Outdoor Educator Certification Program

Outdoor Educator Certification Program
Modular Certification & Training Program for Adults 18+
Harricanaw River, ON/QC Dates & Registration Below
The Outdoor Educator Certification Program is the perfect ignition experience for those interested in launching a career in experiential or adventure-based education and for those keen to develop the required skills to become a proficient wilderness or expeditionary Instructor. It is also a perfect compliment for teachers or other educators who have already begun their careers but are looking for some new and powerful tools to work with students in outdoor settings.

Unlike a College or University program, Leaders of the Day© strives to escape the confines of the lecture hall and immerse our students instead in a culture of experiential, hands-on learning in the dynamic environment of our “wilderness classroom”.


The program’s many expeditionary workshops; certification modules with industry specialists; opportunities for peer teaching and review and our unique in-course Learner to Leader Practicum undoubtedly put it head and shoulders above other experiences.

Our intimate group sizes of no more than ten participants, puts you at the front of the class with our expert Instructors and Facilitators where you will get one-on-one attention, helpful feedback and patient mentorship.

Eligible for 1.5 Brock University Credits!
APPLICATION DEADLINE – February 28, 2012

Program Objectives

With decades of experience in the field, we know that the most talented Outdoor Educators are not forged by the acquisition of technical skills alone. The OECP experience, regardless of the bundle you choose, strikes a powerful balance between mentoring high-level technical skills and teaching the foundational finesse skills of program facilitation. Both are essential to develop as a complete Outdoor Educator.

Building Your Resume As You Go

• Wilderness Advanced First Aid or
• Upgrade to Wilderness First Responder
• Swiftwater Rescue Technician Level 1
• ORCKA/Paddle Canada Moving Water Certification Level 1 or 2
• Backcountry Navigator Level 1: Map/Compass/G.P.S.
• Instruction and Orientation to High Ropes Facilitation
• Experiential Facilitation Level 1
• Extensive Backcountry Wilderness Tripping Experience (Harricanaw River Expedition)

Note: If you are hoping to pursue a career in the Outdoor Education field, it would be worthwhile to obtain a Bronze Cross, offered through The Royal Life Saving Society Canada, as this is the minimum standard required by many employers for water-based programs.

Program Modules

Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) introduces you to backcountry medicine and wilderness medical protocols. It is a 40 hour course over 4 days. Specifically designed for the unique demands of remote settings, this course focuses on three areas; First, how to treat injuries when you are hours or days from a hospital. Second, you will learn how to give care in extreme environments of cold, heat, or altitude. Finally, this course focuses on working with limited equipment and improvising. The course highlights preventative measures for environmental challenges and over-use injuries. It is the first 4 days of the 8 day Wilderness First Responder (WFR) which can be upgraded to later with the WFR-Bridge (WFRB) – the last 4 days of the WFR, or bundled with your training for additional savings and the full industry-standard WFR certification right away.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) builds on the skills learned within the WAFA and adds an additional level of expertise and added wilderness protocols that will be added to your “toolbox”. The WFR is widely regarded as the industry-standard certification for most Outdoor Professional Organizations & Employers.

Swiftwater Rescue Technician (SRT1) equips participants with a 3 year certification through Rescue 3 International. The course is designed specifically for professional guides, private boaters, park service personnel, outdoor professionals, and others who work or play around moving water. You will learn to use techniques and simple equipment to assess and perform river rescues using a variety of tools.

Leadership Field Practicum

The Leadership Field Practicum is the longest and most robust module of the Outdoor Educator Certification Program. This 30 day module builds on the foundations of your Wilderness First Aid and Swiftwater Rescue experience throughout an extensive program designed specifically to cover a wide variety of topics and skill sets. The OECP Leadership Field Practicum is THE gold standard for developing a baseline of skills that can be used to market yourself to an employer, as well as feel confident that you have what it takes to excel in the field of Outdoor Education!

The first aspect of the expeditionary equation is a short journey on the lower Madawaska River. It is designed quite literally to get your feet wet. During this time you will take part in important expeditionary workshops, deepen your paddling skills and begin to come together as a group on a river that has a great teaching progression. This allows you to practice, stretch and leap without having to feel “over your head”. Deepening trust and forming strong ties with your fellow group members is a strong theme that will get transferred to the more advanced stages and elements of your expedition.

The expedition portion of the Leadership Field Practicum will see you journeying north to the exciting Harricanaw River which flows into world famous James Bay. The Harricanaw, is a challenging and remote whitewater river, known for its technical elements, incredible wildlife and breathtaking scenery. The Harricanaw is definitely one of Canada’s legendary rivers.

