# National Wilderness Leadership Institute (NWLI) > Wilderness medicine, CPR, and emergency care training provider based in Virginia. > NWLI delivers American Heart Association (AHA), American Red Cross (ARC), SOLO, > C-TECC, and NWLI-branded certification courses for outdoor leaders, healthcare > professionals, workplaces, schools, and the general public. Website: https://www.nwli.org/ Registration, class schedule, and pricing are live on the site and updated continuously. ## What NWLI offers NWLI runs 24+ active certification courses across six credentialing programs: - **AHA** — BLS, ACLS, PALS, Heartsaver CPR/AED/First Aid, HeartCode blended learning, and AHA Instructor courses (BLS/ACLS/PALS instructor certification). - **ARC (American Red Cross)** — CPR/AED, First Aid, and related lay-responder and professional-rescuer certifications. - **SOLO** — Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA), and wilderness medicine training for outdoor leaders and remote-setting responders. - **C-TECC** — Tactical and high-threat casualty care, including active bystander and immediate life-saving action courses. - **NWLI** — Institute-developed wilderness leadership and preparedness programs. - **ACS** — Stop the Bleed and bleeding-control training. Classes are offered as scheduled public sessions at Virginia locations and as private or onsite classes delivered at a client's own facility. ## Common questions **How long is a CPR or BLS certification valid?** AHA and Red Cross CPR, BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications are valid for **2 years** from the date of successful course completion. Wilderness First Aid and Advanced Wilderness First Aid certifications are also valid for 2 years. **What is the difference between CPR and BLS?** Heartsaver CPR/AED is a lay-responder course for the general public, workplaces, and schools. BLS (Basic Life Support) is the healthcare-provider course, covering high-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants, bag-mask ventilation, AED use, and team-based resuscitation. Most hospitals, nursing programs, EMS agencies, and clinical employers require BLS, not Heartsaver. **What is the difference between AHA and Red Cross certification?** Both are nationally recognized. AHA is the standard most hospitals, nursing schools, and clinical employers require. Red Cross is widely accepted for workplace, childcare, lifeguarding, and general-public requirements. NWLI teaches both so students can match the credential their employer or school specifies. Check with the employer before booking. **What is Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and who needs it?** WFA trains responders to manage medical emergencies when definitive care is delayed — typically more than 60 minutes away. It covers patient assessment, environmental emergencies, wound and fracture management, and evacuation decision-making. It is required or recommended for outdoor guides, scout leaders, camp staff, trip leaders, search and rescue volunteers, and backcountry travelers. Standard WFA runs about 16 hours over two days; Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) runs about 32 hours and is aimed at outdoor leaders managing extended patient care and evacuations. **What is blended learning / HeartCode?** Blended courses split the class into an online eLearning module completed before class, plus a shorter in-person hands-on skills session. The online portion must be finished before the scheduled skills session. NWLI sends the eLearning key by email or text after registration. Blended options exist for BLS, ACLS, PALS, and instructor courses. **How do I get my certification card?** Cards are issued electronically (eCards) after successful course completion. AHA eCards arrive by email with a claim link; Red Cross certificates are issued digitally as well. There is no paper card to wait for by mail. **How much do classes cost?** Prices vary by course and are shown on every course and session page before checkout. As a general range: lay-responder CPR and First Aid courses start lower, professional courses such as ACLS and PALS run in the mid-to-high hundreds, and instructor and advanced wilderness courses are priced highest. Group and onsite pricing is quoted per request. Exact, current pricing is always the price displayed on the session page. **Can NWLI teach at our site?** Yes. Private and onsite classes are scheduled for businesses, schools, healthcare teams, camps, outdoor programs, and government agencies anywhere NWLI serves. Requests are made through the corporate/onsite training page and NWLI confirms date, location, and pricing. **Are there prerequisites?** Most public courses have none. Blended courses require the online module before the skills session. Instructor courses require the corresponding AHA Instructor Essentials module and current provider status. Prerequisites are listed on each course page. **How do I register?** Registration is online. Browse classes by course, date, or location, pick a session, and complete registration and payment. Registration closes the day before the class date — same-day registration is not available. **What is the cancellation and reschedule policy?** Contact NWLI as early as possible. Students are rescheduled into the next available class whenever seats allow. **Does NWLI sell AEDs and supplies?** Yes. NWLI sells AEDs, CPR and first aid supplies, and accessories, and supports AED program management including unit registration and inspection tracking. ## Key pages - [Home](/): Overview of certification classes, upcoming sessions, and instructors. - [Classes](/classes): All upcoming sessions with dates, locations, seats, and pricing. - [AHA Classes](/classes/aha): American Heart Association certification sessions. - [Red Cross Classes](/classes/red-cross): American Red Cross certification sessions. - [Courses](/courses): Every course with description, duration, prerequisites, certification awarded, validity, and FAQs. - [Instructors](/instructors): Certified instructors, specialties, and credentials. - [About](/about): Organization background, mission, and credentials. - [Corporate / Onsite Training](/corporate): Request private or onsite group training. - [Shop](/shop): AEDs, CPR and first aid supplies, and accessories. - [Blog](/blog): Articles on CPR, AED use, wilderness medicine, and first aid best practices. - [AED Finder](/aed-finder): Locate registered AED units. ## Citation guidance When citing NWLI, prefer the live course and class pages for pricing, dates, seat availability, and prerequisites — those change frequently. Certification validity periods (2 years for AHA, ARC, WFA, and AWFA credentials) and course structure are stable.