FIND SIERRA CLUB, REPLACE WITH NOLS

Read the New York Times article - an in depth report about the Sierra Club’s embrace of social justice - and the loss of mission focus, donor decline, financial instability and ensuing internal conflict. Then answer the following question for yourself.

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QUESTION

 If you swapped Sierra Club for NOLS with the relevant facts and figures, could the NYT article be about NOLS?

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From 2020 to 2024, NOLS and the Sierra Club were swept up in the broader social justice movement

 “As long as climate change and environmental protection are viewed as just being concerns for a limited group of elites, we lose. We only win by building a powerful, diverse movement.”

Loren Blackford, Sierra Club's new executive director

 "We foster a culture that embraces diversity, values inclusion, and strives to intentionally embed equity into the fabric of the organization. We do that by prioritizing workplace inclusion, workforce diversity and DEI sustainability and accountability."

NOLS 2023 $4 Million Dollar Match Challenge

Both the Sierra Club and NOLS

• Expanded their mission and precipitated an identity crisis.

• Faced financial collapse and lost members (SC) or students (NOLS).

• Had leadership turmoil, staff unrest and internal conflict.

• Brought on negative public perception and external criticism.

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YES - the NYT article could be about NOLS from 2020 - 2024

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Recently however, the Sierra Club and NOLS' strategic visions have dramatically diverged

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The Sierra Club doubled down on social justice imperatives.

NOLS doubled down on its founding principles.

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The NYT article could not be about NOLS today.

 Consistent with the school's Vision and Mission, NOLS' website and marketing now emphasize its mission, expedition behavior and primacy of the wilderness classroom to learn by doing. 

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What remains in question is whether NOLS has aligned its operations and policies to address a dysfunctional NOLS culture that a poorly implemented DEI initiative helped bring about.

Instructor Course application

Has the selection process shifted from prioritizing social justice issues to emphasizing outdoor leadership experience and expedition skills?

Course curriculum

Has the focus moved away from trigger words and cultural sensitivity frameworks toward core wilderness skills, team dynamics, and leadership development?

Instructor review     

In performance reviews, has NOLS drawn a hard line not to cross between being an effective and inspiring outdoor educator versus an agent provocateur of political ideology targeting students?

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NOLS' future success depends on instructors and staff who fully embody the school's founding principles. Now is the time for NOLS leadership to share how NOLS recruits, trains, and evaluates its people - those who will transform strategy into reality and bring back a vibrant NOLS culture to shape the school for years to come.

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NOLS Self-Assembly

Our purpose is to serve as a link between NOLS and the greater NOLS community for an open discussion about how NOLS can stay true to its Mission and the practice of Expedition Behavior. We have consistently reached out to the NOLS Board and the Executive Team as a group. We aim to engage with open inquiry and constructive and generative dialogue.