Foundations



This section introduces and outlines the NOLS's identity. The identity system is comprised of several important brand elements that, when used consistently and considered, are reflective of our unique positioning and personality.


Who We Are


Established in 1965, NOLS is the leader in wilderness education. What began in a small cabin in Wyoming’s Wind River mountain range has evolved into a global, multifaceted nonprofit school offering a proven leadership curriculum through expedition courses, wilderness medicine certifications, risk management training, and custom education solutions for organizations.


Today, NOLS operates 16 campuses worldwide and provides classroom instruction in over 40 countries. The NOLS community includes over 800 active instructors who teach a variety of outdoor skills from mountaineering and sailing to wilderness medicine that empower students to step forward in their lives.

Purpose

NOLS emboldens us to step forward.


Our brand purpose is NOLS's reason to exist in the world. It's a common thought that our organization and brand consistently pivots from. It's why every person who works for and with NOLS shows up to work day in and day out. It's the relationship NOLS has with the world. There is no need to state it outright, as it should be inherent in all of our NOLS communications.

Mission

Our mission is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment. Our community—staff, students, trustees, and alumni—shares a commitment to wilderness, education, leadership, safety, community, and excellence.

Personality

Brands have personalities like people do. Our brand personality is a reflection of who we are as an organization, and is the foundation of our brand identity. All applications of the NOLS brand identity should evoke our brand personality.

Traits

Core Belief

The wild forges leadership. Nature renders us all small and young against the timelessness of its wilds. Against the still backdrop of a mountain or in the rush of a medical emergency, we are reminded that we must push ourselves forward. The wild provokes and pushes us to explore our possibilities. Because it’s only in the face of adversity that we can learn true leadership.

Super Powers

Hierarchy

As a worldwide organization, it is important for our brand communications and marketing materials to retain a consistent relationship between our parent brand and everything within the organization.


Our key offerings, brand pillars, and locations should all be communicated, verbally and visually, under the umbrella of our parent brand “NOLS”.

Pillars


NOLS has four pillars: NOLS Expeditions, NOLS Custom Education, NOLS Risk Services, and NOLS Wilderness Medicine. Pillars are what people outside NOLS (our external audience) understand that we do.


NOLS also has multiple cross pillars that support NOLS and its pillars: Alumni, Development, Marketing, Creative, Positive Impact (our commitment to values, the wilderness, and society at large; such as: ESS, DEI, and Scholarships), Executive Leadership, Trustees, Operations, Facilities, Business Systems, Information Systems, and more.


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The brand pillars represent the NOLS core offerings and as such are important to represent in our visual identity.


As a brand house-style architecture, our primary goal is to build and maintain equity in our parent brand. The NOLS logo should always be clearly present on all branded materials. We should communicate our brand pillars

in all applications as type, using a clearly defined typographic hierarchy.


NOLS Expeditions


NOLS expeditions offer teens and adults the opportunity to spend one week to several months in the wilderness learning outdoor skills like backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, and more. During these expeditions, students build confidence and leadership skills as they practice leading in real-life situations with the support of expert instructors. NOLS Expeditions also offer gap year, study abroad, and J-term course options.


NOLS Custom Education


NOLS Custom Education designs 7-30 day expeditions in the world's great wilderness areas, and 1-3 day leadership adventures as close as your local park for groups and teams who want to deepen their rapport, grow their understanding of each other, and work together to overcome real challenges. Our programs blend our clients’ learning objectives with NOLS’ proven curriculum to create experiences that build skills and confidence, and help our students learn to lead in every role and on every team.


NOLS Risk Services


NOLS Risk Services offers industry-leading expertise to help improve risk management practices and better manage uncertainty. Outdoor professionals can choose among training for trip leaders or program administrators, organizational consulting, or attending the annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference that provides a forum for outdoor practitioners to learn and share common practices in wilderness risk management. All of our services are informed by decades of managing risk for our own global programs.


NOLS Wilderness Medicine


NOLS Wilderness Medicine offers courses ranging in length from two to 30 days that prepare outdoor enthusiasts, trip leaders, and medical professionals to recognize, treat, and prevent injuries and illnesses that are common in the outdoors. Students learn NOLS’ industry-leading, data-informed curriculum and build new skills through hands-on practice scenarios.

Locations

NOLS has 15 official locations and the NOLS World Headquarters.

NOLS Alaska

Palmer, Alaska, United States

NOLS East Africa

Arusha, Tanzania

NOLS India

Ranikhet, India

NOLS Mexico

Mulege, Baja California Sur, Mexico

NOLS New Zealand

Richmond, New Zealand

NOLS Northeast

Gabriels, New York, United States

NOLS Pacific Northwest

Mt. Vernon, Washington, United States

NOLS Patagonia

Coyhaique, Chile

NOLS River Base

Vernal, Utah, United States

NOLS Rocky Mountain

Lander, Wyoming, United States

NOLS Scandinavia

Riksgränsen, Sweden

NOLS Southwest

Tucson, Arizona, United States

NOLS Teton Valley

Driggs, Idaho, United States

NOLS Three Peaks Ranch

Boulder, Wyoming, United States

NOLS Wyss Campus

Lander, Wyoming, United States

NOLS World Headquarters

Lander, Wyoming, United States