Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NOLS Course Catalog Summer 2014
NOLS Course Catalog Summer 2014
284 Lincoln Street Lander, Wyoming 82520-2848 www.nols.edu | admissions@nols.edu Phone: (800) 710-NOLS | Fax: (307) 332-1220
FREDRIK NORRSELL
A MESSAGE FOR PARENTS Every year, NOLS instructors take thousands of students into some of the worlds most extraordinary terrain to learn, grow, and experience more than they ever have before. No matter a students age when reaching the trailhead, he or she likely has parents sitting at home excitedly awaiting their return. I can relateIm a three-time NOLS parent. As NOLS executive director, I am personally invested in the health and well-being of every one of our students, and that is a culture that resonates throughout our whole school. For the past 18 years, I have watched this organization develop countless positive, ethical leaders who have gone forward to change the world. I was thrilled when each of my three children chose to enroll on courses. My daughter took a Wind River Wilderness course, followed by my rst son, who took an Idaho Backpacking Adventure, and my youngest son joined us for a llama packing alumni trip. The benets to each of my children were beyond measure. By unplugging and stepping into an experiential adventure, they reaped the full benets of being in a setting where natural forces predominate and provide immediate feedback on decision making, where teamwork and communication are essential, where leadership is developed organically. Upon their return, I saw their love of wilderness amplied. I witnessed excitement over new and deep friendships. I saw their competence in the outdoors had increased and the condence in their leadership skills boosted. I also heard all about what the course meant to them. They returned home enthusiastic and spoke endlessly of their experiences, the lessons learned, and the people who made their NOLS courses so powerful. Im a proud NOLS parent, and I look forward to sharing that title with you. I hope this letter has proven useful to you as a parent, but please dont hesitate to contact us with any questions at (800) 710-6657 or via chat at www.nols.edu.
NOLS Alaska
NOLS Yukon
NOLS Pacic Northwest NOLS Northeast NOLS Rocky Mountain Wyss Wilderness Medicine Campus NOLS India NOLS Mexico
NOLS Amazon
NOLS Australia
NOLS Patagonia
NOLS, a 501(c)(3) nonprot educational institution, operates under permit and in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, state organizations, and international land management agencies. See a complete list of our operating areas online at: www.nols.edu/operatingareas. Cover Photo: Nick Cross.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
With NOLS you can UNPLUG and set forth on new ADVENTURES.
JOIN NOLS
EST. 1965
ADVENTURE FUN
97%
233,000
CENTRALLY ADMINISTERED
TRAVEL the world and immerse yourself in awe-inspiring WILDERNESS and diverse CULTURES.
In 2013, NOLS had over 19,000 students from 49 states and 45 countries!
Locally Operated
Learn the LEADERSHIP and TECHNICAL SKILLS necessary to become SELF-RELIANT in remote wilderness settings.
MISSION
The mission of the National Outdoor Leadership School is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment.
NOLS STAFF
NOLS has the most experienced, well-rounded instructional staff in outdoor education. All instructors take the NOLS instructors course and serve as apprentices on courses before being certified to teach for NOLS. All NOLS instructors are certified in wilderness medicine and CPR. They also take advantage of continuing education, including 60 instructor seminars each year.
The average student-toinstructor ratio is 5:1. This provides our students with the personal instruction they need to be successful.
FLY Rafting
horsepacking
SKILLS
OUTDOOR
NOLS
When you graduate, you will have the experience and background necessary to LEAD OTHERS comfortably and responsibly in the backcountry.
PACKRAFTING
FISHING
Living in nature teaches responsibility. Leadership can be learned. Learning should be fun.
No matter your path, youll carry the NOLS DIPLOMA, the recognized certification awarded to outstanding leaders and outdoors people and admired by employers, coaches, and teachers.
LEADERSHIP
We believe that leadership can be learned. We facilitate the development of key leadership skills as students progress through the NOLS leadership curriculum with experience and feedback.
