…When Zac Adair began racing BMX bikes at the age of seven, he’d never considered that some people study and make a living in adventure education. Over the next two decades, as he participated in football, baseball, rock climbing, surfing, white water rafting, and snow skiing, it still didn’t enter his mind. Yet, in the…

…If one of your goals is to apply to medical school and eventually become a doctor, here are a few of the hurdles you’ll need to jump through. First, you’ll need a four-year Bachelor of Science degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA, a passing score on the MCAT exam, and a few glowing letters of…

…This is the last post in our four-part series on trends to be aware of in outdoor and adventure-based experiential education. In Part 1, we covered DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Part 2 focused on restorative practices. And Part 3 called attention to trauma-informed learning.  Here in Part 4, we’re wrapping up the series with…

Editor’s Note: In this, the second installment of “The Three Bears,” we’ll hear from NCOAE staffer Stephen Mullaney tell yet another true tale about confrontations with bears. In this post, he’ll attempt to find the humor in a persistent bear taking up quarters in an NCOAE camp late at night. But let’s let Stephen tell…

…NCOAE is headquartered on a 15-acre wooded campus that offers housing options for students enrolled in one of our programs….

This Supplemental Privacy Notice is dated and effective January 1, 2020. NCOAE, LLC (dba, The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education)…

Matt Evans is one of the veteran staff members here at NCOAE and is now an assistant instructor, facilitating courses in the backcountry….

…Zac Adair, our co-founder and executive director, recently asked one of our courseparticipants why they signed up for a particular outdoor adventure. “It was a photo thatappeared on your website of a guy on top of a mountaintop with the blue skies above theglaciers in the background.” Picture yourself here. It’s a common tactic in…

…Years ago, I was working in wilderness-based setting with a group of gang members who were attempting to break away from the often-violent lifestyle in which they found themselves. During a break our programming, I asked a loaded question. “Anybody want to tell me about their tattoos and what they mean?” The 30 or so…

…Pennsylvania native Bethany Smith joined the team here at The National Center forOutdoor & Adventure Education in May of 2022, working as a field instructor in bothNorth Carolina and Oregon. As an NCOAE staffer, she has led a number of backpacking,inflatable kayaking and whitewater rafting trips, including several of our TeenLeadership Expeditions. Before joining us…

Kenneth Hippe, WFR, is Field Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor &Adventure Education (NCOAE). A self-employed options trader by day, Kenneth is muchmore comfortable in the backcountry than working with futures and figures.Hailing from Oakton, Virginia, Kenneth is a 2018 graduate of James Madison University(Harrisonburg, VA) where he received a Bachelor of Science degree…

Max Chandler, WFR, is a Lead Field Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). Prior to joining the team at NCOAE, Max worked as a field instructor for the American Camp Association-accredited Adventure Treks in Flat Rock, NC. Born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Max amassed a mountain of outdoor experience at…

We like to take backcountry cooking to the next level at NCOAE – Check out a few of our favorite recipes to keep yourself energized!…

Lydia Showalter is a field instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). Like many of our field instructors, Lydia has plenty of experience as an outdoor educator — much of which was acquired well before her arrival at NCOAE. For instance, she wore many hats while working with Avid4Adventure in Boulder,…

…As you’ve probably heard or read, last month was the hottest June our planet has ever experienced — topping a prior record set in 2019. In fact, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the nine hottest Junes ever occurred over the past nine years. In addition, extreme heat creates crispy conditions, and…

Mandy Goff is a field instructor for The National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education (NCOAE). Previously, Mandy worked for NCOAE’s sister organization — Education Without Walls. She is also currently the program director at Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center in Lithia, FL, and before that, was the program director and assistant director at Johnsonburg…

Watson Goh has been a National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) field instructor since 2021. Prior to joining Team NCOAE, Watson was a trip leader and guide for the Outdoor Adventures program at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina), and an analyst for Cornerstone Research.Watson maintains an active membership in the Association for Experiential…

…When it comes to wilderness medicine, theres so much more than tree branch splints. Explore the world of wilderness medicine with NCOAE!…

…Federico Cabrera is a dreamer. For years, he had dreams of becoming a National Geographic photographer. Taking photos in Africa was top of mind for 15 years as he toiled in foreign trade. But that nagging thought of grabbing up a camera and exploring the world finally prompted Federico to give up his successful career…

…The Dalles, Oregon, 9/8/2023. Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC), with locations in The Dalles and Hood River, Oregon, announced today a partnership with a worldwide leader in outdoor education and urban and wilderness medicine training, the National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). This is one of the newest partnerships developed by CGCC to…