The Leadership Program is a paid training experience that provides youth with opportunities to develop leadership skills and explore the outdoors. Participants of The Leadership Program will experience a wide variety of outdoor activities and engage with their communities as advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors. Find out more!
The Leadership Program, based in San Diego, CA, is an 8-week training program which provides under-represented young adults, ages 16 - 20, with opportunities to develop leadership skills, gain valuable work experience, earn a paycheck, and explore the outdoors.
Participants of the Leadership Program will be able to experience a wide variety of outdoor activities and open spaces, practice hands-on technical skills in a professional setting, engage with their communities as advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors, and explore a wide variety of career and networking opportunities with industry leaders such as the California Outdoor Recreation Partnership (CORP), Joshua Tree National Park, Mesa Rim Climbing, PRana, HOKA ONE ONE, and the CA State Parks Foundation.
This program is composed of both outdoor, and workshop based, hands-on learning experiences with an emphasis on civic engagement and leadership skills.
Accepted participants will engage in, and learn how to instruct, a range of outdoor recreation activities in a variety of parks, beaches, and open space areas within San Diego and throughout California. These activities include, but are not limited to, rock climbing, surfing, paddleboarding, mountain biking, environmental stewardship work, kayaking, camping, snorkeling, hiking, and backpacking!
Outdoor Outreach will provide all necessary gear and instruction for outdoor activities.
Previous experience with the activities listed (above) is not required of participants.
Past graduates have used this experiential experience to secure jobs in the outdoor industry, as well as to strengthen their candidacy for academic and work opportunities.
This is a paid-training experience. Applicants must go through a formal interview process and, once accepted, have the opportunity to have earned up to $1,000 in stipends upon graduation of the program.