Backpacking
CANOEING
Canyoneering
Leave No Trace
KAYAKING
NOLS Professional Training offers innovative, customized NOLS courses for businesses and organizations ranging from NASA to The Archer School for Girls.
wilderness medicine
MOUNTAINEERING
SKIING
RESEARCH and
Curriculum
JUDGMENT & DECISION MAKING Demonstrate situationally appropriate decision making, use your experience to develop good judgment. SELF-AWARENESS Know your strengths and weaknesses, your leadership style, and how you influence or affect others. EXPEDITION BEHAVIOR Be a strong team member by keeping yourself and others motivated and exercising good conflict resolution. COMMUNICATION Be a clear communicator, an understanding and invested listener, and give and receive feedback well. COMPETENCE Possess and use knowledge, skills, and technical ability, as well as organization and management. TOLERANCE FOR ADVERSITY & UNCERTAINTY Learn to endureeven enjoyhard work and challenge, and adapt to changes and challenges with focus and a sense of humor. VISION & ACTION See the possibility in any situation and find creative ways to move your team toward it. Have initiative and motivate others.
Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS takes students of all ages on remote wilderness expeditions and teaches them technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics. NOLS unrivaled curriculum is informed by nearly 50 years of development and dedicated research in a wide range of topics, including experiential education, risk management practices, and wilderness ecology.
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Nicholas Nerli takes in the views atop a mountain in the Northeast, something he hopes to do again soon. NICHOLAS NERLI
Near the East Coasts major population centers, NOLS Northeast provides new territory for students like Nicholas to explore. LINDSAY YOST
Backpack on great trails with your new best friends. DAVID DURANT
As I grew up in Lander, Wyo., where NOLS is headquartered, experiencing a NOLS course had been on my mind since I learned what NOLS was all about. I applied to take an Adirondack Backpacking Adventure to not only spend part of my summer in the wilderness, but also in a new place. I was, I admit, a bit nervous. For one, I had never own in an airplane. Second, I would be living in a foreign environment. Not least of all, I was committing to two weeks with strangers, but I knew I was going to have the time and opportunity of my life. Learning new skills was very important to me, and throughout my course I developed many including cooking in the wilderness, rst aid, navigation, and, most importantly, leadership. The suggestions and guidance I was given when I was in a leadership role truly beneted me. I will never forget being leader of
the day, for it was difcult, but as a team we succeeded that day. That experience will stay with me and serve me when I face obstacles for the rest of my life. My instructors were knowledgeable, positive, and encouraging toward everyone, creating a healthy team. We grew from each other and shared experiences I cant do justice to in writing. Through our friendships, we recognized our strengths and improved on our weaknesses in order to become the best we could be. Without the whole team, I would not have learned and gained so much. I returned home with memories, friends, and knowledge that I could not have imagined. I look forward to future NOLS courses and will use the knowledge I gained to be the most successful person I can be and strive for all I hope to be. After his course, Nicholas returned to Lander where he shes, hikes, and hunts in the Wind River Range. At Lander Valley High School he serves on the student council, runs cross country, plays in the marching band, and anxiously awaits Nordic ski season.
I look forward to future NOLS courses and will use the knowledge I gained to be the most successful person I can be.
