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Outdoor Education
 


On an Outdoor Educator Semester, you won't just learn climbing skills; you'll also focus on how to manage top-rope sites and teach climbing techniques.
Photo: Kevin Bergstrom

There’s only so much you can learn about outdoor education indoors. That’s why we’ve created the NOLS Semester for Outdoor Educators, a chance for professional outdoor educators and students studying outdoor education to get into the wilderness and out of the classroom.

This 94-day semester is jam-packed with an entire curriculum dedicated to the field of outdoor education. You’ll be with other professionals and students ages 21 and older who want to learn outdoor skills and leadership as they fine-tune how they teach those skills to others. This is your chance to translate your theoretical knowledge about outdoor education into reality.

The NOLS Semester for Outdoor Educators means more time teaching and more focus on topics like group management and field and in-town administrative practices. By the end of your semester, you’ll be a well-rounded outdoor educator, ready to work for almost any outdoor educational program in the country.

Backpacking
(fall only) A quick introduction to camping and hiking in the Wind River Range will kick off the OE Semester in the fall before heading back to NOLS International Headquarters in Lander for an introduction to program administration and personnel.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Presented by the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS, this 80-hour section prepares outdoor professionals to make critical medical and evacuation decisions in remote settings.

Canyon
Travel through the red rock canyons of southern Utah for a month as you study and teach natural history, desert ecology, canyoneering and land-use politics.

Rock Climbing
You’ll practice teaching basic skills such as bouldering, belaying and knots while learning to teach more advanced topics such as anchor construction, direct aid and belay escapes.

Winter
After a Level I Avalanche seminar and time spent practicing your telemark turns, you’ll leave from the NOLS Three Peaks Ranch for the winter wonderland of the Winds. Your backcountry skiing skills will progress as you learn practical winter expedition skills like snow shelter building, snow science, and assessing snow and avalanche conditions.

Certifications
In addition to the WFR and Level I Avalanche described above, you will also earn your Masters of Leave No Trace and Defensive Driving certifications.

Outdoor Educator Semester
Duration: 94 days
Financial Aid Options: NOLS Scholarships
Federal Financial Aid
Age: 21 and Over
Tuition: Spring
$11,260
Fall

$11,600
Dates: Spring
Feb. 4-May 7, 2008
Winter (Ski), WFR, Canyon, Climbing, Defensive Driving, Leave No Trace Master’s
  Fall
Sept. 10-Dec. 12, 2008
Backpacking, WFR, Climbing, Canyon, Winter (Ski), Leave No Trace Master’s
College Credit:
(Optional)

19 Semester Credit Hours
2 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
2 Hours Leadership Techniques
6 Hours Skills Practicum
2 Hours Risk Assessment
2 Hours Outdoor Educator
3 Hours WFR

Course start/end: Lander, Wyoming
Equipment Deposit: $700
Fly in/out: Riverton, Wyoming
Downloads:

Course Description (pdf) (Fall)
Equipment List (pdf)
(Fall)
Course Description (pdf)
(Spring)
Equipment List (pdf) (Spring)


Next Steps
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Related Courses
Semester in the Rockies
Absaroka Backpacking
North Cascades Mountaineering
Natural history class
More classes, more certifications and a focus on three skill areas make the Outdoor Educator Semester the perfect choice for aspiring or practicing educators.
Photo: Rainbow Weinstock
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  "I love teaching wilderness courses because of the age group and because the students can take personal responsibility. What we impart to the students in those terms can really be applied to their lives, how to take responsibility for one's actions and how those actions affect others. We show them how they can transfer skills to the front country. During the course, they just get totally jazzed about the skills that they are learning."

Sam Talucci
NOLS Instructor
 

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Gap Year Semester
Outdoor Educator Semester
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Rock and River
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Wind River Mountaineering
Rocky Mountain Outdoor Educator - Backpacking
Mountain Instructor Course - Rocky Mountain
River Instructor Course - Rocky Mountain
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Professional Instructor Course - River
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