Adventure Treks Instructor orientation begins today. We’ve been waiting a long time! As I write this, 63 Adventure Treks instructors are converging from across the country and around the world to our base camp in southern Washington State to begin 7 days of instructor orientation. This will be followed by another 5-8 days of orientation within their smaller instructor teams as they scout their trip destinations and learn all about their students. (we will also have a much smaller orientation in late June for instructors with trips beginning in early July)
When our new instructors arrive, we treat them just as we treat our new students. We will eat the same “Yahoo Dinner”, operate under the same safety procedures, share the same outdoor systems, and even play many of the same games. We want instructors to be able to empathize with our new students and want our instructors to feel the same magic of the Adventure Treks community that our students will.
We are excited to see our instructors. Their average age is 27; over seventy percent have been with us previously. They average over 3.5 years of Adventure Treks experience each
We just completed five days of leadership team orientation near Mt Hood, Oregon. Here our trip leaders and regional directors (20 of us) shared their years of outdoor and Adventure Treks wisdom to elevate all of our abilities to operate that elusive “perfect” trip. From trends in youth development, to the latest outdoor research to techniques geared to improve our leading and management skills to an organizational safety review, we all improved our skills as we prepare to meet our instructors and students and facilitate the best possible experience for them.
The average member of our leadership team is 29 years old with an average of 6.2 years of Adventure Treks specific experience. We are proud to have the most mature and experienced team of any program we know of. There is a lot of excitement here. An impressive group of people are coming together to meet your child. It’s all about creating an incredible and indelible adventure for your child. We want it to be a lot of fun. Kids need a break from their hectic lives. But we also want it to be a significant learning and growing experience. More than ever before, the benefits of time spent outdoors can have a huge impact on the growth, development and perspective of a young adult.
Got to go – it’s time to welcome our new instructors! I am excited!
Best, Dock