Cameron Francisco

We live in a world increasingly dominated by social media, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. So, when it comes to backcountry and wilderness expeditions, participants of all ages have an opportunity to learn and grow in fun, challenging real-world settings. 

Whether navigating rugged terrain, setting up a tent, or preparing a meal without the aid of modern appliances, participants in guided outdoor adventures are required to think critically, adapt quickly, reflect deeply, and collaborate closely with others. In this post, I explore how backcountry adventures serve as powerful catalysts for personal growth, leadership development, and environmental awareness.

Here at The National Center for Outdoor Adventure and Education (NCOAE), we offer guided outdoor expeditions that focus on creating profoundly empowering experiences for everyone involved. In the backdrop of a wilderness setting, we encourage participants —students on a summer teen leadership expedition or adults on one of our 21-day adult leadership expeditions — to challenge themselves to grow and expand upon their critical thinking, teamwork, and technical outdoor skills.

Most of our first-time participants have little to no experience in the backcountry, and that’s why our objective is not to turn them into avid backpackers, rock climbers, or paddlers. While our adventures often spark a new passion for these activities, our goal is to use the backcountry as a classroom that facilitates learning and personal or professional growth. 

Outdoor and adventure-based experiential education in the backcountry enables our course participants to learn, grow, and build self-confidence. And they do this by: (more…)

Little in the wilderness experience quite compares to sitting around a warm campfire after a day on the trail. Crackling embers, shimmering luminescence, and radiant warmth have an almost primal attraction. 

When you take advantage of our teen leadership expeditions, adult leadership expeditions, or our high school summer semester, you’ll experience many campfires.

Whether you’re toasting marshmallows, sharing stories, debriefing the day’s group-based activities, or simply gazing into the glow, a campfire creates an intimate connection to nature, to others, and to oneself.

For those of us who work in outdoor education and adventure-based programming, the impact of a campfire on our students must include consideration of the environmental impact of these moon-lit activities. In this blog post, we explore why people are so drawn to campfires and then we share tips on how to enjoy them without leaving a lasting trace.

Appreciating the Appeal of Campfires

People are naturally drawn to campfires, and for good reason — actually several good reasons. Here are some of the qualities that make campfires so alluring (more…)

If you’re considering a career in the field of outdoor education and adventure programming that involves leading groups through remote wilderness areas, your career path will come to a fork in the road where you will face an important choice: Do you want to become a backcountry guide or an outdoor educator?

At first glance, these two roles may appear to be too similar to matter, but they serve distinct purposes. While both require expertise in risk management, their focus and approach differ considerably. In general, the differences boil down to the following:

• A backcountry guide is primarily responsible for leading groups safely through remote, rugged environments, with a focus on navigation, logistics, health, and safety.
• An outdoor educator or field instructor does everything a backcountry guide does but with the added responsibilities of teaching wilderness skills, fostering environmental stewardship, and creating opportunities for individual and group personal growth and learning. 

In this post, we explore the key similarities and differences between these two roles and what each brings to the outdoor experience.

Recognizing the Similarities

Backcountry guides and outdoor educators (field instructors) are more alike than they are similar. They both have a passion for nature and human-powered outdoor recreation and adventure, and they both share their technical outdoor knowledge and skills freely with others. More specifically, backcountry guides and outdoor educators share the following qualities: (more…)

For as long as we can remember, private and independent schools have recognized the transformative power of experiential learning, and that’s particularly true when it involves outdoor and adventure-based activities. While all educators are trained and encouraged to seek innovative ways to engage students in their own education, private and independent schools have traditionally been more likely to partner with an organization like ours to create a custom outdoor program that reinforces their curriculum and culture.

Here at The National Center for Outdoor Adventure and Education (NCOAE), we assist all types of schools — including private and independent ones — to seamlessly incorporate outdoor and adventure-based experiential education into their curricula. 

By exploring the benefits, practical considerations, and implementation strategies, we work closely with these schools to enhance their educational offerings. And when we succeed, we find we have awakened and nurtured a sense of adventure in their students. In addition, we have supported the development of well-rounded youth who are better equipped for success in academics, peer interactions, and the communities in which they live.

Benefits for Students

Participation in our highly customized and curriculum-based outdoor education programs contributes to higher student retention rates, higher grade averages, and positive changes in a student’s  “Five C’s” — Competence, Character, Connection, Confidence, and Caring.

At NCOAE, our custom programs for private, independent, and even open enrollment summer camp expeditions for teens are built on our Theory of Change: (more…)