NOLS and STEP Celebrate 20 Years of Empowering Arizona Youth Through Outdoor Education and Experiences

NOLS and the Student Expedition Program (STEP) are pleased to announce the 20th anniversary of the partnership that has empowered Arizona youth since 2004. This partnership between the two pioneering organizations fosters youth development through education and leadership opportunities. Over the past two decades, this collaboration has made a significant impact, serving more than 450 young STEP students. Remarkably, every participant has graduated high school and an impressive 96% have earned college degrees.

“For 20 years, our partnership with NOLS has been fundamental to STEP’s mission of fostering self-advocacy, initiative, and discipline in our students. Together, we’ve empowered hundreds of young people to develop essential life skills and confidence through transformative, challenging experiences. I am immensely proud of the life-changing opportunities we’ve created, helping students navigate future challenges and realize their potential,” said Tracy Baynes, President and Founder of STEP.

Baynes founded STEP in 2004. It equips highly motivated low-income Arizona high school students with the knowledge, confidence, and self-advocacy skills needed to enroll in and graduate from college. With a firm belief that learning in an unfamiliar and challenging environment is a transformative experience, STEP and NOLS partnered and led their first outdoor leadership expedition program in 2005.

“We appreciate our partnership with STEP over the past two decades,” expressed Lynn Petzold, NOLS
Custom Education Senior Account Manager and Instructor. “Our NOLS Alaska staff looks forward to having STEP students on campus each summer. For many instructors, the opportunity to teach and mentor these teenagers is a highlight in our NOLS careers. We thank each of these students who came on a NOLS wilderness expedition full of uncertainty and adversity and faced it with curiosity and courage. We are excited to have such thoughtful, vibrant, and motivated students in our NOLS community, and we look forward to the amazing accomplishments that are part of their bright future journeys. A big thanks to Tracy Baynes and the STEP staff for their relentless hard work and partnership as we collectively help shape future leaders whom we would be proud to follow.”

The partnership between STEP and NOLS has been successful in educational outcomes and has fostered a community of empowered young leaders prepared to tackle future challenges. As both organizations celebrate this milestone, they remain committed to empowering youth through innovative programs and unparalleled outdoor experiences.