Adventure course students grow with students their age. PHILIP BRANCA
Living in a place like this for a month teaches students about organization, planning, and the impact of their habits. MATT MCARDLE
Sometimes, to break an awkward silence, I speak up with the declaration, Once, I went 30 days without taking a shower. Reactions vary from admiration to disgust, but often the statement evokes intrigue. I have found this to be the perfect gateway to talking about my NOLS experience because, like the concept of not showering for 30 days, there are many aspects of NOLS that beg the question, why? If purpose were determined by desire, then I took a NOLS course after high school because its what my brothers had done, a family tradition so to speak. It feels awfully shallow to say that I felt a NOLS, instead of teaching need to prove myself, that as the me how to survive, taught only girl I didnt want to be outdone me how to thrive. by my brothers. Thankfully, NOLS became something more worthwhile than sibling rivalry. For me, my NOLS course was cause for a lifestyle change. People, myself included, have a preconceived notion that NOLS is a survival school. However, I would argue that NOLS, instead of teaching me how to survive, taught me how to thrive. The truth is
that I had been surviving all my life, but that doesnt have to mean anything more than just going through the motions. NOLS gave me a great faith in people. You can venture into wilderness with complete strangers, face hardship and conict, and come out friends. NOLS gave me faith in myself. I had never been so far outside my literal and gurative comfort zone. It has been a blessing to know who I am and what I am capable of before going to college. (I have also witnessed the truth in this nugget from my instructor: If you can live with mosquitoes, you can live with any roommate.) The bulletin board in my dorm room is decorated with pictures from my course, above my bed is the NOLS leadership model, and saved on my desktop is the essay by former NOLS instructor Morgan Hite, Brieng for Entry into a More Harsh Environment. I read it often because it draws the connection between my NOLS course (backpacking, y-shing, tent-pitching, water-ltering) and going to college (studying, meeting new people, trying new things, being selfsufcient). It reminds me to live simply, which is more than just giving up hot baths for a while. Sally is currently attending the University of Wyoming on a full-ride scholarship. She is a student in the Honors College, working toward a degree in molecular biology.
You wont nd pizza this good on any college campus. STPHANE TERRIER
Lessons in y shing apply to school and career: patience, attention to detail, and a wilderness ethic, for example. CAITLIN
BUTTOR-FOEDERL
Students make their way through a boulder eld, practicing the risk management skills learned throughout the course. BENJAMIN FOX
Transference
A NOLS education is more than technical outdoor skills. It also encompasses leadership, interpersonal, and life-skills that transfer to school, career, and relationships for the rest of your life.
Unplugging to Plug in
BOB SCHOULTZ / NOLS Professional Training expedition 2013
Students from Californias Archer School for Girls engage in a navigation class. BRIAN HENSIEN Bob Schoultz nds it invaluable to unplug from time to time.
LYNDA CARPENTER
NOLS Professional Training customizes courses to develop leadership and strong teams.
BENJAMIN FOX
Our course, organized through NOLS Professional Training, left civilization with a commitment to unplug from cell phones, email accounts, iPods, and the 24-hour news cycle to plug in to something else in the backcountry. That something else was a bit different for each of us. We were a diverse group of men and women, with an average age of 50, from a varied set of successful careers ranging from international oil executive to college professor, from cattleman to defense contractor. As we worked together to survive and thrive in an austere environment, we plugged in to each other more quickly and more profoundly than is common in frontcountry living. We were together 24 hours a day. We lived simply: hiking, cooking, and tenting together. We became more organized in managing our personal and group gear. We compromised to accommodate each others idiosyncrasies. We were competent and incompetent together, and we laughed a lot. We were frustrated (and occasionally grouchy) together when we got lost in challenging terrain. We cheered each other on as we met and overcame fears and new challenges. We took care of each other. We shared wonder. Each of us became better together.
We also plugged back into ourselves. Stepping away from civilization and immersing oneself in the wilderness can have a powerful effect. In the frontcountry, our practical lives often become (at least in our minds) separate from our spiritual lives. With the lakes, mountains, and trees all around us and the night sky so full of stars we can barely believe it, the line between the In the wilderness, we practical and spiritual becomes blurred. can plug in to parts The connection between what we do and of ourselves that who we are is easier to experience. In the we often dont have wilderness, we can plug in to parts of time to experience in ourselves that we often dont have time the frontcountry. to experience in the frontcountry. Staying plugged into what we had experienced on this course remains our challenge as we re-enter our busy lives as frontcountry leaders: to hold on to that connection to the mountains, the trees, the stars, and the wonderful sense of communion we felt, not only with each other, but also nature and ourselves. Bob Schoultz is a NOLS instructor and the Chief Executive Ofcer of Fifth Factor Leadership.
Navigation Skills
At NOLS, you will learn a variety of map-reading skills ranging from understanding contour lines on a topographic map to orienting the map to the terrain surrounding you. As your time in the backcountry progresses, your instructors will play a much smaller role in wayfinding, and you will take more complete control of the groups route and staying found.
