| Purpose
The internship is intended to provide the intern with a variety of experiences in the field of Outdoor Education such that he or she may develop skill, understanding and passion for working with children, youth and adults in the outdoor setting. Specifically, the internship is designed to provide the intern with skills and experience in working with children, youth and adults in group facilitation and leadership development. The intern will receive training in low and high ropes operation, management and facilitation, teambuilding facilitation and debriefing, waterfront and boating operations, nature and science curriculum development, staff training procedures, teaching skills and sequencing, and marketing/promotion development. The intern will gain hands-on experiences that may be applied to the operation of similar programs elsewhere.
Qualifications and Requirements for the Training Plan
The intern must have interest and established skill in working with children, youth and adults. The intern must be confident, reliable, punctual and safety-oriented. Specific outdoor skills are not required but are learned through trainings during the internship.
Skills Gained as a Result of the Training
The intern will gain skills as mentioned in working with children, youth and adults in the outdoor setting. The intern will also be further trained in challenge course facilitation, including teambuilding and belaying skills. The intern will continue to learn teaching skills, behavior management skills and age group characteristics through working with schools and youth groups of various ages, as well as occasional adult groups. The intern will gain experience through observation and shadowing senior staff in all aspects of our Outdoor Center programs. This training will allow the intern to observe then practically apply activities aimed at improving peer relationships, developing leadership skills and activity-specific skills in youth and adults alike. This training will ultimately allow the trainee to run teambuilding, low ropes and high ropes programs in other settings.
Classroom training, seminars and workshops the Intern will receive
- American Red Cross CPR-First Aid Training
- Outdoor Center Instructor Training
- Outdoor Center Staff Policies
- Outdoor Center Child Abuse Prevention Training
- Belay Training I, II, III
- Low Ropes Facilitation Training I, II
- Boating Skills
- Sensitive Issues and Bullying; Conflict Resolution
- Age Dynamics
- Lesson Preparation and Facilitation
Conferences the Intern will attend
- This internship does not include any off-site conferences
Departments through which the Intern will rotate
- Berkshire Outdoor Center
- Camp Becket or Chimney Corners Camp
- Development and Alumni Relations
- Becket Food Service
Supervision of the Intern
The Outdoor Center Director will have overall responsibility of supervising the intern. The intern will also be supervised by two Outdoor Center Program Directors. Senior Program Instructors will serve as mentors.
The supervisory structure will include:
- A Weekly, scheduled 1-on-1 meeting
- Immediately following the trainee's rotations in other departments, the Outdoor Center Director will meet with the department supervisor to assess performance.
- A final written report by the Outdoor Center Director summarizing the intern’s gained experiences and level of performance.
Evaluation of the Internship
Within the intern’s first week, we will establish a set of goals and objectives in each skill area. Our weekly meetings - and the intern’s final report - will be used to assess progress. As needed, corrective action will be designed and implemented.
Required Reading Prior to Traineeship
1. Quicksilver, 2003 - Karl Rohnke & Steve Butler
http://www.amazon.com/Quicksilver-Karl-Rohnke/dp/0787221031/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-3458594-3712648?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175880810&sr=1-2
2. Ishmael, 1995 - Daniel Quinn
http://www.amazon.com/Ishmael-Adventure-Spirit-Daniel-Quinn/dp/0553375407/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-3458594-3712648?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175881198&sr=1-2
3. A Sand County Almanac, 1986 - Aldo Leopold
http://www.amazon.com/County-Almanac-Outdoor-Essays-Reflections/dp/0345345053/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-3458594-3712648?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175881818&sr=1-2
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