NOLS is committed to pursuing gender-based diversity goals in our educational offerings. We welcome students of all genders and ask for gender information in the application process to open conversations that will ultimately contribute to a positive learning environment for all NOLS students.

Examples of when knowing a student's gender is important for purposes of safety or engagement include:

• We use gender-based sleeping arrangements on many courses, and our goal is to make people of all genders as comfortable as possible.
• Privacy, a concern for all genders, may pose a greater concern for transgender and other gender-expansive students, so we seek to inform about situations where strict privacy is not possible, for example:
1. Expedition courses in grizzly bear country that require students to be in groups of four for safety, even when attending to daily toileting needs.
2. Wilderness medicine patient assessments are conducted by fellow students learning professional touch while practicing identifying injury; and
3. Safety equipment for some expedition skills can be more revealing than standard outdoor clothing (harnesses used in climbing and mountaineering wetsuits used for some water-based courses).

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to info@nols.edu. You'll hear back from someone who can answer your questions and will happily discuss any of your concerns.