From WildWiki

Contents 1 WILDERNESS PROGRAM AREA DESCRIPTIONS: 1.1 August Wilderness 1.2 Adventure Courses 1.3 Challenge Education 1.4 Academic Courses 1.5 Outdoors Club 2 WILDERNESS PROGRAM- STAFF HIRING, TRAINING, AND BENEFITS 2.1 Hiring Process 2.2 Training Requirements 2.3 Benefits 3 EXPECTATIONS OF ALL WILDERNESS PROGRAM STAFF 3.1 Teaching: 3.2 Equipment: 3.3 Community: 3.4 Safety: 3.5 Leadership: 3.6 Employment:

WILDERNESS PROGRAM AREA DESCRIPTIONS:

August Wilderness

This summer orientation program is a perfect way to start your Earlham career. It is a 24-day wilderness expedition, led by a team of faculty and upper-class students, that takes place in the mountains of northern Utah or the Canadian lake country. Academic credit is earned as well as skills, friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Adventure Courses

Through the Athletic, Wellness and Physical Education program (AWPE), the Wilderness Program offers a wide variety of trips and workshops to enhance your outdoor skills and experiences. Previous semester courses have included rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, canoeing, and skiing.

Challenge Education

Our most recent program addition, Challenge Education incorporates an extensive high and low ropes course in addition to a state of the art indoor climbing wall. The program works with adult and school groups both on and off-campus. Students have the opportunity to hone their teaching and group skills by working with Challenge Education guiding groups as a facilitator.

Academic Courses

Through the Education program, students can take courses in Outdoor Trip Leadership, Wilderness Ethics, Outdoor Education, Experiential Education, and Wilderness First Aid and Emergency Care leading toward a minor in Outdoor Education. Past students have also self-designed majors in outdoor, experiential, and environmental education.

Outdoors Club

Opportunities for leadership and trip organizing abound with the student-run Outdoors Club. Managed and directed by students, the Outdoors Club offers several trips and activities per semester. Recent trips have included whitewater canoeing in Big Bend, TX, backpacking in the Red River Gorge, KY, flat water canoeing in the Everglades, FL, and caving trips in southern Indiana.

WILDERNESS PROGRAM- STAFF HIRING, TRAINING, AND BENEFITS

Hiring Process

How does one get hired to work for the Wilderness Program? The first step is to complete an application and reference form and submit it to the office. We then may request an interview or additional references. At this point, you will either be accepted or denied. If you are accepted, this does not guarantee that you will be placed on any programs.

For more information regarding applying and hiring, visit our Work for Wildstaff page.

Once accepted to the program, the following progression applies to AWPE courses

Role...................................... Requirements

Support/Shadow.................Outdoor Trip Leader Course or approved equivalent

Assistant Instructor.............All of the above plus CPR/ 1st aid, Support/Shadow one course or approved equivalent

Lead Instructor....................All of the above plus Attend One Skill Specific training, Assistant Instructor for at least one course or approved equivalent

Training Requirements

All positions have training requirements. Some are more extensive than others. Below is a list of requirements for each area:

All Staff…………….. First Aid and CPR (Adult)

Climbing Wall …......First Aid and CPR, plus belay certification

AWPE ………………First Aid and CPR, plus skill specific training as needed

Challenge Ed……….First Aid and CPR, plus low and high ropes qualifications

August Wilderness… Wilderness First Responder & the Wilderness Instructors Course

Benefits

All staff have several additional benefits associated with working for the Wilderness Program. The Professional Development Fund (PDF) is open to all staff and is designed toward getting staff more experience in the field. Staff can apply for small grants to take additional trainings, go on personal trips, or attend conferences. Staff are also permitted to “rent” equipment from the gear room free of charge (following normal procedures and equipment use guidelines). Finally, staff have th===e opportunity to buy outdoor gear through our program pro-deals with companies like Patagonia, Black Diamond, Lowe, Climb High, NRS, and others at the discretion of the Wilderness Director.

EXPECTATIONS OF ALL WILDERNESS PROGRAM STAFF

As a staff member for the Wilderness Program you are a professional educator. You carry the burden and honor of being a role model. You are responsible for the care and safety of your students—sometimes in remote, wilderness settings. Your actions reflect on your own abilities as a teacher/leader, the Wilderness Program, and Earlham College. This is a fun job, but one that carries with it enormous responsibility and high expectations.

Teaching:

Many courses (August Wilderness, AWPE’s) are college-approved courses. Other program areas (Challenge Ed., Climbing Wall) also involve significant teaching and student interaction. As such, staff are expected to prepare and deliver educational materials and content in a professional manner. Objectives must be clear, written lesson plans should be developed, and student work should be properly assessed and graded.

Equipment:

Equipment must be organized, used, and maintained in impeccable fashion. Attention must also be paid to effective course logistics and organization. How we use and care for equipment sends a message about how we operate as a program. Staff are expected to be role models to their students in this regard.

Community:

Staff are expected to be exceptional role models in every regard. You are in a servant role, doing everything possible to care for and assist with the student experience. This is not your experience. Staff are also expected to model effective and healthy communication skills and put the team above individual interests.

Safety:

Staff must maintain the highest standards of safety, judgment, and decision-making. Staff should lead only to the level that they have been trained and have experience with. Staff should strictly observe all emergency and safety protocols and adhere to proper documentation guidelines.

Leadership:

Staff are also expected to practice rotational and situational leadership—allowing their co-leaders (and students) to lead when appropriate. Finally, staff are not expected to be super-leaders—learning from mistakes, dealing with personal limitations, and receiving feedback are all part of being an effective leader.

Employment:

Staff are expected to attend all required meetings—or, in the case of off-campus staff—staff are expected to maintain regular communication by phone or email. Every effort must be made to keep deadlines and deliver promised work on time. Finally, as a staff member for Earlham College, staff should to adhere to the rules and regulations of the College as it relates to employment.