More Information

Equipment and Clothing
NMH provides all of the equipment needed to participate safely with the outdoor team and the specialized activity classes. Industry-approved equipment such as canoes, personal flotation devices, dry suits, climbing ropes, harnesses, snowshoes, and sleeping bags are provided for student use. Students are required to be adequately equipped with weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.

Safety
While Outdoor Education Program (OEP) classes emphasize adventure, exploration, and fun, safety is the foundation on which all activities are built. Two instructors accompany each off-campus activity. At least one of the instructors will have an advanced medical certification such as Wilderness First Responder. Instructors carry a cell phone and first-aid kit on all off-campus trips, and each mountain bike instructor also carries a two-way radio. All instructors are committed to an OEP policy and protocols agreement that promotes safety-first considerations in all decision making.

Outdoors and PE/A
The OEP is administered as part of the physical education and athletics (PE/A) department. OEP instruction is provided by a program director/instructor and an instructor, both of whom are members of the PE/A department. Both instructors are graduates of the yearlong Outdoor Leadership Program at Greenfield Community College, and hold current certifications from organizations such as the American Canoe Association and Wilderness Medical Associates. The outdoor instructors are assisted from time to time by faculty with activity-specific experience and expertise.

Specialized outdoor classes satisfy the PE/A course requirement in the term they are taken.

Philosophy
All outdoor instruction at NMH shares a common philosophy of promoting a connection to the land, and a respect for the natural world and one another.