CEO Sean Hill Sits Down with Roadtrip Nation to Discuss Careers in the Outdoor Education Field

When students are in the classroom, they are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. They are told to dream big and that anything is possible. While some students will choose a more aspirational career, like a dolphin trainer-slash-ballerina, others will choose to mirror the jobs of those they look up to — their teachers. The need for teachers, and the encouragement for students to pursue teaching roles is needed now more than ever. While a career in education is full of possibilities, the roadmap to becoming a teacher is not always clear, nor do all teaching jobs look alike.

That’s why Teach For America and Strada Education Foundation fueled a Roadtrip Nation initiative to send three young adults on a free journey across Nevada to explore exciting new ideas, programs, and communities that are creating a new worldview of education in their own backyard. Along the way, they talked to inspiring professionals in education, legislature, the nonprofit sector, and other fields to get the advice they need to carve out their own paths in the state they call home.

And who better to talk about a unique career in education than our own Sean Hill.

Sean sat down with Roadtrip Nation to discuss his origins in education, and how it led him to his current role as CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys. Hailing from Colorado, Sean has always had a love for the outdoors. He holds degrees focusing in environmental sciences, but really learned just how important outdoor education is when he found himself teaching in a windowless classroom in Houston, Texas. This led him to fully pursue outdoor education, so that students would be able to learn about the natural world without the boundaries of the traditional classroom setting.

Beginning in 2009, Sean spent the first eight years of his time at Sierra Nevada Journeys focused on education, first as an educator in the field and then as a curriculum developer, to finally training incoming educators. Sean’s firsthand experience of Sierra Nevada Journeys’ programs gave him the perfect foundation to progress through leadership roles in the organization, eventually shifting his focus to partnerships and the overall growth of Sierra Nevada Journeys. Sean shared openly that he doubted his own abilities at first when he stepped into the role of CEO, but credits his connection to nature and the mental health benefits that come from spending time in nature as factors that helped him as he settled into the role.

Sean’s progression through Sierra Nevada Journeys is inspiring, especially for the students who participate in our programs and are igniting their love of science and the outdoors. We hope that his story will inspire today’s students to become the leaders of tomorrow, and stewards of the environment.  

Watch Sean’s full interview, and to explore more about Roadtrip Nation.

Behind-the-scenes at Oxbow Nature Area in Reno, Nevada, with Roadtrip Nation.

NOER grant helps girls in STEM get outdoors in Northern Nevada

By Sean Hill, President and CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys

Saturday, Sept. 28, celebrates National Public Lands Day and Nevadans have also dubbed it Nevada Public Lands Day. In Northern Nevada, we want our children to have a chance at the opportunities provided by local industry to lead in STEM, outdoor, and conservation careers. Careers that pay well and protect our public lands. But we know that far too many of our girls are hitting a green glass ceiling, with only 10% of women in green jobs.  

 We at Sierra Nevada Journeys want to be a part of the solution to this crisis. 

Based in Reno, Sierra Nevada Journeys is a nonprofit organization for Nevada students focusing on innovative outdoor, science-based education programs that develop critical thinking skills and inspire natural resource stewardship.

We were one of 23 unique programs chosen in 2024 for the Nevada Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program (NOER), a bill passed in the 2019 legislative session. The grant helps us provide outdoor experiences for students. NOER awarded these programs over $250,000 in 2024 in nearly every county. 

We used this funding to support our “Girls in STEM" program. Specifically, this funding allowed us to provide transportation for the girls from Reno to our Outdoor Education camp for science and outdoor learning one weekend this past spring. The girls built self-confidence in STEM, and the program helped connect them to women who are leaders in STEM and green careers like engineering, education, and technology. Girls in STEM also featured youth development and collaborative problem solving on the Sierra Nevada Journeys high-hopes challenge course kayaking, outdoor exploration, and STEM activities. 

 We’ve been working closely with leadership from NOER since early in the agency’s inception. Sierra Nevada Journeys has both sought feedback and provided perspective and context around our efforts at reducing barriers to access to outdoor education for youth in Nevada. 

 We are grateful for this grant funding and the opportunity it offers our children. We know that this camp plays a role in helping more girls become leaders in STEM and in good-paying, green jobs. We also know that there needs to be continuous support for programs like NOER so these girls can return to camp as leaders and mentors to support the next generation of Nevada’s decision-makers. 

Thank you Nevada Conservation League for helping us spread the word about conservation and protecting Nevada’s natural resources.