For Organizations

Custom programs for teams

Tailored wilderness leadership programs for companies, universities, military units, and nonprofits. NOLS designs experiences that build the leaders your organization needs.

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Organizations served
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Satisfaction rate
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Years of custom programs
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Corporate Leadership, Rockies
University group trekking through mountain terrain on a NOLS semester integration program
University Program, Patagonia
Military unit completing backcountry training with NOLS instructors in Alaska
Military Training, Alaska
Nonprofit team building exercise in East African grasslands
Nonprofit Retreat, East Africa
Team collaboration during a wilderness expedition in Alaska
Team Collaboration, Alaska

BUILD LEADERS

Custom education

We build the program. You build the team.

NOLS designs custom curricula around your organizational goals. Whether you need leadership development, team building, or resilience training, our expert curriculum designers create programs that deliver measurable outcomes in wild settings.

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Organizations
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Participants annually
Custom

Curricula designed

What we offer

Programs we design

Every program is custom-built. These are the domains where NOLS has the deepest expertise.

Corporate Leadership

Team building, executive leadership development, and change management programs that build trust and resilience through shared challenge.

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Higher Education

Orientation programs, semester integration, and faculty development that transform classrooms through experiential learning in the field.

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Military & Government

Resilience training, leadership labs, and team cohesion programs designed for high-performance units operating in demanding environments.

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Nonprofit & NGO

Board retreats, staff development, and mission alignment programs that reconnect teams with purpose through shared outdoor experience.

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The NOLS difference

The wilderness reveals what the boardroom cannot.

When teams face real challenge together, they discover who they are. NOLS custom programs strip away hierarchy and build authentic leadership from the ground up.

How it works

Four steps to your custom program

From first conversation to post-program assessment, we handle every detail so you can focus on your team.

Step 01

Discovery call

We learn about your goals, organizational culture, team dynamics, and logistical constraints to define the right program scope.

Step 02

Custom design

Our curriculum team builds a program tailored to your objectives, choosing the ideal location, duration, activities, and learning outcomes.

Step 03

Expert delivery

NOLS instructors lead your team in the field. With decades of experience, they facilitate growth through real challenge and mentorship.

Step 04

Measure impact

Post-program assessment and follow-up help you quantify outcomes, track behavioral change, and plan next steps for your team.

Partners

Trusted by leading organizations

US Military

Harvard

Patagonia Inc.

REI

Results

Impact in action

All case studies

Case Study: Fall from a Horse

You witness someone fall from a horse; they are unresponsive. How do you use your Wilderness Medicine skills in this situation?

Case Study: An Abandoned Patient High in the Alpine

After a strenuous hike, you and your team find a tent just off the trail at 11,300 ft. You call out, “Hello, is anyone in the tent? This is search and rescue. We have a report of someone who needs assistance?” See what happens next in this case study.

Case Study: Shortness of Breath While Fishing

Test your wilderness medicine skills to see how you would respond to this first-aid scenario.

Alpine lake in the Wind River Range reflecting surrounding peaks during a NOLS custom program

Client story

"The NOLS program did more for our leadership pipeline in five days than two years of classroom training. Our team came back with a shared language for decision-making and trust that has fundamentally changed how we operate."

Rachel Torres

VP of People, Meridian Technologies

Let's talk

Ready to invest in your team?

Tell us about your organization and goals. We'll design a program that delivers.