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NOLS Southwest
ApaRna RaJaGopal-DURbIn
summer
Designed for 14+15 year-old students
NOLS Northeast
PHIlIp BRanCa
NOLS Northeast
DaVID DURant
COOKING
ORGANIZATION
COMMUNICATION
LEADERSHIP
NOLS Adventure courses are designed specifically for 14- to 15-year-old students. For two weeks to a month, youll be with students your own age, building relationships that will last a lifetime. Youll also build new skills, from backcountry cooking to leadership, which you will use for the rest of your life. NOLS courses are entirely field-based; youll only be looking through a windshield on the first and last day of your course. 11
The same outstanding, highly trained instructors that lead every NOLS course teach adventure courses, and pack weights and the ratio of students to instructors are even lower. You will graduate from student to active leader over the course of your education with NOLS, and you will leave a competent, confident leader equipped to excel throughout high school and beyond.
Highly trained NOLS instructors with an average age of 35 do all the teaching. We do not sub-contract our programs to other companies!
Adventure
NOLS Northeast
JEn Sall
13
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Adventure
EllIot JoHnston
15
NICK CRoss
16 16
summer
Extended backcountry expeditions
NOLS Scandinavia
FREDRIK NoRRsEll
Classic courses are the courses that have made NOLS famous since 1965. Earn high school or college credit.
Earn the bragging rights that come with a full month spent in the wilderness.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
As your course progresses, you will develop individual leadership skills that will help you become a strong and confident leader.
NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
No organization offers expeditions that are longer or more remote than NOLS. Gain leadership skills such as resilience, judgment, self-awareness, peer leadership, and more that will lead to your success in college, in extra-curricular pursuits, and in your career. A NOLS diploma is the leadership credential employers value, and academic credit is available on all NOLS courses. Youll also gain the confidence of being prepared to assess and manage an emergency as
you develop wilderness medicine skills that are essential in the backcountry and invaluable in the frontcountry. Identifying and mitigating risk, skills transferable to all aspects of your life, are important parts of a NOLS education. Finally, see the world on your NOLS course. Develop all these skills and more for success down the road in some of the most awe-inspiring locations in the world. No classroom will rival the worlds most pristine and untrammeled wilderness.
NOLS Yukon
BREnt Day
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18 18
NOLS Alaska
Classic
AlEXIs Alloway
NOLS Alaska
ManJUnatHa ByRappa
NOLS Alaska
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
Alaska Backpacking
A wilderness expedition in every sense: daylight at midnight, tracks of the seasonal caribou migration, and land that stretches into alpine tundra plains with a backdrop of rugged and heavily eroded mountains. Youll become a seasoned wilderness traveler, learning how to read a map, navigate off trail, stay warm and dry, and scan the horizon for wildlife. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 16 or 16 + 17 only $4,455
Alaska Mountaineering
Alaska is a chain of rugged mountain ranges and spectacular glaciers converging to make a mountaineers dreamscape. Within this region youll explore the coastal Chugach, the interior Alaska Range, or the vast Wrangell-St. Elias. The route for each course is season dependent: early season expeditions mostly stay above snow line to access terrain via snowfields, and later season expeditions complete technical ice routes on glacier. Both are ideal training for living and traveling responsibly and efficiently in challenging mountain terrain. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 17 $6,250
NOLS Alaska
StpHanE TERRIER
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20 20
NOLS Alaska
Classic
NOLS Alaska
KylE DUba
NOLS Alaska
EVAN HORN
Alaska Packrafting
Packrafting is at the forefront of Alaskan exploration, and NOLS is right there with it. This land- and water-based expedition uses packraftssingle-person inflatable raftsto open up some of the worlds most remote country that would be otherwise inaccessible to overland travel. With this equipment and the help of experienced instructor teams, you will navigate the rivers of the eastern Alaska Range and the Talkeetna Mountains that would be obstacles on a traditional backpacking course. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 18 $5,100
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NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
Classic
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Classic
26
Classic
Absaroka Backpacking
