Lehigh University Leadership Expedition

The Lehigh University Leadership Expedition is a 19-day, field-based training. Your course will have a strong focus on being an adaptable team member and provide you with opportunities to shift between the roles of “team member” (active follower) and “team leader” (designated leader).

• You will learn and develop both technical wilderness skills and interpersonal skills. This combination will allow you to function effectively as a group in a powerful and dynamic environment.
• You will have the opportunity to exercise individual decision-making while facilitating great teamwork.
  NOLS instructors will coach you through the course in a way that both minimizes stress and encourages peak performance.

During the course, you’ll live with two or three other students in a “cook group.” Cook groups help disperse our impact on the land and enable you to develop the art of backcountry cooking and living. You’ll also travel in small groups, usually of four to six people, again to disperse impact and enhance learning opportunities.

Group dynamics and leadership are integral parts of your course curriculum. Your group, once strangers, will quickly become a community with its own norms and culture. Tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, respect for others, and a willingness to work hard are critical to your success. Experiential learning is at the heart of our leadership curriculum, though you will also be exposed to formal classes. As the course progresses, your instructors will give you greater responsibility for leading yourself and your peers.

Your course has an effective instructor-to-student ratio to provide coaching and supervision. You can expect ongoing verbal coaching and feedback throughout the course, with a written performance summary at the end.