December 2013

Welcome to The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) Blog. There’s an unspoken rule in the blogosphere that says we’re obligated to post a “welcome to our blog” entry, so we’ll play along (we wouldn’t want to upset the balance of the interweb by not playing by such geeky rules).

Those of us who conceived of NCOAE and are responsible for its daily operation have been reading blogs for quite a while now. And quite frankly, we’ve been struck by the lack of information on the blogosphere focused on outdoor and adventure-based experiential education. As an organization led by experts in experiential education, backcountry and wilderness guiding, and the successful facilitation of a core curriculum that emphasis teamwork, environmental stewardship and the acquisition of technical skills, we felt it was time for us to add our voice to the ongoing dialogues that shape our industry.

As most people know by now, a blog affords us the opportunity to reach out into the community more often, thereby making our thoughts and ourselves available to more of you. Over the weeks, months and years to follow, our staff will use this blog to share:

• The latest NCOAE news and developments
• Special offers on upcoming NCOAE Courses and Trainings
• Interviews with successful students and course participants
• Info on opportunities for non-NCOAE professional development
• Staff interviews/spotlights
• Curated content of interest to our many stakeholders
• Insights into the NCOAE curriculum
• Our latest job openings
• Details about items that are on promotion or sale in our online store
• And much, much more!

Blogging is a two-way street. Each NCOAE blog post will include an opportunity for you – our stakeholders – to leave a comment, ask a question, tell us why you disagree with something we’ve written, or sound off on a topic that’s really important to you. Simply click the Comment link at the end of any entry to get started.