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…
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful: Why I Went Back to NOLS
Struggling with the big city life she thought she wanted, Elena Rodriguez realized that what she actually needed was a NOLS course—or two.
Quiz: Handling Burns in the Outdoors
If you're camping and someone gets burned, do you know how to help? Test your first aid skills with this wilderness medicine quiz.
Why Students Who Learn Leadership Stand Out
Learning leadership doesn't have to wait till you're an adult—given the opportunity, teens show they're capable of good decision making and problem solving.
Using Your Wilderness Medicine Skills to Treat Pets
You never know when your first aid training might come in handy—you might even wind up using your skills to treat your pet!
How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Take a NOLS Course
Want to take a NOLS course? Here's how to get your boss on board.
What to Do When You Hook Yourself: Removing a Fishhook
Getting caught by a fishhook isn't fun, but it doesn't necessarily mean the end of your fishing trip—if you have the appropriate first-aid skills.
4 Strategies Leaders Use to Make Better Decisions
Stop! Before you make that decision—have you considered what type of decision-making strategy you're using and why?
Quiz: First Aid for Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Teeth
Test what you know about providing first aid for ears, eyes, nose, and teeth when you're in the wilderness.
Lessons from Escalante’s Desert Canyons
Outdoor educator Erin Phillips shares reflections on the time she spent exploring the Utah desert on a NOLS semester expedition.
Lynn Hill on Mitigating Risk with Wilderness Medicine
Lynn Hill is famous for her legendary free climb of the Nose on El Capitan. What you might not know is that she's a NOLS Wilderness First Responder grad.
Sea Kayaking the Great Bear Rainforest
NOLS instructor Jonathan Brooks uses words and images to chronicle his journey through British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest.
The Single Greatest Choice I’ve Made in School: Mountaineering in the Himalayas
In a post on College Outside, NOLS grad Will Black reflects on the transformative power of his experience mountaineering in the Himalayas.
