Outdoor Leadership

This life-changing program, led by David Heroy, is beginning its tenth year. The goal of Outdoor Leadership (ODL) is to connect students to nature and each other through fun and safe outdoor activities. The training includes basic skills in hiking, camping, backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, caving, ropes course, and certification in NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) 16 hour Wilderness First Aid. The course requires a year-long commitment including after-school meetings (4-6:30 pm Tuesdays), occasional weekends, and a mandatory project week trip to Big Bend. 

Admission is based upon application and limited to 12 students, grades 9th-12th. Applications will be on a rolling basis after the deadline.

ODL has three areas of focus:

1. Leadership
2. Environmental awareness
3. Specialized outdoor skills. 

Leadership training starts with knowing yourself and listening to your own intuition, combined with clear tasks, natural consequences, and close collaboration and feedback from others. Environmental Awareness includes bird, plant, and geologic identification, with an emphasis on the profound beauty of Nature and the miracle of our own human existence. Specialized skills are honed through the, "see one, do one, teach one" model. Students experience a wide variety of outdoor activities, and then have safe opportunities to actually lead – thereby discovering confidence, strength, and skill.