The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) offers a path for individuals to turn a passion for the outdoors into a profession. Becoming a NOLS instructor is a demanding process that seeks educators dedicated to teaching leadership, outdoor skills, and environmental ethics. These instructors guide students through transformative experiences in wilderness settings. The work is challenging, but it provides an opportunity to foster personal growth and stewardship in others while working in some of the world’s most impressive natural classrooms.
Core Prerequisites for Applicants
NOLS requires a solid foundation of personal and technical experience. The school seeks candidates with extensive personal backcountry experience, emphasizing trips that individuals have planned and executed themselves, not just commercially guided expeditions. This demonstrates self-sufficiency and a deep comfort in wilderness environments, which is a testament to an applicant’s judgment and ability to manage risk.
A high-level medical certification is required. Applicants must possess a current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, which is a 70 to 80-hour course focused on providing medical care in remote settings. A Wilderness EMT is also acceptable, but lower-level certifications like Wilderness First Aid are not sufficient. This certification, along with a current adult CPR certificate, must be valid through the summer season following the instructor course.
There is also a minimum age requirement. Aspiring instructors must be at least 21 years old to be considered for the Instructor Course. This age stipulation reflects the level of maturity, life experience, and judgment NOLS expects from its educators.
Navigating the Application Process
The application is a comprehensive package. It consists of a detailed application form, a specialized resume, a cover letter, and multiple letters of recommendation. The application fee of $65 allows for the submission to be reviewed.
Unlike a standard professional resume, the NOLS experience resume or “trip log” requires a detailed accounting of all relevant outdoor trips. Applicants must chronicle their personal, professional, and educational backcountry history, specifying dates, locations, duration, and their specific role and responsibilities on each trip. This document allows reviewers to assess the breadth and depth of an applicant’s experience across different ecosystems and activities, from mountaineering to sea kayaking.
The written components, including the cover letter and questionnaire responses, are a chance to articulate one’s teaching philosophy. NOLS is interested in candidates who are thoughtful educators with a commitment to fostering inclusive group dynamics. Applicants should be prepared to reflect on their leadership style, their approach to facilitating learning, and how they would support students from diverse backgrounds.
The NOLS Instructor Course
An invitation to a NOLS Instructor Course (IC) is the next step, but it is not a job offer. The IC is an intensive, expedition-based evaluation that serves as the primary gateway to becoming a NOLS field instructor. The course is designed to immerse candidates in the NOLS curriculum, focusing on leadership, risk management, outdoor skills, and environmental studies.
Participants are evaluated on their ability to live, travel, and teach according to NOLS standards. This includes technical proficiency in a specific skill area, like backpacking or mountaineering, ability to manage group dynamics, and facilitating lessons effectively. Instructors are constantly observing and providing feedback, assessing a candidate’s judgment, expedition behavior, and teaching potential.
Passing the Instructor Course is the final hurdle to becoming eligible for hire. The course operates on a pass/fail basis. Upon passing, an individual is assessed to work in the specific skill area of their IC. To teach in other disciplines, such as climbing or river travel, an instructor must later complete a shorter seminar to be assessed for that skill.
Life as a New NOLS Instructor
After completing the Instructor Course, a candidate’s journey with NOLS begins. Most new instructors start their careers as “Hired in Training” (HIT), co-leading their initial courses alongside seasoned, veteran instructors. This mentorship model allows new educators to gain practical experience and refine their skills.
Work as a NOLS instructor is contractual. Instructors are not salaried employees but are hired for individual courses, which can range from ten days to a full semester. This provides a high degree of flexibility but also requires financial planning and a proactive approach to securing work. Instructors build their careers over time, gaining experience and qualifications to work in different environments and with more advanced course types.
The lifestyle often involves seasonal work and travel to NOLS locations around the world, from Alaska to Patagonia. Many instructors are nomadic, moving between locations and supplementing their income with other pursuits in the off-season. Others may work part-time, like a school principal who leads a two-week course as their vacation, integrating their passion for outdoor education with another career.
Key Qualities of a Successful Instructor
Sound judgment is a primary quality, as instructors are constantly making decisions that affect the well-being of their students. This quality is honed through experience and a commitment to diligent risk management.
Effective communication and empathy are also required. NOLS instructors work with students from a vast range of backgrounds and experience levels. The ability to connect with people, listen actively, and foster a positive and inclusive learning community is a measure of a successful educator.
A passion for learning and personal growth is a trait. The NOLS philosophy emphasizes that everyone, including the instructor, is a learner. A successful instructor demonstrates humility, a willingness to receive feedback, and a drive to improve their own leadership and wilderness skills.