The Road Less Traveled

Hiring:

The mission of The Road Less Traveled is to facilitate life-changing experiences that foster personal growth in those who travel with us. Through travel to new places, meaningful service, and stewardship of the natural world, it is our vision to provide young people with the skills and connections to help make the world a better place.

The Road Less Traveled offers two field leader positions: Trip Leader and Intern. Trip Leaders guide and engage participants in service-learning projects, language immersion programs, backpacking, rock climbing, biking, kayaking, trekking, scuba diving, whitewater rafting, and more from June through August. Trip Leaders must be 21 by June 17, 2024 and WFR certified prior to the beginning of staff training on June 3, 2024; Interns are graduates of The Road Less Traveled programs that are at least one year removed from high school.

The Road Less Traveled offers both domestic and international trips. New in 2024 are trips to Bali, Cambodia, Italy, Laos and Puerto Rico! Check out www.theroadlesstraveled.com to see all of the travel destinations. If you are interested in being a Trip Leader or Intern, we recommend that you apply here!

Job Qualifications:

The following are characteristics/qualifications that each staff person is expected to match regardless of position:

Experience: Previous experience working with and/or teaching young people age ranging in age between 12-19 is mandatory. Additional knowledge of and experience in group dynamics, teaching or facilitating groups, supervision of meal planning, food preparation, risk management, and/or managing logistics is a plus.

Skills: We are looking for staff that are knowledgeable in any or all of the following: Language Immersion, Service-Learning Projects, Backpacking, Camping, Rock Climbing, Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking, Scuba Diving, Biking. 

Maturity: Must be 21 years of age by June 1st and possess the mature judgment necessary for the ongoing demands and safety requirements of the program.

Confidence: Self-assurance is required to live and relate with adolescents and other leaders in close-knit situations.

Personality/Motivation: Must be self-motivated and act as a role model, possessing personality characteristics that will accelerate and maintain a healthy rapport with participants and other staff.

Flexibility/Patience/Organization: Must have the patience to respond to stress, crisis, change, and non-glamorous tasks in positive and productive ways at all times. Must have the ability to organize and assure a smooth flow of activities.

Current unrestricted drivers license: Applicants should have no major convictions including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, hit and run, homicide or assault with a motor vehicle, drag racing, operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, license suspended, or revoked within the previous seven-year period for accidents and/or moving violations. Driving records should reflect no more than three moving violations and/or chargeable accidents during the previous seven years. Experience or willingness and ability to learn to drive a 15-passenger van is a requirement for domestic trips. Some international trips require the ability and knowledge for driving manual (stick shift) vehicles.

Certifications:

Current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or Wilderness EMT certification: Wilderness First Responder is an 80-hour nationally recognized curriculum that includes standards for urban and extended care situations. This course is offered all over the U.S. by a number of companies. SOLO, WMI, WMA, and Aerie are all great companies that offer this course. You must have at minimum a Wilderness First Responder certification by the beginning of staff training. If you are not certified prior to becoming employed by The Road Less Traveled, you have the opportunity to be reimbursed for the course cost (up to $750) upon successful completion of a summer season.

PLEASE NOTE: Though WFR curriculums taught by the above companies are very similar, there are differences in vocabulary at times. The Road Less Traveled has adopted NOLS WMI terminology. It will be used at Staff Training for review of skills. If you do not take your course with NOLS WMI, we expect you to compare and familiarize yourself with this specific terminology here. In particular, we have found the AVPU Scale vs. A+O (1-4) causes confusion for those certified outside of WMI NOLS. 

Lifeguard certification: This is a strongly recommended certification for all staff due to the high number of programs that include water-based activities. If you are not certified prior to becoming employed by The Road Less Traveled, you have the opportunity to be reimbursed for the course cost (up to $150) upon successful completion of a summer season.

Swiftwater Rescue or Scuba Diving certifications: These are preferred certifications but not mandatory.

Additional Information About The Road Less Traveled

Leaders begin their summer with ten days of paid staff training in Hayward, WI where they will work with our director team, training team and returning & new staff members to get ready for the summer. From there, all of our trip leaders will depart for their destinations where they will lead and engage participants in service-learning projects, language immersion programs, backpacking, rock climbing, biking, kayaking, trekking, SCUBA diving, whitewater rafting, and more. Dates of employment can range anywhere from early-June to the end of July or the middle of August, depending on trip assignments. Trip Leaders may lead one, two, or possibly three sessions of a program over the course of a summer. All trip assignments are determined closer to the summer time (late April/early May).

The Benefits:

When you work with RLT, all food, lodging, transportation, and activity costs from the time you arrive at staff training through the end of your trip are included. We provide stipends for Wilderness First Responder and Lifeguard certifications. We also offer pro-deals on outdoor equipment from a variety of well-known manufacturers. Salaries are based on qualifications and experience, and vary based on the number of trips/days worked. A first year Trip Leader typically can take home somewhere between $3000-4000 over the course of the summer if they lead 2-3 programs.