Mountaineers Leadership Development
Resource Center
The Mountaineers hopes to inspire the ongoing growth of our programs through various leadership development opportunities. Please browse past presentation materials and recordings for additional information and ideas in our Resource Center.
Leadership Development Series
The Mountaineers is excited to offer an ongoing Leadership Development Series to provide high-quality, continuing education opportunities for our volunteer leaders. This series consists of standalone seminars, as well as short series of sessions, to cover a wide variety of leadership topics. Sessions will be planned between October - April of each year, and they will be held both online and throughout the geographic locations of our branches.
All sessions will be structured along the following categories, levels, and audience. Please choose sessions that fit both your experience and interests.
Categories
What aspect of leadership does the session cover?
- Risk Management: Risk Assessment, Decision Making, Pre-Trip Planning, Case Studies & Incident Review, Legal Considerations
- Education & Instruction: Principles of Instruction, Giving & Receiving Feedback, Lesson Planning, Assessment & Self-Assessment
- Group Facilitation: Group Management & Leadership, Building Cohesive Teams, Setting Goals & Expectations, Conflict Resolution, Effective Communication, Partnership & Mentorship
- Equity & Inclusion: Framework, terminology, and the practical implementation of structural changes to improve equity in Mountaineers programs. Topics will primarily cover race, gender, and sexuality.
- Admin & Logistics: Becoming a Mountaineers Leader, Branch & Committee Chair Leadership, Mentorship, Behavior Complaints & Incident Reporting, Website Tips & Tricks
- Continuing Education: General sessions that build leadership but aren't otherwise directly related to one of the above categories.
Levels
Should participants have any prior knowledge before attending this session?
- Beginner: No experience required.
- Intermediate: Some previous experience required.
- Advanced: Extensive experience required.
- All Levels: Geared toward a mix of new and experienced leaders.
Audience
Who is the target audience?
- Instructors: Recent course grads assisting with courses and trips
- Leaders: Primary person responsible on courses and trips
- Trainers: Experienced leader who trains other instructors/leaders
- Anyone: Geared toward a broad audience.
Have an idea for a presentation? Please contact Michelle Song.
Leadership Conference
The Mountaineers Leadership Conference is a one-day conference at the Seattle Program Center in Magnuson Park. The program includes both esteemed outdoor professionals and seasoned leaders from our own community at The Mountaineers. A series of interactive sessions explores the many facets of leadership – from honing our decision-making skills, to pedagogy and better teaching, to the "soft-skills" of facilitating positive group dynamics.
The Leadership Conference is an annual event, typically held on the first Saturday in December. Registration opens mid-September. Please keep an eye on our activity calendars and email Michelle Song with any questions!
Leadership Development Fund
Each year, The Mountaineers designates funds to support the professional growth of our leaders. These funds are made available to individual leaders – as well as small groups of leaders – to support their attendance at conferences, workshops, courses, and other programs that are relevant to their volunteer leadership.
Learn more about the Leadership Development Fund and apply for a grant!
Outdoor Leadership Seminars
Many branches offer an Outdoor Leadership Seminar, completion of which results in the Outdoor Leadership Course badge. This badge is currently a prerequisite for many leadership opportunities within The Mountaineers.
Interested in supporting leadership development at The Mountaineers?
If you're interested to get involved and support the Outdoor Leadership Committee, please contact Sara Ramsay.