Our Trip Leaders | ARCC Programs

“The leaders were awesome—completely professional, fun and reassuring.”

—Parent of John T., Seattle, WA

MEET OUR LEADERS

ARCC Trip Leaders are exceptional people of extraordinary character and experience. They are enthusiastic about serving others, travel, adventure, and most importantly, helping teenagers thrive. A job at ARCC is a coveted position. As a result, we are able to handpick experienced, energetic, fun, capable and mature individuals to lead our programs. Our extremely competitive hiring process ensures ARCC students receive the finest quality leadership in the industry. ARCC Trip Leaders inspire, motivate, and set a positive example that lasts far beyond the summer’s end.

Program Leadership

ARCC boasts over a fifty percent return rate for staff. Ranging from 21-32 years old, and averaging 24 years, our leaders have extensive experience in team leading, service learning, teaching, and international travel. Each ARCC program is led by one male and one female Trip Leader. Trip Leaders are selected from hundreds of highly qualified applicants and trained extensively by ARCC. In addition to these Trip Leaders, we also enlist professional outfitters for our adventure activities such as rafting, surfing, sailing and SCUBA diving.

Trip Leader Selection

ARCC’s outstanding reputation in the industry brings us hundreds of staff applications each year. We take careful steps to ensure we hire leaders with extraordinary character and experience. We only hire new leaders after they participate in a multi-stage interview/hiring process; this process includes a detailed application, multiple reference checks and a series of in-depth interviews. In addition, all leaders must pass rigorous background checks in order to work for ARCC. New leaders are not put onto programs until they also successfully complete ARCC’s intensive 8-day Staff Training under the scrutiny of Full Time and seasoned Field Staff members.

Leader Training

ARCC’s comprehensive Staff Training sets the industry standard and is the prototype for many similar programs. Each ARCC leader has at least 80 hours of Emergency Wilderness Medicine training and must be WFR or EMT certified. In addition to the extensive experience our leaders already bring to ARCC, they are also required to attend our sweeping 8-day Staff Training focusing on trip safety, group dynamics, logistics, leadership, communications, protocols and emergency procedures. This eight day training is followed by two to three additional days of focused trip preparation. In sum, our leaders are required to have at least 20 days of training prior to leading a program for ARCC.