2025 Pre-Con: CERTIFIED OUTDOOR EDUCATOR CLINIC

The Certified Outdoor Educator (COE) credential recognizes the professional qualifications of individuals who work in programs that provide structured training and assessment/evaluation in outdoor leadership development. These professionals are committed to excellence and have proven ability to deliver quality outdoor leadership experiences. In addition, COEs have also demonstrated proficiency to educate, evaluate, and assess outdoor leadership training and development experiences based on the WEA 6+1 standards. The COE is critical to the training and recognition of WEA Certified Outdoor Leaders (COL). 

The clinic is designed to familiarize participants with the WEA certification levels and process and communicate to participants how to incorporate the WEA Credentialing Programs into their curricula and outdoor expeditions. We will also review the curriculum associated with various credentials. The clinic will include a balance between presentations, group discussion, and hands-on learning. Participants will have opportunities to learn, share ideas, and teach on an assigned educational component. 

Minimum Requirements to Become a WEA Certified Outdoor Educator (COE):

-$30 application fee (included in price). 
-Documented a minimum of 100 professional field days in outdoor leadership training and development. 
-Certified Outdoor Educator Clinic (THIS clinic).
-Successful approval of your online outdoor education portfolio 

NOTE: The COE credential is not valid without medical training appropriate for the specific context and setting in which the COE is teaching and leading.

Upon Successful Completion of Requirements: 
COEs are recognized within the WEA as providers of all WEA courses, programs,  and experiences (excluding the COE Clinic).

Gabriel GarMelo is the Founder and Executive Director of GTG Outdoors, a nonprofit dedicated to making outdoor adventure accessible to historically underrepresented communities. Rooted in Central Texas, Gabriel brings years of experience designing and leading wilderness-based education programs that are both culturally inclusive and transformative for youth, families, young adults, international students, and older adults with aging bodies. 

His approach blends practical skill-building with trauma-informed care and intentional community-building, creating space for all participants to explore, reflect, and grow. From backcountry expeditions to neighborhood nature walks, Gabriel believes that outdoor experiences can spark lasting personal and collective change when facilitated with care and belonging in mind.

Through his work, he has mentored youth, trained emerging outdoor leaders, and developed place-based curricula that honor diverse ways of knowing, connecting, and being in nature.

Dr. Kelli McMahan is a Clinical Professor, Coordinator of Outdoor Recreation, Recreation and Leisure Services

She teaches courses in the Recreation and Leisure Services program with a specific emphasis on outdoor education and outdoor leadership courses. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she works to develop co-curricular field experiences and coordinate accreditation efforts with the Wilderness Education Association. Dr. McMahan holds a Ph.D. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M, a Master of Science in Health, Recreation and Physical Education from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Baylor University. Most recently, her research has studied the stress and impact on individuals that results from wilderness accidents and the ensuing cognitive, social, and recreational response to those accidents. Dr. McMahan holds many technical outdoor certifications. She is also credentialed as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist by the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation.