This summer, kayak past Alaska’s towering ice-blue glaciers. Or go backpacking in the majestic snow-capped peaks of the North Cascades.

It’s the start of a new year, and we’re celebrating with seven new courses. Summer 2020 might be the perfect opportunity to pursue the outdoor adventure of your dreams!

Topics: education, new courses, NOLS Expeditions, announcement, affinity

January 2020 is a month of great reflection and celebration at NOLS. It marks the:

• Welcoming of our first female president,

• Paul Petzoldt's 112th birthday,

• our 55th year educating students in the outdoors, and

• 50 years of NOLS in homes across America.

Topics: NOLS, anniversary, history, paul petzoldt, documentary, stories, Terri Watson, 55th anniversary

It's a new year and 12 months stand before you with unlimited possibilities for adventure and learning. Alaskan summers have endless days to enjoy, the northern Rocky Mountains are yours to climb, and the refreshing ocean waters of Baja await your sea kayak. And have you been considering earning your Wilderness EMT? This can be the year to make it all happen.

Topics: goal, education, trip planning, #optoutside

NOLS Wilderness First Responder grad Ned Morris is a volunteer ShelterBox Response Team member (SRT). SRT members deploy to areas of natural disaster or conflict-based migration, and help families who have lost everything due to natural disaster or violence. ShelterBox provides shelter solutions, including tents or house repair kits, as well as water purification systems, solar lighting, cooking sets, and much more. There are just over 100 active Response Team members in the world; less than 40 in the U.S. Read the following Q&A to learn more about Ned's humanitarian work with ShelterBox and how his WFR helped prepare him for this role.

Topics: Wilderness First Responder, wilderness medicine, NOLS Wilderness Medicine

Make your spring break an adventure. Forget the crowded ski resorts or touristy beach vacation—it’s time to do something different.

Topics: Baja Sea Kayaking, rock climbing, education, backcountry skiing, NOLS Expeditions, spring break

Written by Annalise Grueter and Manohar D'silva. 

A line of solemn, snow-capped giants stretches across the three northernmost states in India.

These soaring peaks belong to the world’s highest mountain chain: the Himalaya.

Topics: Himalayas, Himalaya, Educators Notebook, NOLS India, cultural expedition, stories

Dreading the end of summer? We are too, just a little.

Topics: Behind the Scenes, Adventure Courses, NOLS semester, education, announcement, classic courses

Summer's here, and we want you to savor every single late-evening walk and early morning paddle.

Topics: Behind the Scenes, education, backcountry skiing, Prime, splitboarding, announcement, spring break, affinity

How do you become a better educator? There’s no one best answer, but continuing to be a learner yourself is certainly up there.

Topics: whitewater, Training, kayaking, Educators Notebook, instructor, mountaineering, rock climbing, education, Instructor Development Fund (IDF), Instructor expedition

While wilderness medicine is a constantly evolving field, some things stay the same—like people wondering whether it’s really ok to suck out snake venom, or the steps of the Patient Assessment System.

As 2018 wraps up, our team gathered this year’s most popular wilderness medicine topics from the NOLS Blog. Take a look to refresh your skills and get ready for whatever comes your way in 2019!

Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Live the Dream

NOLS President John Gans announced on November 28 his plans to retire at the end of 2019. He is the fifth president in the school’s 53-year history and longest-serving leader. Gans has been a part of the school for 38 years and at the conclusion of 2019, he will have served as the school's executive director and president for 24 years. He started his NOLS journey as a scholarship student in 1979 on a Semester in Kenya, later serving as director of NOLS Alaska, admissions and marketing director, and operations director before assuming the role of president in October 1995.

Topics: Behind the Scenes, John Gans, stories

Photo by Nikole Wohlmacher.

For winter and spring 2019, we’re excited to offer two new women-only courses, backpacking in the Southwest and backcountry skiing and snowboard touring in the Tetons, and a new service expedition.

Topics: Behind the Scenes, expedition, education, all-women, new courses

Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, winter, quiz, hypothermia, frostbite

Fill up for breakfast or dinner with this delicious camping recipe for potato pancakes. (Don't forget to top with your favorite hot sauce!)

Topics: Expedition Prep, recipe, camping

“We want [our students] to use the education to be leaders in their community with an understanding of ecology and conservation for the wild outdoors far beyond their legislators back home. We expect these people to be a grain of sand on the beach of future leadership.” —Paul Petzoldt

Topics: Behind the Scenes, Environmental Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability, leadership, climate change