The NMH Outdoor Education Program (OEP) supports the physical education and athletic program, while offering activities that are an alternative to traditional sports and PE activities. The foundation of the OEP lies with two entry-level classes: Introduction to the Outdoors (ITOD) and Winter in the Outdoors (WITOD). ITOD exposes students to activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, sailing, orienteering, and bicycling, while WITOD teaches snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, winter camping, and tracking. Both classes teach back-country skills such as the use of stoves and compasses, outdoor hygiene, leave-no-trace camping, and an appreciation for the natural world. Using sites in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, these classes teach students to be safe and comfortable in the outdoors and are designed to promote self-confidence, responsibility, and leadership.
Both classes serve to generate interest in specialized outdoor classes such as Rock Climbing, Recreational Sailing, Mountain Biking, Recreational Bicycling, and Canoeing. The Adventure Education and Leadership class is designed to prepare students for leadership positions at the school such as student leader, peer educator, and international ambassador.
The OEP also plays a significant role with the freshman orientation program, student-leader training, and with academic classes such as ninth-grade humanities and the English as a Second Language program.
Students taking an outdoor education class receive a PE and a minor course credit for the term in which the class is taken.
