Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School Names New President
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (Monday, April 30, 2007) —The Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School (COAGS) is pleased to announce Vice President William V. Stroh has been promoted to President. A graduate of Ohio State University, Stroh has over twenty years of experience in the outdoor recreation and education industry. He has been a valuable instructor at COAGS for ten years and has the leadership skills to take COAGS to new levels of excellence.
President Stroh said, "I am very excited about the opportunity and know COAGS, will remain the premier guide training school in the nation. Our professional instructor staff has not changed and will continue to provide a quality educational experience for each student. Our programs, facilities, goals, and vision are as strong as ever, and we will strive for continual improvements in our program".
Our new President is committed to the appreciation and respect for wildlife and habitat conservation and hunter ethics. We will instill this commitment in all who attend COAGS. Jobs and career opportunities have never been better and we are very excited for our graduates.
Established in 1993, COAGS is now celebrating its fifteenth year of outdoor education. It was recently selected as one of the Top 100 fastest growing companies by Texas A&M University’s Mays School of Business.
Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School Named 2006 Aggie 100 Honoree
COLLEGE STATION, TX (Friday, October 13, 2006) —Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School (COAGS) of Colorado Springs, CO is among the firms selected for the 2nd annual “Aggie 100” list of the fastest-growing companies in the world owned and operated by Texas A&M University former students. COAGS was recognized in the Top 50 of the 2006 Aggie 100 honorees.
Established in 1997, Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School has become the leading vocational school in the nation, specializing in training and job placement of professional outdoor guides. COAGS takes pride in being known as the "first choice" among serious outdoor enthusiasts who want to begin careers working in the outdoor recreation industry. COAGS is also the "right choice" for people who simply love the outdoors such as hunters, fishermen, horsemen, hikers, and backpackers who just want to sharpen their personal outdoor skills.
The 100 companies with the highest compounded annual revenue growth from 2003 to 2005 were recognized at a formal luncheon at The Zone Club on the Texas A&M campus. The honorees are also featured in the November 2006 issue of Texas Aggie magazine published by The Association of Former Students.
“We are pleased to honor our successful former students and highlight their accomplishments,” explained Richard M. Scruggs, Director of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship.
“Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School has achieved a great deal in its history and we’d like to think that has a lot to do with the work ethic, integrity and knowledge gained from their leader’s association with Texas A&M University.”
BACKGROUND – Aggie 100 Program
Aggie 100 List of Honorees for 2006
Guide School Prototype 1
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Welcome to COAGS, the Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School.
We're located on "America's Mountain" - the back side of Pikes Peak, near the historic Cripple Creek gold-mining district - and in our own way, we're part of an important local, regional and nationwide industry.
We offer opportunities to learn hunting, horsemanship, and other skills essential to become a professional guide, and we believe we're meeting a growing need.
Outdoor recreation is booming. The trends are unmistakable. A recently published study by the Outdoor Industry Foundation, a non-profit organization that monitors participation in a number of outdoor-recreational activities while promoting more-active lifestyles, found that 159 million Americans over the age of 15 participated in at least one of 22 human-powered outdoor activities in 2004. That represents an increase of 6 percent - or 15 million people - from 1998.
The quest for outdoor adventure brings significant economic benefits. In our home state, for example, hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related activities contributed $1.5 billion to Colorado's economy in 2002, according to "The Economic Impacts of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Watching," a report published last fall, prepared for the Colorado Division of Wildlife by the BBC Research & Consulting firm.
On a national level, hunting, alone, generates more than one million jobs, according to statistics provided by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Sportsmen also make major contributions toward conservation, to programs that benefit all Americans and wildlife. Hunters and fishermen pay more than 75 percent of the annual income for the 50 state conservation agencies. Sportsmen contribute $4.7 million toward conservation every day, according to the NSSF, adding up to $1.7 billion every year.
At COAGS, we both serve the outdoor industry and actively participate in wildlife-related recreation.
We hunt, we ride, we teach, and many of our students go on to careers in the outdoors. Our professional staff's collective experience includes guiding and outfitting big-game hunters from Colorado to Alaska, conducting trail rides and pack trips to and from back-country camps on horseback and mules, and guiding fly fishermen on nearby and more-distant waters.
We share our knowledge. We're launching a regular "So, You Want to be a Guide?" feature on this website. Each month we will discuss a different type of guiding job and the skills needed to be successful.
So, give us a look online at www.guideschool.com . We'll be looking to hear from you.
Instructor Development Program
Since 1993 the Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School (COAGS) has developed the reputation as the premier training program in the nation to become a professional guide or expert outdoor person. Colorado Springs and the Rocky Mountains have been our headquarters as we have targeted our programs to western big game hunting, fishing, and horseback activities. There is a big demand for these programs and we will continue to provide these as the Colorado division expands.
In 2006, COAGS will begin its fourteenth year and is expanding into exciting new markets and locations. Beginning in January '06 our new Whitetail Pro Guide Program will be launched in south Texas. Six two-week classes will be conducted from January 30-April 21. The whitetail deer hunting industry is very large with over 12.6 million hunters and the opportunity is great. Long term plans are for similar programs to be conducted, and schools established, in other leading whitetail deer hunting states such as PA, OH, MI, WI, NY, and GA. For details on this program visit our website www.guideschool.com.
With these expansion plans COAGS has an immediate demand for qualified instructors and managers. Therefore, we have created an opportunity for its graduates to benefit through our Instructor Development Program. To qualify to apply for this program you must be a graduate of the COAGS Basic Program and at least one advanced program such as the Pro Guide Program, Advanced Backcountry Horseman Program, or Whitetail Pro Guide Program.
Once accepted, you will be an instructor assistant for six months of COAGS classes (1,200 hours). During this training period you will also assist with some of the instruction as your knowledge and skills develop. The COAGS staff will assist you as you develop skills such as: A) Public speaking and presentations; B) Developing lesson plans; C) Creating power point presentations; D) Time management and organization; E. How to win friends and influence people; and F) Leadership training for managers.
This program is very similar to you being on full scholarship. While COAGS classes are in progress, and you are in training, you will be provided free lodging, meals and a $1,000.00 per month stipend. Upon completion of the COAGS Instructor Development Program you will qualify as a credentialed instructor and be eligible for COAGS career instructor and management opportunities.
New Whitetail Deer Hunting Guide Program
This is the first and only vocational school program in the U.S.A. to specialize in whitetail professional hunting guide training with job placement assistance for its graduates.
For Whitetail Deer Hunting Guide program details - Click Here
