Lander

NOLS, as it's known, teaches leadership via remote wilderness explorations. The courses range from ten days to a full academic year, for students as young as fourteen—and there is no maximum age. For younger students, most summer trips are Stateside: backpacking in Wyoming or through the Pacific Northwest, a salmon river adventure in Idaho, canoeing in the Adirondacks. For older high school and college-age students, there are more international offers, like sea kayaking in Scandinavia or backpacking in Australia.