Yellowstone National Parks wild eastern neighbor is Wyomings Absaroka Range, a vast wilderness region with broad river valleys, glacier-carved cliffs, towering conifers, and alpine plateaus. You will hone your fly-fishing cast, ford high mountain rivers, practice navigation, and learn how to camp and travel in bear country. For students craving remote, rugged land filled with wildlife, this is your course. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 16 $4,290
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Classic
KARY SOMMERS
Rock Climbing
This backcountry climbing expedition is a comprehensive immersion into the sport of traditional (trad) rock climbing amidst Wyomings famous sheer, granite walls and towering spires. Your instructors will emphasize skills such as movement on rock, rope systems, anchors, rappelling and belaying, protection placement, risk management, and leadclimbing philosophy. Youll develop a foundation in wilderness ethics away from frontcountry crags. 21 or 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 16 or 16 + 17 only $4,510 (21 days) or $5,470 (30 days) 29
NOLS Rocky Mountain
RaInbow WEInstoCK
Wilderness Horsepacking
Theres nothing quite like seeing the wilderness on horseback. Well take you from the NOLS-owned-andoperated Three Peaks Ranch into the wilderness of Wyoming and immerse you in the basics of Western horsepacking skills care and feeding, horse behavior and herd dynamics, tack, saddling, and ridingand other unique experiences of packing and traveling with horses. 21 days Optional academic credit: up to 4 hours Minimum age: 16 $5,360
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Classic
Rock and River
Learn two skills in two very different wilderness environments: the stunning crags of Wyoming and the whitewater of Utahs Green River. The climbing section explores granite, limestone, and sandstone as the medium to learn movement, knots, rope handling, belaying, anchors, protection placement, traditional and sport climbing systems, rappelling, and risk management. The river component will give you the chance to row an oar rig, captain a paddle raft, steer a whitewater kayak, and learn what it takes to organize and lead your own river trips. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 16 $6,000
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BRaD CHRIstEnsEn
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NOLS Amazon
MaURICIo ClaUZEt
Classic
NOLS Australia
JaCKIE RUEtEnIK
NOLS Amazon
LaIs CUnHa
NOLS Amazon
MaRIo FRIEDlanDER
NOLS Australia
DAVID SUMMERS
NOLS Australia
JEannInE M. KlEwItZ
Australia Backpacking
The rich cultural history, subtropical habitats, and ancient land formations of the Kimberley make this part of Western Australia ideal for a backpacking expedition. Among tight canyons, dry plateaus, and secluded waterfalls, youll be challenged by this land of extremes, where days can be hot and nights chilly, and explore areas very few people have ever seen. Youll also learn about the Aboriginal culture by spending a couple of days with Aboriginal guides, discovering their traditional and contemporary lifestyles. 35 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 18 $6,375 33
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Yukon Backpacking
Roam through the Yukons expansive and trail-less wilderness of forest and mountains. Youll explore and learn in the Yukons wild and remote mountain ranges, where youll climb far above tree line for awe-inspiring views. Youll enjoy untapped fly-fishing and spin-fishing in wild rivers and clear alpine lakes. Hiking here rewards you with endless ridges, open tundra, alpine lakes and meadows, and breath-taking vistas. Youll come home with the skills to lead your own backpacking trips, although youll always long for the freedom of the Yukon. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 16 $4,225
Classic
NOLS Scandinavia
Cass Colman
NOLS Scandinavia
FREDRIK NoRRsEll
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Scandinavia
Cass Colman
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Scandinavia
FREDRIK NoRRsEll
Scandinavia Backpacking
If you have always dreamed of hiking above the Arctic Circle, youll find yourself in a dreamland as this exploratory backpacking course takes you north into those remote regions of Norway and Sweden. From lowland forested areas and ocean fjords to steep glaciated mountains, youll see much of this wild country as you explore the land by foot. With roots reaching back to the indigenous Sami traditions, Scandinavia is a unique place rich in culture, history, and wilderness. 30 days Optional academic credit: up to 6 hours Minimum age: 18 $5,725
NOLS Yukon
35
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
36
summer
Designed for students 23 years old and over
NOLS Alaska
StpHanE TERRIER
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
NOLS East Africa
MEaGan BInKlEy
Develop individual leadership skills that will help you become a strong and confident leader and further your career.
