Adventure Treks 2019 instructor orientation is in full swing just outside Portland, OR. I’m proud to be a part of the group of mentors who train our new instructors. The energy is fantastic, and every single instructor brings significant experience and genuine passion to the table.
After a five-day retreat for our senior staff near Mt. Hood, 60 of our instructors have gathered at our Washington basecamp for our seven-day all-staff orientation. This will be followed by another week where our instructor teams explore their specific regions, build their staff community, and prepare for their students’ arrival.
What do we cover during staff orientation? Besides strengthening our instructor community, we apply leadership theory, current child psychology, and even neuroscience to Adventure Treks’ philosophy. We review safety, first aid, and the policies and procedures that lead to successful trips. We discuss tips and tricks to make backpacking more fun, discover new and creative ways to add the “wow,” and go over the many small details that make our trips unique. We talk about parent expectations, community-building, the effects of technology on kids, and the high standards to which we hold our staff. With such a tremendous brain trust of returning instructors, we share our previous experiences as our more experienced instructors mentor our newer staff to help us provide consistent experiences across the map. Together, all of this helps make every trip exceptional.
We thought you might like to meet some of our senior staff in the video below. (You can read more about this group here.)