The rivers of Hudson Bay and James Bay are fed by more than a third of Canada’s rivers, and combine to form one of the world’s largest seas that encompass the northern reaches of both Ontario and Quebec. While these rivers are relatively easy to access, they remain largely untraveled by canoe. During the course of this extended expedition you will begin to build on the foundations of your experience thus far and further focus the lens on: paddling skills, reading river features, risk management, navigation, group management, knot-tying, the development of sound judgement, facilitation skills, back-country technical skills, environmental ethics, experiential lesson planning, adventure activity facilitation, and of course cooking over open fire.

You will also participate in a wilderness solo experience while on expedition and participation in our very powerful group leadership practicum. In addition to the many incredible workshops and sessions offered while on expedition, you will have the chance to participate in a series of training modules offered by our experienced Directors and other seasoned Outdoor Professionals.

When you reach James Bay, you will be picked up and water taxied by First Nations community members across the saltwater flats back to Moose Factory for a night. The next day your group will load all of the boats and your expedition gear, and then take a journey on the famous Polar Bear Express Train back to Cochrane, ON. From there, our team will pick you up and escort you back to our base camp for a final graduation and celebration banquet!

Your Instructors

At Leaders of the Day, we hire talented Instructors with deep knowledge and experience of the outdoor world. They hold the highest industry standard certifications; have vast teaching experience and deep log books. As well as being practiced guides, mentors and role-models, our Instructors are also skilled facilitators of the Transformative Experience.

They are experts at living, teaching and traveling in the wilderness and have been selected not only for their significant technical and facilitation skills but also for their wealth of unique life experiences that make them interesting, approachable people. They are passionate professionals teaching what they love to teach most and have great energy and excitement for helping you get your start.

From Learner to Leader

In addition to the many certifications available, the O.E.C.P. curriculum includes a number of Peak Transformative Experiences that assist you to confidently move through the journey from Learner to Leader:

1. Experience being the Leader of the Day – This is a valuable opportunity for learning that lets you and a partner take the lead. Together you will help to plan, oversee and support an entire day of the expedition, with the background safety net and available guidance of your experienced Instructors.
2. Wilderness Solo on the Harricanaw River – This very transformative multi-day experience unfolds towards the end of the program and marks the crossing of a very important threshold from Learner to Leader. It is an opportunity that few people in the world today ever experience. It is a time to experience the beauty and quiet of the wilderness, to integrate learning and to engage in personal reflection.
3. Leadership Practicum – In the final stages of the expedition, the Instructors will fade more and more into the background as the members of your group have capacity to assume greater responsibility and leadership. For up to three days, your group will collaboratively plan, manage and negotiate all aspects of the expedition to your destination. Your Instructors will remain as invisible risk managers and safety nets only. This is your moment to shine and to prove to yourself that you are ready!

Finding You Work

For those participants who demonstrate particular proficiency and professionalism in their programs, there are sometimes work opportunities we can recommend to you at the conclusion of your program. This can in some instances provide the opportunity for immediate employment within the industry. We are dedicated to helping our graduates get a good start. Those interested in being evaluated for such positions should consider securing their Bronze Cross certification prior to the program and may wish to sign up for the Wilderness First Responder upgrade to ensure you can be eligible.

Physical Readiness

This is a program with strong physical elements. You do not need to be an athlete to thrive in this program, but it is important to make good preparations that will set you up for success.

What’s Included?

• All certifications and course-related materials and texts.
• All specialized and technical equipment.
• Shared Accommodation, maximum 3 people per room in the beautiful Spirit Point Lodge (includes the night before the course starts).
• Catered Meals are home-cooked and made with quality ingredients daily; fresh tea, coffee, and a selection of fruit & snacks are readily available throughout the day. All expedition food.
• Hands-on training and simulations with theatrical make-up and video feedback where applicable.
• Classroom, Lounge/Study Area, Instruction, & Recreational Facilities including lakefront, canoes, climbing wall, and sports field.

All The Particulars

Have questions? Please call us [toll free] at 1-866-576-LEAD (5323)

{We’re in & out often. If so, leave a message & we will get back to you!}

We Invite You

The Outdoor Educator Certification Program has been powerfully infused with every element of our challenge. Signing up for this program, regardless of the bundle you choose, is like accepting a remarkable invitation to boldly step across the threshold of what you know and into the heart of an unforgettable adventure. This experience will assist you in stretching beyond “the familiar” of your everyday routines, settings and perceived limitations to excavate your own unique talents as an Outdoor Educator.

When you travel with Leaders of the Day, each day is filled with engaging opportunities to sharpen your skills and take both your confidence and experience to the next level. Each night as our students gather by the fire and look back over the day that has been, they are constantly surprised by what they have accomplished and who they are becoming.

Dates: May 18 – June 27, 2012 (All Modules – 41 Days)

Apply Here. It’s fast, easy and secure.
Application Deadline February 28, 2012

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