Oredigger Camp, the first-year orientation program in Colorado's Rocky Mountains that all incoming Mines students attend, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week.
Since launching in 2017, Oredigger Camp has grown in size from 195 students during the inaugural sessions to the entire incoming class in recent years, with 1,520 first-year and transfer students heading up to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park this week over two sessions Aug. 16-18 and Aug. 18-20.
The mission of Oredigger Camp has stayed the same since the beginning: To give incoming students an opportunity to spend time in the beautiful Rocky Mountains before the start of classes, having fun, making friends and getting an introduction to what it means to be an Oredigger.
“Encouraging vertical connections between current and incoming Mines students has been at the heart of Oredigger Camp’s design since the very beginning,” said Jessica Clark, director of New Student & Transition Services at Mines. “Upper-class student camp counselors lead nearly every activity at camp, and by the end of the two days, our newest Orediggers have built relationships not only with their peers but with sophomores, juniors, seniors and alumni that continue throughout their time at Mines.”
At camp, incoming students participate in engineering challenges, reflection activities, games and outdoor adventures in both small and large group settings. Mines President Paul C. Johnson – a driving force in the creation of Oredigger Camp – is a regular presence around the grounds, too, joining students for meals, impromptu conversations and the occasional pickup game of Gaga Ball.
Here’s a look at Oredigger Camp through the years:
2017
The inaugural Oredigger Camp is held at Camp Como near Fairplay. About 195 first-year students attend over two back-to-back sessions July 31-Aug. 2 and Aug. 2-4.
2018
Oredigger Camp moves north to Estes Park and the YMCA of the Rockies, expanding to three sessions over the course of the summer. About 430 incoming students attend.
2019
Oredigger Camp relocates again to the YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby. Attendance grows again, too, with nearly 640 students attending over three sessions.
2020
Oredigger Camp goes virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with 515 campers logging in from home.
2021
Oredigger Camp is back in person – on the Mines campus and local Golden community. A total of 790 students attend across three sessions.
2022
Oredigger Camp returns to the mountains, hosted at the YMCA's Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby. A total of 670 incoming students attend over three sessions.
The Office of New Student & Transition Services and Mines Outdoor Recreation Center also partner to offer the first-ever Oredigger Camp Abroad, with a small cohort of incoming students traveling to Peru before the start of classes for an international Oredigger Camp experience.
2023
Oredigger Camp sees a big jump in attendance: about 930 campers over three sessions at Snow Mountain Ranch.
Oredigger Camp Abroad travels to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, with incoming students experiencing the classic Oredigger Camp activities and reflections while also hiking an active volcano, seeing Galápagos wildlife and exploring Quito, Ecuador.
2024
Oredigger Camp becomes an official part of fall orientation for all first-year students with the launch of Helluva Welcome. Students move into their residence halls over the weekend and then split the week before classes start between Oredigger Camp and on-campus orientation activities. To accommodate the growth, Oredigger Camp moves back to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, welcoming nearly 1,590 students over two sessions.
The third Oredigger Camp Abroad visits Iceland, pairing community building activities with excursions to Blue Lagoon, the Golden Circle, Skaftafell National Park and more.
2025
Helluva Welcome and Oredigger Camp are honored with the Region III Innovative Orientation Program Award by NODA: Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention.
Oredigger Camp returns to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, hosting two sessions for more than 1,580 students.
2026
Oredigger Camp celebrates its 10th anniversary, hosting 1,520 students over two sessions at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. Student camp directors from all nine past sessions received a special invitation to attend as alumni volunteers to celebrate the milestone.
About Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing the talent, knowledge and innovations to serve industry and benefit society – all to create a more prosperous future.
