Becoming an Expedition Instructor
Outdoor Leadership Series
Interested in Outdoor Leadership? Would you like to learn leadership skills applicable in a variety of fields? Think you might like to lead trips for Carolina Outdoor Education Center (COEC)? This series of six workshops will construct a philosophical background of experiential education and teach the technical skills necessary to competently lead others in the wilderness. You will learn how to create a safe learning environment and challenge a group without pushing them past their limits. You will have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to effectively manage conflict and facilitate a group’s development through adversity. Upon successful completion of the series, participants will receive a certificate of completion and will be eligible to apply to lead trips for COEC Expedition Program.
Those who go on to work for the Expedition Program will receive a full refund for their Outdoor Leadership Series registration fees. Those interested in taking the series but not planning to work for Carolina Outdoor Education Center may register for all or part of the workshops. Register at the Campus Recreation Office located in 101 SRC. You can pay with cash or your One Card. Workshops will be held at the Outdoor Education Center and are only offered during the beginning of the spring semester.
| JANUARY-FEBRUARY |
| Jan 20 |
Map & Compass Pre-Series Briefing
We will plan the Map & Compass Workshop including departure times, menu and goals. Those interested in going on to become Expedition Instructors will be invited to stay after to discuss the selection process.
Meeting Location: COEC |
| Jan 23 |
Map & Compass Workshop ~ Eno River
This daytrip will teach participants to read the land and navigate using compass bearing and contour maps rather than relying on signs or trails.
• Contour maps
• The Compass
• Shooting bearings and “leapfrogging”
• Off trail navigation
Fee: $24 |
| Jan 27 |
Packs, Shelters & Knots
This workshop is designed to empower participants with the technical knowledge to properly select appropriate packs and shelters, maximize their equipments’ potential, and improvise safe and effective field repairs of that equipment using simple techniques and supplies they have on hand.
• Fitting, adjusting and packing internal frame backpacks
• 3-season versus 4-season tents
• Tarps
• Knots
• Field repairs
• Staying found
Meeting Location: COEC
Fee: $8 |
| Jan 30 |
Experiential Leadership I
What is experiential education? How can we create an environment for experiential learning to take place? This interactive workshop discusses key philosophers and foundational concepts of experiential education and gives leaders the tools to frame an experience, monitor the group during the experience and effectively transfer the learning back into everyday life.
• Kurt Hahn and Outward Bound
• Paul Petzoldt and the National Outdoor Leadership School
• Aldo Leopold and “Landlessness”
• The “stretch” zone
• Challenge by choice
• Activity sequencing
• Debriefing and processing
Meeting Location: COEC
Fee: $12 |
| Feb 3 |
Backcountry Cooking
Most backcountry injuries occur in the kitchen. This workshop focuses on kitchen safety while demonstrating how to turn basic ingredients into memorable backcountry feasts using a variety of cooking methods.
• Kitchen Safety
• Stoves
• Technique
• Backcountry Menu
Meeting Location: COEC
Fee: $12 |
| Feb 6 |
Experiential Leadership II
Why do some groups function at a high level while others seem to struggle just to get along? This workshop will help you identify and develop your personal leadership style, understand groups in order to maximize your effectiveness as a leader and use conflict as a powerful tool for group development.
• Stages of group development
• Setting group goals and the Full-Value Contract
• Listening and communication skills
• Situational leadership
• Conflict resolution
Meeting Location: COEC
Fee: $12 |
| Feb 10 |
Safety Management
This seminar is designed to make instructors familiar with the causes of accidents in the wilderness and how effective pre-planning can prevent them.
• Environmental hazards
• Human factor hazards
• Accident Potential
• Risk Management Planning
• Acknowledgment of risks
• Liability
• Scenarios
Meeting Location: COEC
Fee: $8 |
Staff Training Expedition: (March 2010)
This trip serves as an essential staff bonding experience. This trip also allows us to hone our skills going into the busy summer and gives us a chance to learn from one another as we take turns leading activities and sharing favorite tricks of the trade. We also use this as an opportunity to familiarize everyone with the course area we will be using for the coming summer’s WAFFYS trips.
Special Skill Areas
Trips involving more specialized activities such as winter trips, rock climbing, sea kayaking require additional training, experience and/or certification.
First Aid
Instructors are responsible for maintaining their first-aid certifications by attending courses that fit their schedule. Assistant Instructors are required to have Standard First-Aid & CPR and Lead
Instructors are required to have their Wilderness First Responder (72 hours). Instructors are reimbursed for half of their tuition for first aid courses.
Skill Evaluation
Our goal is to create qualified outdoor leaders capable of successfully leading and facilitating groups on multi-day wilderness trips. Apprentices are evaluated at various stages throughout the training process to assess the level of their skill development. The Apprenticeship gives new Instructors the opportunity to experiment with the instructor role, without being the primary person responsible for the trip. Once Apprentices are comfortable with the additional responsibility of instructing and have demonstrated a minimum level of competency, they become paid Assistant Instructors. Assistant Instructors assist in all aspects of leading a trip and actively work to develop their judgment and mastery of the art of trip leading. Lead Instructors are directly responsible for the quality and safety of an expedition. In addition to leading the trip itself, Lead Instructors are responsible for in-the-field training of Apprentices and Assistant Instructors. In order to make it to the level of Lead Instructor, it is important that new staff are able to commit at least two years to the program.
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