Many people jump through the hoops. They get a few certifications, they build their outdoor resume and then they try to make the transition. They try to transition from the traditional workplace to a career in the outdoors.
This can be a very difficult transition.
It’s difficult for several reasons. First, how do you get a job in the outdoors? And if you’re lucky enough to get one, how do you hold onto it? Second, how do you build your brand? How do you grow your student base? Third, how do you manage the problematic assignments you receive? How are you going to deal with it if you’re thrust into the difficult position of planning something completely and totally new.
Professionalism for the outdoor educator isn’t just wearing the right clothes or saying the right thing to impress the right person. It’s the ability to create an aura of respectability and trust around oneself all the time.
The American Alpine Institute Professionalism for the Outdoor Educator program is a five-day program that sends time both in the classroom and in the field, allowing prospective outdoor educators to look behind the curtains and to see what goes into making a job in the outdoors into a career.
Students who complete this course will have the following:
- Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor Certification
- Outdoor Resume
- Personal Marketing Plan
- Interview Skills
- Ability to build a tour plan
- Analog map and compass skills
- Digital map and compass skills
- Field electronics skills
- Ability to develop a marketable trip
Curriculum
