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…
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…
Meet the Team
Meet the Team: J.T. Schexnayder III, NCOAE Outdoor Program Coordinator
…Coming off a four-year stint as coordinator for a university outdoor recreation program, J.T. Schexnayder III is proving to be a masterful leader as our outdoor program coordinator. Raised in Myrtle Beach, S.C., this neighboring state native led his middle school peers on backpacking, climbing, caving and paddleboard expeditions to backcountry areas in his home…
Custom Programs
NCOAE Now Offers Custom Programs
…We’re not sure who said it first but the person who coined the phrase ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ really was onto something. Whether it’s in education, hats, management, or financial services, one size doesn’t fit all, and the same goes for your employee training and teambuilding. That’s why we’re pleased to announce the launch…
About NCOAE
NCOAE Now Has a Basecamp in Northern Patagonia
It’s official. We’ve symbolically planted a National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) flag in the ground and established a basecamp for our South American operations in Southern Chile/Northern Patagonia. What does that mean to you? It means that — as of the final days of last year — we officially have a base…
Custom Programs
Outdoor Education Program Consulting Now Available
“Phone’s ringing, Dude” — The Big Lebowski The phone’s also ringing here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), and a good number of times the caller is representing a public, independent or charter school that is seeking help with their fledgling outdoor education and wilderness-based adventure programs. These educational institutions either…
EMT Training
Gaining the Clinical Experience to Get into Med School: EMT Training and Direct Patient Care
…How do I get the patient care experience I need to get into medical school if I’m not a doctor? Discover ways to get hands on experience now….
Outdoor Education
Trending: Trauma-informed Learning in Outdoor-based Experiential Education
…Trauma-informed practices accounts for physical and emotional safety, trust and transparency, healthy peer-to-peer interaction, and a respect for diversity….
International Expeditions
NCOAE Is Headed To Nepal
…You know us as The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), but after today’s news, we may need to change “National” to “International”. That’s because we just booked our first overseas program — a March 2015 custom outdoor education expedition in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Sure, we’re still offering courses like…
EMT Training
Intensive Self-paced EMT Certification Course for Oregon and North Carolina
…Enroll in our self-paced EMT training program, offering flexible online certification for aspiring EMTs in Oregon and North Carolina….
Staff Profiles
Get to Know Us: Ricardo Flores, NCOAE Field Instructor
…The thing that makes Ricardo Flores exceedingly well qualified to serve as a National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education field instructor is his love of the outdoors and experience in group dynamics through his corporate management experience. Specifically, Ricardo formerly worked as a logistics manager and a project manager for Proctor & Gamble, which…
Student Profiles
Meet the NCOAE Student: Will Newman, Hybrid EMT Course Graduate
…Meet NCOAE Student Will Newman and learn how our Intensive Hybrid EMT course jumpstarted Will’s education and career!…
Academic Credit
College Credit Now Available for Select NCOAE Courses and Trainings
…One of the hallmarks of a great outdoor education program provider is its ability to become accredited by the leading trade group for the industry. Another sign of a top-notch outdoor education organization is a willingness to align its courses and trainings such that when students successfully complete a course or training, they can apply…
Inspiration
Inspiration Through a Journey of Exploration: Part One – Alex Hotchin
…This week we begin the first in a three-part series called “Inspiration Through Exploration” where we will see how gifted and novice travelers alike can document their adventures through artwork, photography, writings and other means. Today’s inspiration comes from Australian Alex Hotchin and her beautiful — and very unique maps. Next week, we will explore…
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…
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…
Education Without Walls
How To Help Provide Outdoor Experiences for Youth in Need
…At first glance, our website might lead the casual observer to surmise that our organization, The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), is just another run-of-the-mill for-profit business. The kind of outfit where the owners get rich by running adventure-based trips for children from well-to-do families to exotic destinations around the globe. Truth…
Outdoor Educator Training
Outdoor Industry Jobs Require Personal Experience and Certifications
…Professional development — learning that allows you to earn or maintain professional credentials — is key to career planning, especially when it comes to considering a career in the outdoor adventure and education industry. Much more than participating in a bunch of classes, our sector of the outdoor industry looks favorably on applicants with wilderness…
Staff Profiles
Staff Profile: Meg Young, Director of Admissions
…Meg Young joined the staff team here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education late last year as office manager and was swiftly promoted to director of admissions. She works closely with our students to ensure their registration and enrollment process goes as smoothly as possible — something she believes sets them up…
Custom Programs
NCOAE Celebrates Black History Month with NCCU’s Cheatham-White Program
…It’s pouring rain, and some of North Carolina Central University’s custom outdoor education program participants slip into the knee-deep mud, briefly Wilderness orientation programs for transfer students and incoming freshmen are gaining in popularity at historically black colleges and universities….


