Refund & Transfer Policy
…The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) has established this Deposit, Refund, and Transfer Policy to help students, course and…
Expeditions
Summer Adventure Camp — Alaska, Backpacking
…Discover Alaska’s remote, technical terrain as you backpack through the wilderness on a 12-day adventure for teens!…
Expeditions
Summer Adventure Camp — Oregon, Backpacking & Whitewater
…Discover Oregon’s remote, technical terrain, as you backpack, paddle, and raft across rugged wilderness on a 14-day adventure for teens!…
AEE
AEE’s Podcast Highlights NCOAE’s Zac and Celine Adair
…NCOAE‘s Zac & Celine Adair sit down with the Association of Experiential Education to discuss the founding, and future of NCOAE….
Expeditions
Wilderness First Aid (Hybrid) – Oregon
…NCOAE offers skillful medical first-aid training for outdoor educators looking to professionally certify their emergency preparedness while working in the field….
Staff Profiles
I’m Shooting in the Rain — Creation of an Outdoor Education Video
…In this day and age, when practically anyone with a Smartphone can publish a video online, we tend to take a lot of things for granted. For example, consider our latest video (see below) for the National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). At first glance, this video has all the appearance of having…
Expeditions
Standard “Intensive” EMT
…A 21-day intensive EMT training that satisfies eligibility requirements for the National Registry and State EMT certification exams….
Working at NCOAE
5 New Staff and Instructors Join the NCOAE Family
…Here at The National Center for Outdoor Education & Adventure Education (NCOAE), we recently welcomed three new field instructors, a climbing instructor and a program coordinator to our outstanding team of staff members. Earlier this year, these five candidates — two women and three men — successfully completed our Winter 2017 Instructor Candidate Training Program,…
Meet the Team
Meet the Staff: Kate Javes, NCOAE EMT Instructor, Clinical Coordinator and AHA Training Site Coordinator
…Kate Javes has been a huge part of NCOAE’s continued success for a number of years, most recently as our EMS program director. Recently, Kate has decided to step back from that leadership role following three years of developing our Hybrid EMT training program. In addition, Kate oversaw all of our EMT and AEMT courses…
Custom Programs Overview
…Interested in bringing an NCOAE course to your organization? Create a custom program specific to your team, interests, and desired outcomes….
Staff Profiles
Staff Profile: NCOAE Field Instructor Forrest Stavish
North Carolina native Forrest Stavish is a National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) field instructor who also happens to be a lifelong hiker, backpacker and climbing enthusiast. He is a member of the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA), where he received his single-pitch climbing instructor certification, and is a qualified Wilderness EMT. He…
Staff Profiles
Staff Profile: NCOAE Fall 2017 Intern Adam Parish
…North Carolina native Adam Parish hails from a coastal town called Newport that is located about 100 miles northeast of our headquarters in Wilmington. He attends the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, where he is majoring in recreation, sports leadership and tourism management — a degree he expects to pick up next spring. Prior…
Meet the Team
Meet the Team: Wes Hawkins, NCOAE Director of Course Management and Logistics
…As The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) has grown, so have the skills and knowledge of our expertly trained and credentialed staff members. Take Wesley Hawkins, WFR, for example; a young man who grew up in the Southeast and eventually landed in Georgia where he attended Georgia College and State University. Majoring…
Expeditions
Wilderness First Responder (Hybrid) – North Carolina
…Our industry-standard wilderness medicine course provides hands-on medical training combined with skills in outdoor leadership and critical thinking….
Outdoor Education
The Solo Wilderness Experience: Going it alone is Not a Bad Thing
…When I see people walk out of the woods or trek down a mountainside or yank a kayak out of a river, I can’t help but sidle up to them and fire a dozen questions their direction. In fact, that’s how I recently ended up chatting with a hiker named Daniel inside a Wilmington, N.C.,…
Accreditation
We Did It! NCOAE is Now Accredited by Cognia
…Last September, we told you we were seeking accreditation from a trio of the nation’s top accrediting bodies: the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), and the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC). And today, we’re pleased…
Staff Profiles
Meet the Staff: Kassie Kehrer, NCOAE Executive Assistant
Kassie Kehrer is our new executive assistant, tasked with ensuring the efficiency of our Wilmington, N.C., office here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE). In addition, Kassie is responsible for enrolling students in our many medical trainings, outdoor education courses, and backcountry trips. She’s also the go-to person when it comes…
The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) Earns Prestigious Cognia Accreditation
National recognition empowers NCOAE students to earn and transfer high school credit nationwide. Wilmington, N.C. – April 22, 2025: The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) is proud to announce that it has been awarded full accreditation by Cognia®, a nonprofit organization recognized globally for its commitment to continuous improvement andeducational excellence. The…
Working at NCOAE
NCOAE Instructs the Instructors Through Instructor Candidate Training Program
…Without going completely overboard, we here at The National Center for Outdoor Education & Adventure Education (NCOAE) liken our popular Instructor Candidate (IC) training to a Hollywood red carpet event — without the egos or trophies. That’s because this training attracts the best wilderness educators in the world to our North Carolina headquarters for five…
Expeditions
Wilderness First Responder Recertification (Hybrid) – North Carolina
…Our industry-standard wilderness medicine course provides hands-on medical training combined with skills in outdoor leadership and critical thinking….


