The Wilderness Education Association helps people enjoy and protect our nation’s most precious resource: our wilderness areas. The WEA has been training and certifying outdoor leaders around the world for nearly 25 years, teaching students to safely and effectively lead groups in the outdoors without harming the environment. In addition, working with national conservation groups and government agencies, the WEA educates the general public in how to appreciate and conserve wildlands through special curricula and public service information campaigns.

Legendary mountaineer Paul K. Petzoldt, Chuck Gregory, Robert Christie, and Dr. Frank Lupton, founded the WEA in 1977. The organization’s mission includes”…promoting the professionalism of outdoor leadership and to thereby improve the safety of outdoor trips and to enhance the conservation of the wild outdoors…”

The WEA 18-point curriculum emphasizes experiential teaching in the field with a primary focus on judgment and decision-making. WEA course graduates not only know their abilities, but also learn to respect their limitations. WEA courses are offered through a network of 30 accredited affiliates around the world. Many WEA courses earn college credit. Consulting and program development services are an integral part of the WEA mission. Contact the National Office regarding curriculum development, risk management, instructor recruitment, and standards for outdoor leaders.