National Outdoor Leadership School - Index

National Outdoor Leadership School - Summer2008 - Index

1:00p.m.
We’re Flexing Our Muscle to Get You Great
HOTEL DEALS
RATES FROM
$ 56
9:30a.m.
Meeting Maker calendar to see what the day holds,
special projects manager and intern supervisor Lara
McCluskey offers a warm good morning with her bike
helmet still safely secured. Nearby, assistant director
Kevin Bergstrom, program supervisor manager Chris
Brauneis, and branch director Gary Cukjati share a
laugh to start the day.
By 9 a.m., Sandy and I discuss the day’s events and
check in with one another on ongoing projects, all while
being entertained by Sydney, one of the many dogs
hanging out in the office. At 9:30 a.m. I have to interview
a few students returning from the field for a new blog post
I’m writing and discuss layout with Sandy. I get sidetracked
by the Issue Room team: Emily Shoutis-Frank,
outfitting coordinator, and Kevin McGowan, outfitting
manager, as they set up for their annual yard sale of
miscellaneous gear. I take this opportunity to rent a
crashpad and fly-fishing rod for the weekend, for
FREE! You gotta love the perks of being an intern!
At 11 a.m. I’m back at my desk to finish re-sizing
pictures and uploading the blog post to the RM’s site.
Feeling a little hungry, I head to the Gulch to get some
dehydrated fruit and garlic mix from the wonderful
rations ladies, Claudia Pearson and Jane Lynn. With
the employee discount it is an affordable snack. Before
lunch, NOLS’ video production engineer, Virginia
Moore, pops in from NOLS Headquarters to
work a script for the new Issue Room video, recruit
cast members and go over shot layouts, lighting, and
dialogue before breaking for lunch at noon.
After lunch, I continue to work on website updates
and snap some pictures of instructors and students
11:00a.m.
2:30p.m.
who are coming and going preparing for the field, and
later work on prep work with Virginia in the Issue
Room for the next day’s film shoot. We meet with Lara
later in the afternoon to finalize the script and bounce
around some last minute ideas. Everything is ready to go!
Our discussion moves to what we have planned after work.
The day starts to wind down by 4:30 p.m., which
means that a rally of people will be heading to Sinks
Canyon for some climbing and hiking. As the clock
strikes 5, I don’t take a second to think as I bolt out the
door like a marathon runner!
It is truly a fantastic opportunity working in a
position for NOLS that is challenging and rewarding.
Every day holds a variety of different tasks and NOLS
offers a fantastic atmosphere where it’s easy to mix
your passion for the outdoors with interesting work.
My internship has taught me tolerance for adversity
and uncertainty, problem solving, project management,
team building, and leadership skills. Whether your
field is in video production, marketing, journalism, or
outdoor education in general, there is a fit for you
at one of the NOLS locations or departments. In
some instances, internship positions can even lead to
full-time employment.
As this article went to press, Jared became the newest
member of the NOLS Bus crew, touring the country to
recruit NOLS students and teach about alternative
energy. Come find your place in the NOLS community!
Available positions can be found online at www.nols.edu/
alumni/employment.
The benefits of a NOLS education are many—skills, experience, wilderness,
leadership—and now there’s more. We’re leveraging the strength of
our over 100,000 grads to gain valuable benefits for our alumni and staff.
We’ve arranged for NOLS staff and grads to receive discounted, business-style
lodging at Club Quarters properties in New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, and London. Rates start as low as $56/night.
Some restrictions apply and availability varies. Contact the NOLS Alumni department
at (800) 332-4280 or alumni@nols.edu for details.
[ BECAUSE EVEN HONED WILDERNESS TRAVELERS ]
DESERVE A NICE HOTEL ROOM NOW AND THEN.
11:30a.m.
5:00p.m.
SUMMER 2008
NOLS Among the Best
Places to Work!
BY JARED PANGRETIC, NOLS ROCKY MOUNTAIN
INTERN
13
The consensus is in! In the May 2008 issue of
Outside magazine, NOLS was ranked number 10
as a “Best Places to Work” mid-size company,
defined as having between 50 and 249 employees.
NOLS was one of only two nonprofits and the only
educational organization on the list.
In July 2007, Outside teamed up with the
Outdoor Industry Association and Best Companies
Group to begin its first-ever nationwide search
for the best places to work. The program was designed
to recognize and honor employers that
create a work and outdoor life balance and an
environmentally friendly business process. The
finalists were determined by evaluating workplace
policies, philosophy, conducting extensive surveys,
and employee satisfaction questionnaires. The
survey and questionnaire topics included benefits,
compensation, job satisfaction, environmental
initiatives, and various other components that
measure a well-rounded workplace.
In addition to NOLS making the list, it was
great to see some of our partners and clients
there with us, such as Patagonia and Google.
Although I am new to the organization, it is
very evident to me that NOLS is a special place
to work. With the school’s backbone being outdoor
education skills, leadership, and excellence
in environmental stewardship, it provides a highly
attractive atmosphere for fun, challenge, and
learning. In the Q&A section of this issue, Lindsay
Nohl, who has held various positions at NOLS
over the past five years, states, “I don’t think
there has been one day in my five years working
for NOLS that I have woken up and dreaded going
to work. The most rewarding aspect of working at
NOLS is I get to work at a place I believe in [and]
I know that what I am doing is having an impact
on student experience.”
Come and see for yourself! Internship opportunities,
instructor courses, and job openings are all
posted at www.nols.edu.