Gain confidence and career skills this summer. Complete your Wilderness First Aid certification on a specialized course offered exclusively to participants of our Alaska College Leadership Expedition.
“Applicable first aid skills are vital for anyone who hopes to work in the outdoors,” says Wilderness Ventures Personnel Coordinator Shauna Nacewicz, “Wilderness First Aid certification is an essential staple on the resume of any professional outdoor leader. Of course, this type of advanced first aid knowledge is vital to a broader range of jobs in both education and the outdoors. Moreover, the behavioral leadership and crisis management skills learned during this course will help WV students shine on any career path they choose.”
College-age Wilderness Ventures Students (completing 12th grade through college) have the opportunity to earn their Wilderness First Aid Certification as part of our 21-day Alaska College Leadership Adventure. The Wilderness First Aid course is a multi-day, small group learning experience that empowers students to act positively in any situation. It covers the basic systems and physiology of the human body, then dives into first aid situations that outdoor leaders can face in the field. The course takes place in an outdoor environment – syncopating classroom-style instruction settings (to disseminate knowledge) with in-the-field role playing scenarios so that students apply and retain the content presented.
All of the first aid knowledge learned is applicable in a real-world, frontcountry environment as well – but the solutions, coping mechanisms and learning scenarios teach the additional improvisational techniques, critical thinking skills and functional resourcefulness that is often required in a backcountry setting.
The Wilderness First Aid course is part of Wilderness Ventures’ established Alaska College Leadership Expedition. Beginning and ending in Anchorage, Alaska, this trip explores the most spectacular environments in southcentral Alaska while executing a focused leadership curriculum for its participants. Under the guidance of season Wilderness Ventures Leaders, the small group of college-age students backpacks through the stunning Talkeetna Mountain Range and sea kayaks with ancient glaciers. Of the 21-day expedition, two days are taken with professional Wilderness First Aid instructors for the private certification course.
The 21-day Alaska College Leadership Expedition with its integrated Wilderness First Aid Certification Course is offered only two times throughout the summer. Both new and returning Wilderness Ventures students are eligible for this program.
