NOLS Blog
Outdoor Leadership Programs for High School Students: Why Wilderness Matters
Parents searching for summer opportunities face an overwhelming marketplace of camps, programs, and experiences. Sports camps, academic enrichment, traditional summer camps, leadership programs—the options seem endless. But among all the choices, one category consistently produces deeper, longer-lasting outcomes than the rest: outdoor leadership programs for high school students. These programs combine the transformative power of…
Why Teens Need Leadership Skills: A Guide for Parents
Every parent wants their teenager to succeed—good grades, college acceptance, a fulfilling career. But there's something that predicts ...
Ship’s Log: Sailing in Greece’s Ionian Sea Alumni Trip
Photo by Nick Braun After a few days of moderate winds, good introductory sailing and island exploring while ...
Teen Gap Year Programs: Adventure-Based Options for Before College
The traditional path says: graduate high school, start college immediately, don’t look back. But a growing number of families and college admissions advisors are questioning this formula—and discovering that what looks like a detour often becomes the most valuable part of the journey. Gap year programs for teens have moved from the fringe to the…
Best Backpacking Trips for Teens: Wilderness Adventures That Build Character
Something happens when a teenager shoulders a pack, leaves cell service behind, and walks into the wilderness. Something that organized sports, academic programs, and traditional summer camps—though these experiences have their benefits—simply cannot replicate. Backpacking trips for teens offer more than adventure. They offer transformation. And for parents searching for experiences that genuinely change their…
Leadership Programs for High School Students: What Parents Need to Know
Your teenager stands at a pivotal moment. The skills they develop now—how they handle challenges, work with others, and step up when it matters—will shape their path through college, careers, and life. But here’s what many parents discover too late: traditional classroom settings rarely build the kind of leadership that matters in the real world.…
The Poley-Poley: A Chronicle in the Himalayas
It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop. —Confucius The air was thick. My strides were slow and purposeful, careful not to disrupt the group’s cadence. The thrill of spotting Everest Base Camp, still two hours away, motivated me to maintain the syncopated rhythm of deep breathing. Hypoxia…
Case Study: Injury on the Grand Canyon
The Setting You’re on day 12 of a 21-day Grand Canyon expedition, enjoying a well deserved stretch of flat water, staring at the canyon walls and not paying attention to what’s downstream. While enjoying the last of your morning coffee, you hear someone cry out from a nearby raft. You look over and see a…
NOLS Releases Newest Edition of Leadership Educator Notebook, an Instructor’s Toolbox
NOLS is pleased to introduce the newest edition of the Leadership Educator Notebook, a collection of the educational tools NOLS instructors use to incorporate leadership ideas and activities into courses. What is the Leadership Educator Notebook?Filled with activities, lessons, prompts, frameworks and quotes, and edited by Zach Taylor, Liz Tuohy, Phoebe Gebright, and other members…
Sleeping in a Tent: A Lifelong Love Affair
In a recent Washington Post article, senior NOLS instructor Marco Johnson explains that sleeping in a tent sparks appreciation for a simpler way of life as well as a stronger connection to nature and other people.
Applying LNT Ethics: “Leave What You Find”
Doug Schnitzspahn, editor of Elevation Outdoors, uses the Leave No Trace principles he learned on his NOLS course to articulate an ethic that’s transferable to the front country.
Helping Young People Connect with the Outdoors
Mayowa Ogunjobi, youth program trip leader and WFR grad, is committed to helping young people from disenfranchised groups connect with the outdoors. For that to happen, educators must make their programs relevant to students whose communities continue to have limited access to outdoor spaces.
Wyoming’s Future Economy Will Need Protected Landscapes
In an op ed for the Casper Star Tribune, NOLS president John Gans argues that Wyoming’s Wilderness Study Areas should be protected from development. These wilderness lands contribute to the state’s burgeoning outdoor recreation industry and boost local economies.
Reflections on an Intense New Zealand Sailing Course
In a recent Washington Post article, writer David Brown shares his experiences as a 65-year-old student on a 14-day NOLS New Zealand - Prime sailing course.
The Meaning of Active Followership
After a guided backcountry ski trip in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, former NOLS instructor Molly Absolon reflects on the concept of active followership in a column for the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Forest Service Trails in Wyoming Need Help
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently identified two Wyoming trail systems as priority areas for maintenance but failed to set aside federal funds to address the issue. The Shoshone National Forest, a NOLS operating area, is one of the high priority sites.
Public Lands: You Can’t Protect What You Don’t Know
A founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association and former top executive at The North Face, Sierra Designs, and Camelbak, NOLS grad Sally McCoy believes the outdoor industry needs to help make public lands accessible to a more diverse community.
New Zealand’s Trail Huts: Shelter, Conversation, and Community
NOLS Instructor Jeremy Cronon gives The New York Times a rundown on New Zealand’s public trail hut system, open to backpackers for minimal fees.
Miho Aida Won’t Let the Outdoor Industry Off the Hook
Former NOLS Instructor Miho Aida is challenging the outdoor industry to make room for women from marginalized communities. Her documentary The Sacred Place Where Life Begins: Gwich’in Women Speak features Native American women activists fighting to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Be Prepared: Pack a Premade First Aid Kit
With input from Shana Tarter, assistant director of NOLS Wilderness medicine, Outside’s Gear Guy discusses the advantages of purchasing a premade first aid kit.
NOLS Instructor Earns 2018 Grit & Rock First Ascent Award
NOLS Instructor Josie McKee was recognized as one of the recipients of Grit & Rock’s 2018 First Ascent Award, a grant that supports mountain exploration and first ascents by women.
