Young Gun title in 2012 , a great number of aspects have changed in Greg Corio ’ s life , both personally and professionally . Since then , Corio has welcomed another son and beat a cancer diagnosis . “ I ’ m currently cancer free and living life to the fullest ,” he says .
Professionally , Corio continues to work at West Virginia University ( WVU ) but has served as the assistant vice president of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative since 2019 . Prior to joining the provost ’ s office , Corio worked in Student Life when he founded the wellknown program for incoming freshman called Adventure WV in 2004 .
“ The idea for Adventure WV came from my graduate project ; I wanted to create an experience that would show WVU students the beauty of West
By combining Corio ’ s love for all things outdoors in West Virginia and his involvement with Adventure WV , the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative was born .
“ My idea for the collaborative was born out of research I started doing in 2018 because of my involvement with the West Virginia Forward initiative ,” he says . “ I was reading about successes other states were having by leveraging outdoor recreation assets . I knew our state had an advantage with its worldclass outdoor recreation , but I also knew I needed data to support this idea . So , in August 2018 , I started assessing the state ’ s recreational resources and began comparing these numbers to other thriving outdoor communities . The data shows that West Virginia stands out on a national stage in terms of its outdoor recreation assets .”
Corio used his passion for Adventure WV and what he attained from that
The intent of Corio ’ s current role is to not only attract people to West Virginia but also retain them .
“ I feel that if we show them the beauty of the state and foster a sense of belongingness among the program participants , they ’ ll feel a strong connection to the state and want to stay ,” he says .
Corio is honored to work for WVU and puts his whole heart into his job . He wants nothing more than for the state of West Virginia to move forward .
“ I look for opportunities to collaborate , and I am constantly motivated by a desire to help our state , our residents and our students ,” he says . “ Being in my current role at a land grant institution allows me to think beyond campus borders in terms of what I can do to make West Virginia a better place to live and work . I strongly believe in the power of experiential education tied to outdoor recreation . I think these experiences transform lives .” •
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE