Rocky Mountain Power Grant Supports the Lander Valley Leadership Expedition

LANDER, WY—NOLS is pleased to announce we received a $4,000 grant from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation to give scholarships for the Lander Valley Leadership Expedition (LVLE).

Each year, NOLS offers $1.9 million in scholarships, enabling more students to benefit from the school’s unrivaled experiential outdoor skills and leadership training. The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation’s contribution to this program is also important to NOLS’ mission.

“We are pleased to support NOLS with this donation from our Foundation,” said Leslie Blythe, Rocky Mountain Power regional business manager. “As part of this community, Rocky Mountain Power is grateful for all the work the NOLS does in our community and state.”

These grant funds supported students who took the most recent LVLE in August 2016. The group of high school seniors who participated in this expedition will return to school and serve as senior mentors to members of the incoming freshman class. The NOLS leadership curriculum provides the senior mentors with self-awareness of their own actions and their potential effect on others, as well as skills to give and receive feedback in a positive, respectful manner.

“This year’s Leadership Expedition was the adventure of a lifetime” said Kevin Fleming, course leader of the 2016 LVLE and special projects coordinator at NOLS Rocky Mountain. “Through it all, they never stopped laughing and picking up one another’s spirits. We often say that a NOLS course should be the funnest thing and the hardest thing you’ve ever done. This year’s Leadership Expedition was both.”

Since the beginning of the NOLS/ LVLE expedition five years ago, over 60 senior mentors have developed their leadership skills and helped to mentor nearly 600 freshman students.

Sadie Thatch, a LVLE participant recounted her day climbing Wind River Peak, “After a long struggle, when I made it to the top I realized an important lesson: one person simply believing in another can diminish fear and ultimately be a factor for their success. I know that as a mentor, by believing in the freshman, and expressing this to them, I can also be the difference of whether they climb their own mountain or turn away.”

Students interested in applying for a NOLS scholarship should submit the standard NOLS scholarship application. Learn more about scholarships at NOLS here.

About NOLS:

NOLS is the largest most comprehensive wilderness school that educates our students to step forward into an expedition, wilderness medicine, custom education or risk services offering. Graduates have a lifelong desire for leadership, commitment to continued skills development, and ongoing education. Since 1965, NOLS has embraced and explored the unknown, from field- and classroom-based courses to being leaders in wilderness medicine education. To discover the NOLS experience or to bring a course to your business or organization, call (800) 710-NOLS (6657) or visit www.nols.edu

About the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation:

The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 1.8 million customers in six Western states as Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho) and Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power. For more information, visitwww.rockymountainpower.net/foundation