A person with their arms outstretched with a view of a mountain in the background.
A young boy hiking.
An aerial view of a body of water in Patagonia.
A group of people white water rafting.

The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education

Adventure First.
Education Always.

Find Your Adventure

Find Your Adventure

Values-Based

Adventure Education

We are the values-based outdoor adventure and education provider for teens and adults interested in personal growth and professional development.

Challenge by Choice

Self-determination allows us to challenge ourselves and others, enhance knowledge and understanding, develop new skills, change attitudes and behaviors, and build confidence.

Innovation

By learning from our own experiences and championing original and derivative thinking, we seek to differentiate ourselves and provide unmatched experiences for those we serve.

Collaboration

Thoughtful collaboration, based on the acknowledgement of one another’s strengths, allows us to optimize our business operations and deliver transformative student experiences.

Proactiveness

Being prepared allows us to mitigate risks, improve student experiences, advance our internal processes, and plan for and be comfortable with the unknown.

Compassion

We relate with others through acceptance and understanding in order to promote personal growth and engaging student experiences in a supportive community.

Resiliency

We persist in the face of adversity, learn from failure, and adapt and evolve to become stronger and wiser.

Kids on an NCOAE raft.

Custom Programs

Create a custom program specific to your organization’s team, interests, and desired outcomes. From itineraries to dates to locations, we’ll work together to design a transformative outdoor and wilderness based experience that far exceeds your highest expectations.

A group of people sitting in a circle with a rock mountains in the background.

Become an NCOAE Instructor

Gain the skills necessary to become a full-time outdoor educator, backcountry guide, wilderness medicine instructor, or EMT instructor on an NCOAE instructor course!

A field instructor pointing forward alongside a student standing in water.
Field Instructor

Learn how to lead a variety of outdoor adventure courses as a backcountry guide or outdoor educator.

See Instructor Course Details
Wilderness Medicine personnel carrying a stretcher with a person away from a lake.
Wilderness Medicine Instructor

Build essential expertise to teach the necessary medical training for wilderness adventures.

See Instructor Course Details
A group of EMT instructors at a table learning a procedure.
EMT Instructor

Learn more about becoming an EMT Instructor at NCOAE

See Instructor Course Details

Latest Blog Posts

November 20, 2023

Meet the NCOAE Student: Tina Haver Currin, WEMT

By Allie Hilbruner

November 10, 2023

NCOAE Garners Prestigious ‘Organizational Member of the Year’ Award from AEE

By NCOAE Headquarters

October 19, 2023

SOAP Notes Keep Wilderness Medicine Clean

By Todd Mullenix