The program is designed for the outdoor enthusiast or professional leader who understands that the most important part of handling emergencies in the wilderness is preventing them. We extracted the leadership component of our renowned ALEC program for those students who have already received the WFR or WEMT training. We derived the leadership principles from our many years of contact with thousands of trip leaders who shared their assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of their training and also from the trip-leading experience of our own staff. The OWLS certificate, given at the end of the second week, acknowledges that the holder has been thoroughly exposed to and has actively practiced the leadership and emergency prevention skills for which SOLO is known. The OWLS certificate is awarded to individuals who have met the minimum classroom and field requirements of the OWLS program.
Certification is based on successful completion of the course.
SOLO instructors provide ongoing feedback and many opportunities for questions. A typical day consists of a mixture of didactic lecture sections and hands-on skills practice. To optimize learning potentials, SOLO compliments these sessions with a variety of mock scenarios and case studies for students to evaluate their own leadership skills. As an extension of these exercises, the class will spend several days outside and have one overnight trip. The OWLS program will introduce hard skills such as navigation, weather forecasting, group cooking and hygiene, and evacuation.