Become an NCOAE Instructor
…If you have a deep passion for education and the outdoors and take immense pride in your work—apply to become an NCOAE instructor!…
AEE
NCOAE Garners Prestigious ‘Organizational Member of the Year’ Award from AEE
…NCOAE is proud to have been recognized as a 2023 Organizational Member of the Year by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE)!…
Outdoor Education
Leadership Skills & Personal Development are Backcountry Bonuses at NCOAE
…Editor’s Note: Today’s post is the 250th since we launched our blog in December of 2013. And what better way to mark the occasion than by publishing a post about the efficacy of outdoor and adventure-based experiential education. Thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride so far. From our writers and…
Uncategorized
Safety Considerations for Adventure Travel in Foreign Countries
…There are few activities that provide a greater explosion of sense and emotions than putting foot in a new land — a foreign place where you have to navigate language, landscape, and culture practically the instant you arrive. Memories of stepping off a plane and heading out of the airport in Kathmandu, Port Au Prince,…
Camp LEAD in Brunswick County, North Carolina
…Camp LEAD brings experiential leadership to Brunswick County youth on beaches, rivers, and coastal forests—building communication, resilience, and teamwork….
Academics & Curriculum
Curriculum Overview The NCOAE curriculum offers a diverse array of courses that integrate traditional academics with specialized outdoor-based electives. Students can take Natural Science and Spanish language courses, alongside a unique elective focused on leadership and environmental ethics. Each class is delivered at the Honors level, ensuring a rigorous academic experience. The course lineup includes:…
Risk Management
Let’s Add Humble to the 5 ‘Umbles’ of Hypothermia
…Hypothermia is deadly. There, I said it! This potentially dangerous drop in body temperature is commonly defined as a core body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) after dropping from a healthy temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius. The slightest variance from the “normal” range can disrupt the body’s…
Expeditions
Wilderness First Responder (Hybrid) – Oregon
Our industry-standard wilderness medicine course provides hands-on medical training combined with skills in outdoor leadership and critical thinking….
Field Instructors & Outdoor Educators
…Instructors and educators are responsible for managing the safety of trips while facilitating multi-day adventure education courses….
NCOAE’s Celine Adair Awarded Women of Achievement Honors
…Celine Adair, our own co-founder and director of operations, has been recognized with a Women of Achievement Award for her work in social justice, presented earlier this week by the YWCA Lower Cape Fear. The award ceremony — held each year since 1985 — is the YWCA’s signature fundraiser to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments…
Custom Programs
Recapping The Wildwood School’s Custom NCOAE Program
…Nothing makes us happier here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) than meeting up with three busloads of seventh and eighth graders in a wilderness area and then teaching them about how to get along in an outdoor setting — in this case Joshua Tree National Park with its breathtaking sandstone…
Gap Semester
…Make an impact with a gap program that extends your education around the world. Learn more about NCOAE gap year programs and register today….
Expeditions
Wilderness First Aid (Hybrid) – North Carolina
…Our skillful medical first-aid training is for outdoor educators looking to professionally certify their emergency preparedness….
Education Without Walls
Update from NCOAE Spinoff — Education Without Walls
…If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you may recall that Education Without Walls (EWOW) began more than a decade ago here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). Today, EWOW has become a successful organization — a self-sustaining not-for-profit complete with its own administrative staff, board of directors, programs, and…
Student Profiles
Meet the NCOAE Student: Tina Haver Currin, WEMT
…Tina Currin, an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, recently completed NCOAE‘s W-EMT course. Learn more about how her journey led her to us!…
Outdoor Equipment
When It Comes to Program Backpacks, NCOAE Opts for Osprey
Here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) we’re not very big on endorsing products or brands. In fact, if you were to research our blog all the way back to the first entry at the end of 2013, you probably won’t find more than two or three posts chatting up products…
Outdoor Educator Training
UNCW Students Can Earn 6 Credits While on Winter Break in Patagonia
…How would you like to spend three weeks in windswept Patagonia, summiting a 19,000-foot-high peak in the Andes, taking on Class III and IV rapids alongside a volcano — and picking up six college credits for adding this adventure to your academic experience? The University of North Carolina-Wilmington (UNCW) is offering this 24-day course (EVS…
Essential Eligibility Criteria
Our Essential Eligibility Criteria lists basic functions required to participate in an NCOAE activity or program….
Staff Profiles
Get to Know Us: Dr. Christopher Davis, NCOAE Medical Director
…Dr. Christopher Davis, The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education’s medical director, spent most of his adult life combining his passion for helping others with his love of the outdoors. He serves as medical director for all of our field courses and trainings, including wilderness medicine and EMS training programs, ad outdoor educator and…
Staff Profiles
Get to Know Us: Chris Brooks, NCOAE’s EMS Program Director
…Growing up in a small town in the foothills of North Carolina, Chris Brooks claims his lifetime dream from the age of 5 was to become a paramedic. Today, he is the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program Director here at The National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education (NCOAE), where he teaches EMS courses in order…


