Two-week, device-free backcountry program becomes a central part of Interface’s Rising Gen Development Model, helping NOLS students build judgment, resilience, self-knowledge and the ability to lead under pressure
CHESTERFIELD, Mo., July 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Interface EDU, a global generational development firm, announced a partnership with NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School, to launch the Interface Wilderness Expedition, a two-week backcountry program designed to help students develop leadership, resilience, judgment and self-knowledge.
The expedition is a central Rising Gen Experience within the proprietary Rising Gen Development Model. Unlike a standalone summer program, the experience connects formal observations from NOLS instructors with each student’s ongoing work at Interface. Instructor evaluations inform individualized Leadership Development Maps that identify demonstrated strengths, developmental priorities and opportunities for continued growth.
The first cohort completed a 38.5-mile expedition through Wyoming’s Southern Wind River Mountains in June 2026, climbing more than 7,000 feet. For two weeks, students operated without phones or internet access, carried their own equipment and shared responsibility for the practical and interpersonal demands of backcountry travel. Participants also rotated through Designated Leader days and received formal evaluations from NOLS instructors on their decision-making, communication and ability to lead a group under changing conditions.
“Very few of our students have spent two weeks where the decisions were entirely their own, with no grade, no score and no familiar feedback telling them in the moment whether they were getting it right,” said Lorna Gray, founder and president of Interface EDU. “That is exactly where a young person begins to discover who they are. Leadership requires the ability to make sound decisions when the answer is not obvious, take responsibility when conditions are difficult and understand how one’s actions affect an entire group.”
Interface developed the expedition in response to a challenge the firm has observed across nearly two decades of working with high-achieving students and families. Significant resources can unintentionally remove the experiences through which independence, accountability and internal motivation are built. That observation aligns with broader research. Sapien Labs’ 2025 Global Mind Health report found that the wealthier the country, the worse the mind health of its young adults, and that adults aged 18 to 34 now report far lower wellbeing than older generations. Affluence and achievement alone do not prepare a young person to lead. The wilderness environment reintroduces real difficulty, consequence and responsibility in a structured educational setting.
Students must contribute directly to the group and take responsibility for shared outcomes. Without grades, resumes or familiar measures of performance, judgment, initiative and cooperation become visible through daily decisions.
“Wilderness creates an environment where the consequences of poor leadership and behavior become immediate and real,” said Stephen Miller, NOLS Custom Education Account Manager and Field Instructor. “Students must make decisions, communicate clearly, manage uncertainty and take responsibility for the well-being of the expedition. The NOLS and Interface Expedition gives students an opportunity to practice the skills of leadership and expedition behavior in the field, reflect on what they learned and carry those insights into the next stage of their development.”
The expedition is a central Rising Gen Experience within Interface’s multi-year Rising Gen Development Model. The model translates the Interface Generational Development Framework into a structured pathway of assessment, reflection, immersive experience and continued development. Before entering the field, students examine their values, strengths, leadership tendencies and responses to pressure. During the expedition, those patterns become visible through consequential decisions, group dynamics and sustained responsibility. After the course, Interface uses the NOLS evaluations to guide each student’s continuing development.
The process creates a longitudinal record of growth rather than allowing the expedition to remain an isolated summer experience. It also reflects Interface’s preventive approach to Generational Development. Instead of waiting for problems involving motivation, independence or direction to emerge, the firm creates structured opportunities for young people to develop those capacities earlier.
Interface began nearly two decades ago in elite college counseling and has served more than 1,700 families. Its students have been admitted to every Ivy League institution and more than 50 of the world’s most selective universities. As the firm followed students beyond admission, it found that academic achievement alone did not necessarily prepare them for independence, uncertainty, setbacks or long-term responsibility. That pattern is well documented. Decades of longitudinal research find that non-cognitive capacities such as resilience, self-regulation and perseverance predict long-term life outcomes as strongly as test scores or cognitive ability.
That insight led Interface to build a broader Generational Development system focused on identity, motivation, judgment, resilience and contribution. College admission remains an important milestone, but Interface defines success more broadly through a young person’s ability to think independently, sustain motivation without external pressure and make consequential decisions with confidence.
“Achievement might get you into the room, but readiness is whether you can do anything once you’re there. Those aren’t the same, and one of them is much harder to build,” said Tiffany Noel, Ph.D., senior director of learning and leadership development at Interface EDU. “Put a student in charge of a group in the backcountry, with no answer key, and you’ll find out which one they have.”
Interface and NOLS plan to offer the expedition again in summer 2027 as part of Interface’s continuing Rising Gen development program.
About Interface EDU
Interface EDU is a global Generational Development firm that helps families prepare young people for the responsibilities, opportunities and decisions that accompany achievement, privilege and long-term stewardship. Combining elite admissions expertise with developmental psychology, motivation science and family advisory, Interface supports families from childhood through young adulthood. The firm helps young people build the identity, judgment, resilience and sense of purpose required to lead with confidence. For more information, visit https://interfaceedu.com/.
About National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school that believes in the transformative power of leadership through wilderness education.
NOLS is dedicated to developing leaders by providing immersive experiences that challenge them to step beyond their comfort zones and unlock their full potential. Whether in remote backcountry settings or through courses near home, NOLS equips people with the skills, resilience, and confidence to lead in all walks of life.
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Hannah Erger
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