Chris Williams
Volunteer Position Opening
Youth Programs – Emily Carraux. November 2015.
Volunteer for Youth Programs – “Mountain Workshops”
Goal of Position
These folks will help us instruct our youth programs called Mountain Workshops. They help contribute to the growth of each youth and provide excellent outdoor instruction.
Activities and Responsibilities
- Providing excellent and safe outdoor instruction to youth who have often never experienced the outdoors and are doing so for the first time – WITH YOUR HELP!!!
- Typical activities volunteers help with can include first aid, navigation, the 10 essentials, and Leave No Trace instruction or assistant instruction. Training is provided for volunteers, so feel free to help even if you aren’t trained in these areas!
- Safely belay youth while they are rock climbing (we’ll teach you what that is if you don’t know!)
- Teach youth how to tie figure 8 knots (we will train you on this too!)
- Act as an assistant leader on any hikes we go on
- Because of the nature of the program, no volunteer is ever alone with youth so you do not have to be a Qualified Youth Leader to help out.
Length of Service/Position
- These programs occur throughout the year with a variety of groups
- You can sign up to volunteer with a specific group or come whenever you are available
- Example of a climbing program: Arrive half an hour early to be briefed on the program and help with any additional set up. When the group arrives we do a safety talk with them and get down to climbing (often we’ll have groups rotate through stations, so we don’t have too many youth climbing at once!) At the end of the program, we do a quick wrap-up, clean up, and then we are good to go home!
Qualifications Sought
We are seeking folks who are interested in teaching our future generations to love the outdoors! You do not need to have any prior experience with youth to volunteer for our Mountain Workshops. While we know that working with youth can feel like a daunting adventure to some, we will teach you any skills and give you pro tips on safely working with a variety of children.
Inspire youth of all backgrounds, race, and orientation to get outdoors and be stewards of our environment! You will help get youth who would not normally have the opportunity to go climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, or whatever activity we have planned, get to experience these activities for the first time!
We often look for folks who are willing to belay youth, and teach them how to climb. During our hiking programs, we look for folks who are interested in getting outdoors with us, and motivating youth while they are hiking! When we have first aid programs, we do look for folks who have experience teaching first aid.
Don’t know how to do any of these things? That’s not a problem! If you have the passion to work with youth, we can teach you the skills to help them love the outdoors.
How to apply
Email Emily Carraux at emilyc@mountaineers.org your outdoor interests, and days you are available. Also keep your eye on the website for youth programs you can volunteer at.
