Not all educational programs are alike. The core philosophies and values vary from organization to organization. But the Wilmington-based National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education is in a class by itself.
Tucked away within a haven of live oak trees off River Road near Snow’s Cut, NCOAE offers educational opportunities built upon a framework of core values, community and culture.
Zac and Celine Adair founded the organization to empower people through unique educational experiences. Since 2009, they have worked to provide opportunities that go beyond the traditional classroom to foster personal growth and professional development through adventure-based educational experiences.
NCOAE offers four separate programs: the NCOAE High School Semester for 10th- and 11th-graders, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, the Wilderness Medicine First Aid/First Responder programs and summer outdoor leadership expeditions for teenagers.
The outdoor adventure and education provider partners with schools, kindergarten through12th grade, as well as colleges and universities, to provide outdoor leadership programs, both locally and across the country.
The Adairs said NCOAE is committed to academic excellence and providing its students with quality educational programs. It’s accredited by several educational organizations, including the Cognia Global Commission.
Cognia is a nonprofit organization that says it’s committed to continuous improvement and educational excellence and is the parent agency for three regional accreditation agencies. NCOAE is also accredited through the Association of Experiential Education (AEE) and Commission on Accreditation for Pre-hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE).
NCOAE’s newest offering is a 32-day high-school semester program designed for 10th- and 11th-grade honors students. Centered around an honors-level science course with an advanced topic in anthropogenic effects on biodiversity, the curriculum emphasizes data-driven research and field-based scientific exploration. During a two-week field expedition, students conduct hands-on investigations examining the impact of human activity on ecological systems. In addition to earning high school credit, students receive certifications in outdoor leadership, wilderness medicine and leave no trace.
“Our academic methodology is intentionally structured and pedagogically proactive, ensuring that both instruction and student support are purpose-driven. Our courses transcend a typical learning experience by integrating adventure-based learning and experiential education to achieve clearly defined learning outcomes,” Zac Adair said. “The culture and community we foster are grounded in authentic, values-based principles that guide both personal development and academic growth.”
NCOAE offers outdoor education and wilderness medical training in Alaska, North Carolina, the Pacific Northwest, Ecuador and Patagonia, as well as custom outdoor education courses across the globe.
The local NCOAE campus serves as a multifunctional hub, housing multiple classrooms and administrative offices to support its offerings. It is the central site for the North Carolina high school semester programs, EMT and wilderness medicine courses and also operates as the primary base camp for all summer expeditions and field-based programming.
Approved by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as well as the North Carolina Office of EMS, the NCOAE EMT courses satisfy eligibility requirements for the national registry and state EMT certification and establish eligibility for the National Registry of EMTs and/or state EMS exams.
Passing the examinations satisfies requirements for state EMS certification. The pass rate for NCOAE students is 92%. Students also earn American Heart Association Basic Life Support/CPR certification, good for two years.
“We take pride in our community and our culture. Our instructors are the bloodline of our educational opportunities here,” Zac Adair said. “The vibe is exciting, and the culture of the educational experience is contagious within these walls and beyond.”
The NCOAE Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training are the industry-standard wilderness medicine courses that provide comprehensive hands-on training of medical principles and skills. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education, the course provides students with WFR certification and certification of CPR taught to an equivalent health care provider level. University of North Carolina Wilmington students can earn three college credits through the course.
With the industry rocked by recent closures of other outdoor programs, the Adairs said they acknowledge this educational sector faces challenges, but they are optimistic that people will continue to see the value in what they offer that goes beyond the typical classroom.
“I believe really strongly that the best medicine for this environmental disaster that is going on is that you don’t care about something if you don’t know it. The antidote for that is offering these educational experiences to our society and to our culture, to all ages and all economic backgrounds. That helps the fight that way,” Celine Adair said.
Zac Adair said he believes though that is one component, there is more to it than that.
“Not everyone is going to make that connection (to the environment), and that’s understandable; that’s OK. I did not thrive in a standardized college or high school,” he said. “I thrived when I got into experiential education, and us providing this alternate education provides a different option.”
