Our Mission.

The Trust is dedicated to providing incentives and opportunities to pursue wilderness challenges, leadership, and outdoor education derived from those challenges.

The Trustee has complete discretion as to the distributions from this Trust, and will consider the pursuits that foster self-esteem, self-confidence, leadership, raise awareness about natural and cultural resources, as well as recreational and professional opportunities.

The Trust is dedicated to providing incentives and opportunities to pursue wilderness challenges, leadership, and outdoor education derived from those challenges.

Self-esteem is also a key to successful leadership. Leadership requires competence and confidence, sprinkled with a dose of humility. The outdoors, and wilderness challenges, offer some of the best opportunities to find a supportive peer culture and positive risk taking.

Our Philosophy.

The Jean and Tom Ryan Outdoor Leadership Trust (ROLT) embraces opportunities and programs that offer real physical and emotional challenges in a supportive peer culture; programs that require positive risk taking through outdoor adventure; programs that inspire young people to step out and try new things.

What our Advisory Board Members say.

After one of the most difficult and terrifying hours of my entire life, I made it to the peak, threw my arms up in the air, and practically broke into tears. That morning I was ready to quit my NOLS expedition all together, yet somehow, thanks to the trust and support of my fellow NOLS teammates, I was able to accomplish something I would have never in a million years have thought that I was capable of.

Megan RyanWind River Wilderness, Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains – Megan Ryan

Throughout my time in Patagonia with NOLS I discovered a layer of grit, stamina, strength and mental toughness that I did not realize existed. Removing myself from all other cares in the world besides surviving the extraordinary outdoors was the best way to test my inner strength and tenacity. It was life changing to be in a position to only think about the foundations of life within our environment such as fire, water, food, and shelter and how to manage all of those aspects as a team to survive.

Sally RyanCoyhaique, Chile (Patagonia) – Sally Ryan

I did a 3-month trip to Northern India, where I spent the majority of my time in the Himalayas. The experience gave me a sense of being a part of something bigger than myself. While I was there the culture of the Indian people, beauty of nature and the hard work reminded me of the importance of integrity. Integrity, not only in how you act towards others, but in what you do and how you do it.

Matthew MitchellHimalayas, Northern India – Matthew Mitchell

Our Mission.

Our Philosophy.

What our Advisory Board Members say.

Interesting Alumni

ROLT

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