Kelsey Wicks
Step into the rugged beauty of Utah’s canyons this spring, where adventure, learning, and personal growth await. The Canyons Outdoor Educator Course with Hybrid WFR combines outdoor education with essential wilderness medical training, preparing you for a rewarding career as an outdoor educator. Over 30 days, you'll enhance your teaching, leadership, and wilderness skills while earning the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, a highly sought-after qualification in the outdoor industry. This unique course features a hybrid WFR format that includes 5 days of in-person classroom teaching and 40 hours of self-paced online coursework, allowing you to balance training with hands-on field experience.
Whether leading hikes through stunning desert landscapes or practicing navigation and rescue techniques, you’ll gain invaluable skills and build lasting relationships with other aspiring educators. This course will challenge you to think critically, lead with confidence, and teach in dynamic, real-world situations, setting you on a path to become a skilled, responsible, and effective outdoor educator.
Photo credit: Jorge Moreno
Elevate Your Leadership and Teaching Skills in the Wild
This course is more than just a wilderness skills training—it’s an opportunity to develop as a leader, communicator, and educator in some of the most beautiful and challenging terrain in the world. The Canyons Outdoor Educator Course offers a unique combination of outdoor education, risk management, and wilderness medical training, making it ideal for anyone looking to advance their career in outdoor leadership. Through collaborative learning and hands-on experience, you’ll leave with not just new technical skills, but the confidence and knowledge to lead outdoor programs, teach critical outdoor skills, and respond to emergencies in remote environments.
By working with instructors and peers, you'll refine your ability to teach fundamental wilderness skills—such as off-trail navigation, route planning, and river crossings—while also learning how to lead, motivate, and manage groups in high-stakes environments. This course will prepare you for real-world challenges while broadening your understanding of how to share outdoor knowledge with others in a clear and engaging way.
Learn and Lead in Utah’s Stunning Desert Canyons
The canyons of Utah provide the perfect backdrop for this outdoor educator course, offering an environment full of rugged beauty and diverse terrain. From navigating narrow slot canyons to embarking on challenging peak ascents, this course immerses you in the landscapes that make Utah a world-renowned outdoor destination.
Over 30 days, you’ll hike, teach, and learn from both the land and your fellow educators. The course begins with field-based activities in the canyons, including off-trail navigation, wilderness cooking, and group leadership. Throughout your journey, you’ll take turns leading hikes, facilitating lessons, and giving feedback—all while refining your wilderness skills. Expect to cross rivers, climb peaks, and engage in hands-on scenarios where you’ll practice the critical thinking and decision-making that are essential for any outdoor educator.
Photo credit: Thomas Conor
This course blends foundational outdoor skills with key interpersonal and leadership training. By the end, you’ll walk away with the skills and experience needed to succeed as an outdoor educator. Key learning areas include:
Outdoor Navigation: Develop skills in off-trail navigation, map reading, and using a compass to lead groups safely through remote canyons.
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certification: Learn critical first aid and emergency response techniques through a hybrid learning format that combines online coursework with hands-on field training.
Group Leadership and Facilitation: Practice leading groups, facilitating discussions, and providing constructive feedback to peers in real-world outdoor settings.
Risk Management: Strengthen your ability to assess risks, make quick decisions, and manage emergency situations while ensuring the safety and well-being of your group.
Teaching and Communication Skills: Sharpen your ability to teach outdoor skills effectively, manage group dynamics, and resolve conflicts with clarity and confidence.
Photo credit: Matthew Kearns
Day 1: Meet your instructors and fellow educators at the NOLS Utah campus, gear up, and prepare for a full month of learning and leadership in the canyons.
Days 2–10: Begin your field training with practical outdoor skills such as navigation, wilderness cooking, and emergency response scenarios. You'll also start to take on leadership roles in the group, leading hikes and teaching lessons.
Days 11–20: Dive deeper into risk management and wilderness medicine with your hybrid WFR coursework, spending 5 days in the classroom and completing 40 hours of online pre-work. This allows you to balance hands-on practice with theory-based learning.
Days 21–30: Put everything you've learned into practice in remote canyons and peaks, with increasingly complex leadership and teaching assignments. Expect daily lessons, peer-led hikes, and collaborative problem-solving exercises. By the end of the course, you’ll lead a final group debrief and complete a wilderness first responder certification exam.
Real-World Challenges in Rugged Terrain
In Utah’s canyons, the environment will constantly push you to adapt and grow. Whether it's the physical demands of navigating rocky terrain or the mental challenge of managing group dynamics in remote conditions, you'll encounter obstacles that require quick thinking and effective leadership. Here’s what to expect:
Physical Endurance: Expect long days of hiking through rugged canyons, ascending peaks, and navigating tricky terrain with a pack on your back. It will test your stamina and resilience.
Group Leadership: Living and learning in close proximity to your peers, you’ll face the challenge of balancing leadership with teamwork. You'll develop both leadership and followership skills as you navigate group dynamics, feedback, and decision-making in a challenging outdoor environment.
Risk Management: Practicing real-world scenarios in wilderness medicine and emergency response will put your risk management and critical thinking skills to the test. Every decision you make will impact both your group’s safety and your own ability to lead.
By the end of this course, you'll not only have a deeper understanding of the outdoors, but also of yourself, your leadership style, and how to navigate challenges both in the wild and in your professional life.
Photo credit: NOLS Archive
Designed for Aspiring Outdoor Educators & Wilderness Leaders
This course is ideal for anyone looking to break into outdoor education or improve their teaching and leadership skills in wilderness settings. Whether you’re an aspiring guide, instructor, or field-based educator, this 30-day program provides the foundational knowledge, hands-on experience, and wilderness first responder certification you need to pursue a career in the outdoor industry.
No prior teaching experience is required, but a passion for the outdoors and a desire to grow as a leader and educator are essential.
By completing this course, you'll join the global community of NOLS alumni—outdoor educators, wilderness guides, and adventure leaders who are shaping the future of outdoor education and environmental stewardship. As a NOLS graduate, you’ll be equipped with the skills, confidence, and connections to make a lasting impact in the field. Ready to take the next step in your outdoor career? Enroll today and start your transformative journey as an outdoor educator