Youre in the prime of your life, and these courses are specifically designed to meet the needs of adults ages 23 and over. Because NOLS does all the planning, you can enjoy an expedition without the work up front. Most prime courses are two weeks long and minimize students time away from work, but as on every NOLS course you will learn the basic backcountry skills and practice them
under the guidance of the best instructors in the industry. Leadership lessons focus on the expedition model of setting goals and mustering all the resources available to meet them. After you graduate, go on to use the skills you learnedfrom taking family and friends on backcountry outings to demonstrating outstanding leadership in the workplace.
NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
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NOLS Scandinavia
FREDRIK NoRRsEll
Prime
NOLS Scandinavia
FREDRIK NoRRsEll
Scandinavia BackpackingPrime
Get away for a quick Nordic expedition. With the expert guidance of your instructors, youll learn to travel and camp in areas such as Troms, Finnmark, or Lyngen. Two weeks backpacking in the Scandinavian Peninsula will provide the foundations of outdoor skills and leadership youll need for expeditions worldwide. 14 days Optional academic credit: up to 2 hours Minimum age: 23 $3,825
Tanzania WildernessPrime
An expedition through East Africa will introduce you to tropical rainforests and savannah grasslands and the diverse wildlife and cultures that inhabit them. Accompanied by a cultural liaison from Tanzania, you will backpack from the volcanic highlands. Spend time with local tribes while learning about culture, human and natural history, and ecology. While on the vehicle-supported safari section of this course, you will lay eyes on exotic fauna. 14 days Optional academic credit: up to 2 hours Minimum age: 23 $3,875
Wilderness HorsepackingPrime
NOLS Rocky Mountain
BEnJamIn FoX
On this 14-day course, you will be immersed in the basics of Western horsepacking skills in the wilderness of the Wind River Range care and feeding, horse behavior and herd dynamics, tack, saddling, and riding, and other unique experiences of packing and traveling with horses. Pack horses will carry your gear, instead of packs on your back. 14 days Optional academic credit: up to 2 hours Minimum age: 23 $3,525
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Prime
Alaska MountaineeringPrime
This course takes you to a place in Southcentral Alaska often referred to as the mountain kingdom of North America, where a chain of rugged mountain ranges and spectacular glaciers converge to make a mountaineers dreamscape. To maximize time for skill development, this two-week version of this classic course flies directly onto a glacier, eliminating the long approach inherent in most mountaineering expeditions. From there, youll quickly put to use new skills and knowledge in a remote environment. 14 days Optional academic credit: 2 hours Minimum age: 23 $4,100
NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
NOLS Alaska
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
NOLS Alaska
MaURICIo ClaUZEt
summer
NOLS Rocky Mountain
DaVID AnDERson
Professional
MARKETABILITY
A NOLS diploma is the outdoor certification that employers are looking for.
Recognizing its role as the teacher of the teachers, NOLS offered its first course specifically for outdoor educators more than three decades ago, and the school is the worldwide leader in this field. Choose from a variety of courses for outdoor professionals based on your intereststhe options are wide open. NOLS career courses feature opportunities to teach in front of your peers and then de-brief the experience over the stove. The days are active and the nights are filled with professional discussions that will send you back to your organization inspired and brimming with ideas. As an outdoor educator, your responsibility doesnt end with content-delivery. Its also up to you to recognize, prevent, and treat wilderness medicine emergencies. The NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute is the leader in wilderness medicine education. Our goal is to provide the highest quality education and information for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of wilderness emergencies.
BE IT KNOWN THAT
HAVING COMPLETED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION FROM THE NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
Diploma
The Leader in Wilderness Education
Executive Director Instructor(s)
Learn from the best and improve your teaching skills. These courses are specifically designed for teachers, outdoor educators, and those who aspire to be. NOLS can help you develop your confidence leading a group in the outdoors.
