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…
Do NOLS Even (and Especially) If You’re Scared
In the middle of a semester of complete chaos, Olivia Hewitt decided to take a NOLS course and writes about why you should do a NOLS course even - and especially if - you're scared
NOLS President John Gans Announces Retirement
John Gans is NOLS' longest-serving director and his tenure has been notable for strengthening the school and prioritizing the well-being and needs of students.
Help Your Friends Love NOLS Alumni Trips
NOLS alumni give advice for taking friends and family on a NOLS alumni trip.
Real-Life Scenario: Stuck on a Climbing Route
NOLS instructor Jake Blackwelder tells the story of a rescue on a rock climbing route in Moab, Utah.
How to Take the Mountains Home: A Gateway Scholar Reflects on Horsepacking
Rebeca Espinosa, a NOLS Gateway Scholar, set off on her Wilderness Horsepacking and learned to find satisfaction in the hard work of horsepacking.
Sketches from Tanzania
Mingyuk Chen shares sketches and stories from her expedition with NOLS in Tanzania, East Africa
Case Study: A Hard Fall While Skiing
See if you know how to aid an injured skier with this wilderness medicine case study.
New Courses for Winter & Spring 2019
Take a look at new upcoming courses for winter and spring in 2019.
How Valuing Different Leadership Roles Makes Better Teams
Leadership is about more than the designated leader—anyone can be in a leadership role at any moment.
Real-life Scenario: A Surfing Rescue in Baja California
One NOLS graduate uses her Wilderness First Responder skills to help a surfer in need.
Why I Left School for a NOLS Semester
Claire found the new experiences and energy she needed to refresh from school on a Semester in Baja
Case Study: Is Hydration Always the Answer?
The patient is a 30-year-old complaining of fatigue, dizziness, and a headache—how will you respond? Test your knowledge with this case study.
