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…
I Crave the Quietness: What a City Dweller Learned from Two Weeks in the Wilderness
Growing up as a city slicker, I had minimal experience with backpacking and the outdoors.
Highlights from the 2016 NOLS Wilderness Medicine Staff Meeting
September 12 kicked off the 2016 NOLS Wilderness Medicine Staff Meeting, our annual gathering at the Wyss Campus in Lander, Wyo. Read on for highlights!
10 Things That Will Happen to You in the Backcountry
Number 1, You will remember songs that you have not heard in forever.
Big Agnes Co-Owner Len Zanni: Finding His Way in the Outdoor Industry
Len Zanni, co-owner of Big Agnes, Inc. and NOLS grad, talked with us about what he’s learned from NOLS and from his years of working in the outdoor industry.
Sam Glinsmann Completes 77-Day Wilderness Course
Sam Glinsmann’s Semester in New Zealand was with NOLS, which aims to teach participants leadership skills in the wilderness.
Any Year Can Be a Gap Year
Best Time to Take a Gap Year: Discover how any year can be transformed into an impactful and transformative gap year.
ASL-Supported Course Fosters Inclusive Diversity and Growth
Longtime instructor shares stories from the most diverse NOLS Wilderness Medicine course she has ever taught.
How to Create an Eye-Catching Resume by Talking about Your NOLS Course
Stand out from the crowd by talking about NOLS on your resume
Into the Wild, Every Day
Both my boys went on NOLS trips when they were 15, spending five weeks in the Wyoming wilderness. With bears. For five weeks, I had no contact with them.