Build your resum by boosting your technical skills, medical knowledge, and leadership.
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Career
Rocky Mountain Outdoor Educator: Backpacking w/ Rock Climbing or Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
NOLS has been inspiring and teaching outdoor educators for 45 years. This course offers two formats, both packed with the latest techniques on living, traveling, and leading groups in the backcountry. Granite peaks, rugged terrain, and high mountain lakes and rivers will teach you what it takes to lead and educate others in the Wests ranges and beyond. Eligibility: Qualified practicing or potential outdoor educators. 23 (rock climbing) or 30 (WFR) days Optional academic credit: up to 7 hours Minimum age: 18 $3,680 (climbing) or $5,295 (WFR)
PHOTOGRAPHER
NOLS Alaska
CaRRIE SEssIons
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
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BRAD CHRISTENSEN
Career
This intensive course combines wilderness medicine with urban medical care practices into a single month-long program that includes clinical rotations in a local emergency room.
The WFA introduces trip leaders, camp staff, outdoor enthusiasts, and individuals working in a remote environment to wilderness medicine principles. Youll learn how to improvise equipment, deal with challenging environments, and act with confidence. This scenario-based course is designed to help you review and practice evacuation and decision-making guidelines. It may be used to recertify WAFA, WFR, and WEMT (wilderness portion only). These courses offer a variety of opportunities for healthcare professionals and medical students to learn practical, hands-on wilderness medicine while earning continuing education credits. From two days to 30, in the classroom or in the wilderness, we have a program to meet your needs. Visit www.nols.edu/wmi/courses for more information, dates, and pricing. 230 days
The WFR is geared toward outdoor professionals who lead multi-day to multiweek trips. This course provides the tools to make important medical and evacuation decisions in remote locations.
MIKE TREWARTHA
Designed for those traveling or working in remote areas who need a more extensive training program than a WFA. Emphasis is placed on long-term patient care management and specific injury evaluation.
COURSE
LENGTH
CPR INCLUDED
ACADEMIC CREDIT
30 days (200 hours) 910 days (80 hours) 5 days (40 hours) 22.5 days (16-20 hours) 3 days (24 hours) Variable
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NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
OPERATING AREAS
NOLS classrooms are some of the wildest and most awe-inspiring locations in the world. NOLS operates around the globe, offering you the chance to develop the outdoor skill that most appeals to you and discover the new territory that most excites you. Each fully staffed facility is a cornerstone of the community, ensuring our students come to truly understand the people and the environment of the area.
See the world, and meet people from around the globe!
263.45
summer
ROOM & BOARD
i
$5,231
Cost comparison data based on 2012-2013 data from NOLS and the College Board.
Diploma
The Leader in Wilderness Education
Executive Director Instructor(s)
Horsepacking BACKPACKING
206.07
Professional
148.85
$700
GEAR DEPOSIT
( ROOM & BOARD = FREE )
MARKETABILITY
$4,602
Earn your NOLS diploma and additional certifications. When NASA and the U.S. Naval Academy train leaders, they send them to NOLS.
$14,528
In 1974, NOLS invented the outdoor semester. Now each year nearly 800 students spend a semester at NOLS learning new skills, exploring new ideas, and making new friends while surrounded by wilderness. All NOLS semesters are broken into a series of expeditions, called sections. These sections run from two weeks to a month in length and cover a wide variety of outdoor skill areas. They are as varied as your desire to learn, which means
youll leave your NOLS semester with a series of valuable outdoor skills developed in a number of different environments. Every NOLS course is approved for college credit, and more than 75 percent of our college-age students take advantage of this option.
$10,853
15
NOLS semesters are divided into sections that focus on a set of outdoor skills, for example sea kayaking or rock climbing. Over the course of several sections, lessons build upon one another. From a kayaking section to a backpacking section, students leadership and general backcountry traveling skills develop from novice to mastery.
NOLS scholarships are available and you can use Americorps, VA, and 529 funds to pay for your semester.
