EMT Training
Tips for Participating in EMT Training Online
…What you need to know to succeed in an online EMT training course, from The National Center for Outdoor & Adventre Education…
Experiential Education
Teaching Adventure Education Within the Constraints of Walls
…When the busy season for summer-based outdoor education programming winds down, many in the outdoor education community may have found themselves returning to other avocations and means to make a living. For those of us who remain in the field of education — albeit in a more traditional setting — we continue what we know to…
About NCOAE
How a Hotel Parking Could Lead to NCOAE Establishing a Pacific Northwest Location
…It’s not often that we derive inspiration while standing in the middle of an overcrowded parking lot, but for our co-founder and executive director Zac Adair, it was in just such an unlikely setting that the notion of opening a Pacific Northwest location for NCOAE took hold. This idea came to mind during a recent…
NCOAE’s Zac Adair Featured in ‘Extraordinary People’ Segment
…A North Carolina television news station has run a colorful three-minute segment called “Extraordinary People,” that highlights our very own co-founder and executive director, Zac Adair (video footage from the segment appears at the end of today’s post). Daniel Seamans, evening anchor correspondent for WWAY TV3, put the cameras on Zac and The National Center for Outdoor…
AEE
It’s Official — NCOAE Receives AEE Accreditation!
…After years of hard work and preparation, we are pleased to share that we’ve been accredited by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) — a Boulder, Colorado-based not-for-profit organization, with roots in adventure-based education, that exists to connect the global community of outdoor educators and expand our collective capacity to enrich lives through experiential education….
Great Outdoor Provisions Co. Taps NCOAE for ‘Campfire Conversations’
…It must have been about a year ago that we first wondered aloud if it’d be possible to put our backcountry knowledge and experiences on display for the benefit of the folks in our local community. As a national organization, we tend to think and operate big (visit our website and you’ll find NCOAE courses…
NCOAE Recommends
As Traditional Recycling Programs Disappear, NCOAE Seeks Alternatives
…It’s only been a year and a half since China put a halt to accepting the world’s recyclable waste products, yet the effects are being felt in many countries — and in turn, local municipalities — that are scrambling with the challenge of dealing with their own recyclables, including cans, plastics, papers, and glass. When…
Raft Guides
We are currently hiring both experienced and first year raft guides for our upcoming whitewater rafting season on the Deschutes River….
NCOAE Recommends
The Quintessential Backcountry Expedition Road Trip Playlist
…Choosing the right tunes for your roadtrip is essential! Check out a few favorites from our directors and let us know which ones make it to your playlist!…
Expeditions
Camp LEAD
…Camp L.E.A.D. (Learn. Explore. Adventure. Discover.) is a dynamic weeklong summer day camp for 8–11-year-olds, hosted by The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE)….
Staff Profiles
Get to Know Us: Julius McAdams, EMS Program Director
…Back in December of last year, we asked key NCOAE administrative and field staff to share some of the things for which they were most grateful. Those gratitude’s, as they’ve become to be known around here, comprised our year-ending blog post for 2018. And if you read that post, you may recall that today’s featured…
Part-Time EMT Instructor
Our emergency medicine instructors have a passion for teaching the next generation of emergency medicine professionals….
NCOAE Curriculum
Here’s Why We Love Logan LaPlante, And Why You Should Too!
…After recently watching 13-year-old Logan LaPlante discussing his concept of learning during a TEDx (Technology, Entertainment, Design) event in Nevada, our co-founders Zac and Celine Adair jokingly said they want to adopt this self-proclaimed hacker of education. Young Logan spoke before an audience at the University of Nevada last February, where he discussed the disconnect…
Teen Courses
Program Spotlight: We’ve Got Teen Expeditions Far and Wide
…Looking for a teen expedition this summer? We here at NCOAE are excited to announce that our 2022 season of backcountry and wilderness adventures for teen-agers is already up and running and in full swing. At the end of February, a dozen students led by a team of NCOAE field instructors, headed down to Ecuador…
Outdoor Education
Educating the Educators to Ensure Safe and Satisfying Outdoor Adventure and Educational Experiences
…When planning a backcountry-based experience, you want to be sure that the people leading the outdoor program know their stuff!…
Adult Courses
The Longer the Course, The Better the Experience
…Here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), we offer a wide range of outdoor education and adventure courses, ranging in length from a week to an entire semester. And what that does is offer our students a choice based on their particular circumstances, interests and needs. By offering dozens of adventures from…
Staff Profiles
Zac Adair and Seeing the Backcountry Through a Soda Straw
…It’s been a while since Zac Adair and his wife, Celine, co-founded The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), and while it would be nice to think they jumped into this challenging not-for-profit enterprise with eyes wide open, that wouldn’t be completely accurate. Yes, going into it they had a great game plan….
Expeditions
High School Summer Semester – 10/11th Grade Ecuador
…Explore the remote Pacific Northwest, on a 25-day wilderness expedition!…
EMT Training
Hybrid EMT Training Available in Oregon and North Carolina
This 21-day EMT training includes 10 days of virtual instruction, followed by 11 days of hands-on training in Oregon and North Carolina….
Inspiration
Discover Solace in the Outdoors After Months Isolating Indoors
…You sit. The clock is ticking. You hear only the clock. And all the stress and anxiety vanish. Solace. Laughing with friends around a backyard campfire on a Friday night. Distant traffic and an occasional train whistle provide the soundtrack. The weight of the week disappears. Solace. Sitting quietly on a rock on Day 20…


