OHS Students Raise Money for NOLS Trip

Students from Olney High School’s Student Council and National Honor Society are raising money for what they hope will be a life-changing week this summer — seven days on the Green River in Utah with the National Outdoor Leadership School.

The group plans to depart Olney in late June 2026 for a canoeing expedition through Labyrinth Canyon, a stretch of the Green River known for its towering red rock walls and remote desert landscape.

From June 29 through July 5, students will paddle, camp, and train under the NOLS leadership curriculum before returning home July 6.

The goal, organizers say, is bigger than canoeing.

Through the NOLS program, students will rotate through four types of leadership: directed leadership, peer leadership, active followership, and self-leadership. They will learn to function as individuals, as two-person canoe teams, and as a full expedition group navigating a dynamic river system.

The experience, NOLS leaders say, is designed to push students outside their comfort zones and teach them how to assess risk, solve problems, and lead under pressure — skills that translate beyond the outdoors.

The students and their parents met on Monday, Feb. 9 with trip chaperone and OHS biology teacher Will Stewart, and received encouragement from a surprising source: a videotaped message from Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph.

Mr. Randolph, who co-founded Netflix in 1997, told the Olney students that his time with NOLS as both a participant and guide played a formative role in his career. The lessons he learned about leadership, teamwork, and resilience in the wilderness, he said, carried directly into his work as a tech entrepreneur.

The hope is that students will return to Olney with greater confidence, stronger leadership skills, and a clearer sense of what they are capable of accomplishing.

The cost of tuition and travel, however, is significant. The NOLS trip participants will soon reach out to local businesses, civic groups, and individuals for support.

The students are holding their first fundraiser on Friday, Feb. 20 at the baseball/softball tournament. They will be selling pulled pork sandwich meals, including a sandwich, bag of chips, cookie, and a drink for $10 each.

For tickets, call (940) 564-5637 or after hours at (940) 564-0722, or pick up at OHS. Payment must be made in cash or by check, and checks should be made out to Olney ISD, he said.

Only a limited number of meals will be available for walk-up orders on Friday night.

Those interested in helping students meet their goal can mail or deliver checks payable to Olney ISD to: Will Stewart Olney ISD 704 W. Grove St. Olney, TX 76374 Organizers say every contribution, large or small, helps move the group closer to the riverbanks of Utah — and toward an experience they believe could shape students for years to come.