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Semesters
BEnJamIn FoX
52 52
Semesters
NOLS Alaska
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Alaska
TRaCy BaynEs, STEP
NOLS Yukon
StpHanE TERRIER
NOLS Alaska
BETSY WINSTON
NICK HALL
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Fall Courses
Fall Semester in the Rockies Fall Outdoor Educator Semester Fall Wilderness Medicine and Rescue Semester
NOLS PACIFIC NORTHWEST
INTERESTED IN COURSES DURING OTHER SEASONS? Get online to view previous catalogs, including the winter/spring 2014 catalog, and keep an eye out for the fall catalog in April. The winter/ spring 2015 course catalog will hit mailboxes in September. www.nols.edu
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.EDU WWW.NOLS
NOLS Patagonia
BETSY WINSTON
NOLS MEXICO
NOLS Mexico
BRAD CHRISTENSEN
NOLS India
AleXis Alloway
NOLS MEXICO
Baja Coastal Sailing Baja Sea Kayaking Baja Sea KayakingPrime Spring Semester in Baja
NOLS NEW ZEALAND
Spring Outdoor Educator Semester Spring Semester in the Rockies Spring Wilderness Medicine and
Rescue Semester
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Rachel CUrtis
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SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID AT NOLS NOLS awards over $1.5 million in scholarships annually to applicants who show potential to excel with NOLS and would be unable to attend without nancial aid. Additionally, our partnerships allow you to access your Americorps, 529, or VA funds. Call us at (800) 710-6657 or learn more at www.nols.edu/nancialaid.
A+ COLLEGE CREDIT Every NOLS course is approved for college credit, and more than 75 percent of our college-age students take advantage of this option. Hundreds of colleges and universities have accepted NOLS/University of Utah credit or granted their own direct credit. Learn more at www.nols.edu/credit.
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Semester in Baja
Cass Colman
Semester in India
MaDhU ChikkaraJU
NOLS IS AN ADVENTURE Learn technical skills in some of the most awe-inspiring classrooms in the world. Rise to the challenge of long days, Mother Natures surprises, and new lessons on working as part of a team every day. Return home prepared and eager for your next adventure. DISCOVER YOUR INNER STRENGTH You need a lot less than you imagine, and you can thrive in tougher conditions than you think. Youll emerge from your NOLS course condent in your ability and with a new understanding of your calling for your future. BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR A LIFETIME Impress your friends with your expertise and tales from life on the glacier, and impress your boss with your newfound voice as a leader. Being a NOLS graduate will set you apart in a crowd or in a pack of resums. FIND NEW FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD NOLS attracts highly motivated students like you from all over the world and offers cultural interaction in international locations. You will grow and learn from and with your coursemates, and the bonds will last long after your course ends. BREAK AWAY FROM STUFFY CLASSROOMS Take a break from the traditional classroom without hitting 'pause' on learning. NOLS courses are highly educational, experiential learning opportunities. Continue to earn academic credit while exploring the worlds most awe-inspiring classrooms.
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NOLS IS A SCHOOL NOLS teaches outdoor skills and will help me develop an active healthy lifestyle, instilling leadership skills that apply in any environment. Like most educational institutions, NOLS offers academic credit, nancial aid, and a recognized diploma. I'LL BECOME A LEADER I'll gain leadership skills that I will use in all areas of my life. I may nd the calling for my career is in outdoor education, and nobody will prepare me better than NOLS. I'LL BUILD MY RESUM This is a unique experience in which I'll gain skills critical for any job. NOLS is a highly regarded institution, and having NOLS on my resum or college application will set me apart. I'LL BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD NOLS teaches Leave No Trace practices. I'll also gain extensive knowledge of the ora, fauna, and environmental issues in the region in which I study. And all this knowledge translates to environmental science credits. THE NOLS ALUMNI ADVANTAGE Being a NOLS alum means that I will be part of a network of more than 233,000 people world-wide. This network can help me nd jobs, nd housing, meet people in a new city, and much more.
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Semester in East Africa
Michael Schmertzler
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