In addition to a rigorous Great Books curriculum to form the mind, and an authentically Catholic spiritual environment to enrich the soul, Wyoming Catholic College has also committed to forming the body through a unique educational experience called the Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP).

The OLP is an integral part of the liberal arts education at Wyoming Catholic College. It was created to not only serve the vision of educating our students in body, mind and spirit but also to help our students develop strong leadership skills. Our mission is to provide the foundations of leadership that are applicable in all fields, and graduate young adults ready to be leaders in their communities, their professions, their country, and their Church. The Outdoor Leadership Program helps fulfill the mind, body, and spirit vision for education at Wyoming Catholic College by providing students with direct experiences in the first great book of God’s creation. 

Students participate in the OLP throughout their four years at WCC. While much of the educational component takes place in the beautiful environs of Wyoming, significant classroom portions are required as well. The program focuses on several key areas: learning wilderness travel and camping skills, developing and using leadership skills (such as good expedition behavior, communication, judgment and decision making, tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, self-awareness, and vision & action). Students also receive focused horsemanship training through the freshman horsemanship courses.

The OLP draws on the proven curriculum of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), also located in Lander, WY. NOLS was founded in 1965 as a tiny outdoor school in a log cabin just outside of Lander. It was founded to teach people how to lead, and to teach people responsible, comfortable outdoor living. Since its inception, NOLS has graduated over 85,000 persons from its prestigious programs. WCC has expanded the basic NOLS curriculum by adding a spiritual component: teaching students to embrace the beauty of God’s creation, and to integrate that experience into the other disciplines being studied.

To learn more about the individual components of the OLP, see the menu at left. Also see our many photo albums for scenes from this exciting and extraordinary aspect of Wyoming Catholic College.