About Us

Women’s Wilderness is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting girls, women and LGBTQ+ people in accessing their power and improving their health through connections to the outdoors and community. We exist at the intersection of social justice, health equity, environmental justice and outdoor education. With a 24-year history, Women’s Wilderness is a dynamic, committed non-profit seeking to grow its impact and scope of social change. 

Purpose of the Position

The Programs Intern works as logistical and administrative support, as well as field support for the Women’s Wilderness instructor team. This internship is an entry point into field instruction for wilderness programs for individuals excited to get into the outdoor guiding/education industry. This role gives interns an intimate understanding of the Women’s Wilderness Way while developing logistical, technical, interpersonal, risk management, and education skills. Interns will divide their time between office support and field instructional support. The Programs Intern will work with Senior Programs Support and the Program Director to prepare course folders and documentation, as well as support briefings and debriefs for programs going into the field. The Programs Intern will spend 50% of their time in the field. 

Core Accountabilities

1. Support Programs Team to implement programs [45%]

• Work with food and gear interns to support briefing and debriefs day as needed, including food packing and gear issue and de-issue 
• Complete office tasks to support overall program implementation, such as data entry, survey administration and filing staff paperwork
• Conduct vehicle checks and help with routine maintenance of vehicles
• Organize course paperwork both digitally and in folders for instructors teams 

2. Support Instructor Teams in the Field [50%]

• Work as an instructor-in-training on multiple 5-9 day wilderness based courses for girls and LGBTQ+ youth. Technical skill areas of development include hiking and camping, backpacking, rock climbing, camp craft skills, and risk management. 
• Lead and promote awareness of interpersonal and character development through teachable moments through group facilitation and individual connections
• Focus on building confidence, leadership, authenticity, and self-expression through new challenges, relationship-building, and self-reflection
• Learn how to manage risk in dynamic outdoor settings.  (Note that interns are not responsible for making major risk management decisions.)
• Engage with participants who come to Women’s Wilderness from different backgrounds and with different skill sets. Contribute to a safe and welcoming learning environment for all participants. 
• Be part of instructor team briefings and debriefings before courses leave and when they come back from the field. 

3. Women’s Wilderness Team Engagement [5%]

• Attend weekly team meetings when not in the field
• Participate in 1-on-1 meetings with supervisor regularly
• Participate in goal setting, feedback and evaluation activities
• Liaise with key staff across functions of this position

Job Type

Seasonal, internship

Location

Logistics work in Boulder, CO.  Field work in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico.

Compensation

$12.32/hour (Colorado Minimum Wage). $90/day daily rate while in the field

Experience, Skills and Attributes

Below are the skills, experiences and attributes that we are looking for as we evaluate applications.  Candidates don’t need to have all these experiences and competencies, but should be able to display strengths across multiple areas.

• Personal experience in the outdoors and basic camping and outdoor skills, basic knowledge of gear and food/meals in outdoor settings
• Passion for social justice, equity and the outdoors (required), experience working in social justice, equity, gender or sport/play (preferred)
• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team in a fast-paced, demanding environment
• Willingness to learn and to give and receive feedback, model self reflection and growth
• Ability to organize, budget, shop for, pack, and manage appropriate meals for large groups of people
• Ability to track and manage gear and food using Google / G Suite 
• Ability to lead groups, to serve as a role model for participants, and as a peer mentor for staff and interns
• Ability to work long hours during the high season when required
• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs. 
• Possess creative, dependable and industrious sensibilities
• Experience working with diverse and non-dominant populations (preferred)
• Experience with with logistics (preferred)
• Experience working in or studying physical health, mental health, environmental conservation or leadership development (preferred)

Attributes

• 21+ years old 
• A valid Driver’s License 
• Current CPR, WFA or WFR certifications (preferred, but not required)
• Available for a multi-day, overnight staff training in mid-May close to Boulder, CO
• Ability to work weekends and overnights during trips of up to 9 days

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work long days as needed for up to 12+ hours a day in the field, or possibly more in the case of an emergency 
• Ability to work a non-traditional schedule when needed (on issue/deissue days)
• Ability to work in all (and occasionally adverse) weather conditions outdoors
• Ability to carry equipment weighing up to 50 pounds 
• Ability to walk up to 10 miles a day with a 40 lb pack 

Values and Culture

The culture that we’ve created at Women’s Wilderness is a key piece of our success. The employees and volunteers that thrive at Women’s Wilderness  are expected to come to this work and community ready to live the values that we have co-created: 

• We believe ACCESS TO NATURE IS A RIGHT and being outdoors has transformative potential for us all.
• We WELCOME UNIQUE AND DIVERSE IDENTITIES, experiences, and ideas and rely on them to do our best work. 
• We COLLABORATE CONTINUOUSLY  in partnership and community.
• We LEAD from out front, from behind, but most importantly, from within. 
• We HUSTLE for ourselves and for each other  — and after the hustle, we celebrate. 
• We EVOLVE AND ADAPT individually and collectively in the face of our dynamic world. 

To apply for this position, please fill out the Intern Application Form. 

Women’s Wilderness is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We don’t just accept differences — we celebrate, support and thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, our programs, and our community. We are proud to be an affirmative action employer, committed to diversity, equity and inclusion of ALL people in our hiring and employment practices. We encourage applications from people who are typically underrepresented in the outdoors, based on race, ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, etc.