Instructor, Big City Mountaineers
Seasonal, Summer 2013
(Colorado, California, Washington, Minnesota)
The mission of Big City Mountaineers is to instill critical life skills in under-served urban youth through transformative wilderness mentoring expeditions. Big City Mountaineers does this in partnership with a vibrant network of youth agencies and adult volunteer mentors, and delivers a proven youth development curriculum that strengthens assets and skills in its young people.
As a BCM Instructor, you will be responsible for leading a backpacking or canoeing expedition of a single gender group of 5 teens, a staff member from a partnering youth agency, and 2-3 volunteers on a weeklong wilderness expedition. This is likely the first backcountry experience for the teens and youth agency leader, and while BCM volunteers often have previous backcountry and/or youth experience, it is not a requirement.
Course areas are Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, Olympics, and Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Current CPR plus WFR or WEMT
• Minimum of 6 weeks (42 days) of documented multi-day, wilderness-based outdoor leadership experience
• Personal outdoor experience
• Pass background and MVR check
• Valid driver’s license
• At least 23 years old
• Priority given to Instructors willing and able to instruct two or more summer expeditions
• Two professional letters of recommendation including skills evaluation checklist
• Documented experience in at least one of the following youth development areas:
o Experiential education and facilitation
o Mentoring with teen-aged youth (prefer experience with urban, at-risk adolescents)
o Teaching (prefer experience with teen-aged adolescents)
• Documented experience in the following outdoor program areas:
o Wilderness travel: navigation, map and compass, route selection, river crossings, off-trail travel
o Wilderness camping: LNT, cooking/camp stove use
o Group development: group process, behavior management, mentoring, teambuilding
o Risk management
o Health and Safety management
o For backpacking trips—mountain hazard evaluation: terrain, weather, environmental, etc.
• FOR BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA EXPEDITIONS:
o Lake hazard evaluation, flat water paddling and portaging skills, T and self-rescue, convoy travel
o Prior BWCA paddling experience (prefer three or more multi-day trips)
BCM INSTRUCTOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The BCM Instructor leads and manages all aspects of the expedition while creating a collaborative and inclusive environment that fosters youth development and learning. The instructor is responsible for managing risk and safety, adherence to policy and procedures, and quality delivery of the curriculum. BCM expeditions take place in remote settings, and communication and consultation with administrative and program staff is not always possible. In order to provide for the physical and emotional well-being of expedition participants, Instructors must be prepared to make decisions affecting all aspects of their expedition including but not limited to:
• itinerary and/or route changes
• behavior management
• youth development practices
While BCM expressly encourages group decision making, the instructor is ultimately responsible for all field decisions.
Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Content
• Ensure that team members and youth organization participants are thoroughly prepared for their BCM expeditions through information sessions, orientations, and other pre-trip activities.
• Instruct and facilitate using BCM curriculum
Logistics
• Coordinate all pre and post expedition logistics, including: communications, scheduling, travel arrangements, gear issue and de-issue, and managing the expedition budget and expense report.
• Complete all BCM expedition reporting and other paperwork
Quality
• Participate in all pre-expedition trainings
• Participate in a post-expedition debrief with BCM program staff
• Ensure expedition effectiveness by:
o Facilitating group goals
o Assigning and managing adult team member roles and responsibilities
o Establishing and managing expectations for adult team members and teen participants
• Evaluate adult team member performance
Risk Management
• Follow BCM policies and procedures
• Mitigate and manage risk, health, and safety according to industry standard best practices
Compensation
• Commensurate with experience
Expeditions are Summer 2013
To apply for an Instructor position, please contact Mary Jackson (mary@bigcitymountaineers.org [1] or call 303-271-9200, x304) for an application packet.
www.bigcitymountaineers.org