Leader Application Process

Cascades Adventures offers outdoor and adventure programs to the Cascades Campus community, by providing professional quality leaders and facilitators. Cascades Adventures maintains a professional demeanor through its rigorous leader application process and thorough policies and procedures. It is our intent to offer supportive, fun, challenging, and rewarding programs, while providing the opportunity for Cascade campus members to gather valuable and pertinent experiences for their own leadership development.

The Cascades Adventures leader application resembles a typical process of evaluating and assessing valid trip leaders, while offering a forum for feedback and development of necessary hard, soft, and Meta skills.

Listed below are the necessary steps toward approval of a trip leader for general trips. The specifics of each activity and the requirements of a trip leader are covered in the policies and procedures manual, and also during the skills assessment and leader evaluation.

1) Each trip leader should complete a professional resume and the leader experience evaluation forms for the pertinent activities prior to continuing with the application process. The Cascade Adventures coordinator, to assure proper and relevant previous experience, will review these. From this juncture, a plan to continue with the application or to develop a training / practice schedule will be discussed. Candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their relevant experience, since CA will offer trainings and practice sessions. A surplus of candidates with a need for specific skills practice and experience will facilitate more frequent opportunities for training outings.

2) The medical history and conditions of volunteer service are necessary for all leaders (head and assistant) and can be completed at any time.

3) Provide a list of current certifications, provided by relevant organizations. This includes medical and any outdoor related certifications (ACA, PSIA, AMGA, etc.). Be certain to list the id or membership number as well as the date and location of the certification issuance, and the name of the certifying organization and their contact numbers. Previous certifications are not necessary, but may expedite the assessment and evaluation process.

4) Skills assessment and leader evaluation: this process includes the review of the applicant’s leader experience evaluation forms, followed, if appropriate, by an assessment of necessary skills for specific activities. Assessments are dependent upon the availability of evaluators. This will be the lengthiest process, as applicants may develop at a faster rate than evaluators can possibly assess. For applicants who do not possess the necessary skills or experience, CA will be offering training outings, facilitated by trip leaders with the intent of offering opportunities for valid and relevant experience.