The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) – Outdoor Expeditions & High School Summer Semester
Los Gatos, CA
About
The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) – Outdoor Expeditions & High School Summer Semester includes activities such as mountain summiting, whitewater navigation, and backcountry skills. The High School Summer Semester is a 32-day experience that uses these outdoor activities to engage students in natural science firsthand.
• Ages: 15–18 years old
• Schedule: 32-day experience
The High School Summer Semester is a 32-day experience for 10th and 11th-grade students that combines academic rigor, leadership development, and outdoor adventure. Participants earn official academic credits in advanced topics such as Honors Natural Science: Advanced Topics in Anthropogenic Effects and an elective in Principles in Leadership and Environmental Ethics, with Spanish Language offered in Ecuador only. Participants in the Summer Block-Semester earn official academic credits that are transferable back to their home schools and earn certifications in Outdoor Leadership and Leave No Trace (LNT). Experiential education in this program combines leadership development, hands-on learning, and practical certifications, with leadership cultivated through teamwork, decision-making, and resilience-building in small groups. The program emphasizes environmental stewardship, leadership principles, and hands-on learning opportunities, and locations include North Carolina, Oregon, and Ecuador. The organization states core values that include Challenge by Choice, Innovation, Collaboration, Proactiveness, Compassion, and Resiliency.
Kirsten Cook serves as a Lead Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) and has more than a decade of guiding, instructing, and environmental teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a Minor in Spanish (2020) from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her certifications include Wilderness First Responder (WFR), CPR/AED from the American Heart Association, Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor, Alpine Level I Instructor through the National Ski Patrol System, and Avalanche Level I from the American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has worked extensively in bilingual settings in the U.S. and abroad, including immersive study in Chile.
The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education states that it is a values-based outdoor adventure and education provider for teens and adults interested in personal growth and professional development. It operates under special use permits with the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service, including the Pisgah, White Mountains, Willamette, and Umatilla National Forests, and is an equal opportunity provider.
Last updated June 1, 2026.
• Ages: 15–18 years old
• Schedule: 32-day experience
The High School Summer Semester is a 32-day experience for 10th and 11th-grade students that combines academic rigor, leadership development, and outdoor adventure. Participants earn official academic credits in advanced topics such as Honors Natural Science: Advanced Topics in Anthropogenic Effects and an elective in Principles in Leadership and Environmental Ethics, with Spanish Language offered in Ecuador only. Participants in the Summer Block-Semester earn official academic credits that are transferable back to their home schools and earn certifications in Outdoor Leadership and Leave No Trace (LNT). Experiential education in this program combines leadership development, hands-on learning, and practical certifications, with leadership cultivated through teamwork, decision-making, and resilience-building in small groups. The program emphasizes environmental stewardship, leadership principles, and hands-on learning opportunities, and locations include North Carolina, Oregon, and Ecuador. The organization states core values that include Challenge by Choice, Innovation, Collaboration, Proactiveness, Compassion, and Resiliency.
Kirsten Cook serves as a Lead Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) and has more than a decade of guiding, instructing, and environmental teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a Minor in Spanish (2020) from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her certifications include Wilderness First Responder (WFR), CPR/AED from the American Heart Association, Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor, Alpine Level I Instructor through the National Ski Patrol System, and Avalanche Level I from the American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has worked extensively in bilingual settings in the U.S. and abroad, including immersive study in Chile.
The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education states that it is a values-based outdoor adventure and education provider for teens and adults interested in personal growth and professional development. It operates under special use permits with the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service, including the Pisgah, White Mountains, Willamette, and Umatilla National Forests, and is an equal opportunity provider.
Last updated June 1, 2026.
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