Youth ranging from 10th-12th grade can participate. Member placement for the Outdoor Leaders program is NOT first come first served. While we wish we could serve members from all over the world, we must prioritize applicants from counties in Northwest Colorado. If spaces are still available as program sessions near, we will reach out to applicants applying from different locations. Placement is then based on quality of the application, genuine interest in the nature of the program, and attendance to an information session.

The Outdoor Leader program is 4-weeks long. Youth are paid a stipend of $1455.36 for the session. The first 3 weeks rin Monday-Thursday 8 hours/day of service, Friday/Saturday/Sunday - showers, laundry, groceries, basic recreation to recharge. During week four, youth begin a backpacking expedition, returning on Friday, July 3, and Friday, August 7, for the parent pickup/ceremony at 3 pm.

The session is 4-weeks long - beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Thursday. See program dates. Arrival time for the first day of the session will be communicated by email along with packing lists, crew leader information and other session-specific information. The first three weeks of the session are structured as such: Monday-Thursday: 8 hours/day of conservation service projects (paid) Friday-Sunday: showers, laundry, grocery shopping, light recreational activities such as swimming or day hiking. Week Four: Backpacking expedition. Location TBD (dependent on project locations, availability, etc). Members can expect to hike between 3 and 7 miles per day and camp in the backcountry with their crew members, adult leaders, and additional administrative staff support. On the last day of the session, there will be a closing award ceremony with parents at Noon. Expect to be on the road leaving the program by 1pm on the last day of the session.

For each session, the program team will send a Session Specific Information email one month to two weeks out from the start date of the session. This email will contain the following information: pick up and drop off location times, project specifics, crew leader details(phone numbers, bios), packing list, our emergency call line information, reminders about I-9 documents, and other pertinent information.

No experience is required. RMYC provides any necessary training to get you comfortable with the lifestyle and project work. We just ask you to have a passion for the outdoors and that don’t mind hard work! Many people experience an adjustment period in their first days while getting used to living outdoors and doing manual labor which can be slightly uncomfortable. Still, most people adjust quickly and grow to enjoy crew life immensely. Our crews are made of people with vastly different experience levels, so don’t let previous experience deter you!

No! We encourage anyone interested in learning more about camping, a career in the outdoors, working on a team, serving the environment and local communities, or looking for a fun and rewarding summer job to apply!

Lifelong friends, belonging to a community, amazing experiences, a chance to explore Colorado, an opportunity to give back, confidence in the outdoors, a sense of land stewardship, leadership opportunities, self-efficacy, professional development, and so much more!

Pick-up and drop-off locations will be EITHER at our RMYC headquarters at 991 Captain Jack Drive, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 OR the Steamboat Springs Transit Center located at 1505 Lincoln Ave. You will receive specific pickup and drop off instructions in the email sent prior to your session.

Do we?

We want participants to be present for the entire program. We understand that appointments and other obligations happen and we will accommodate on a case by case basis.

Applications will open in two or three batches (depending on availability). 1. All youth wishing to join the program MUST attend a virtual info session to become placed on a crew. Parents may join as well. If unable to attend a Zoom session for other obligations, applicants must reach out to schedule an individual interview. 2. After you attend a session or interview your application will advance to the next round for consideration. We’ll conduct multiple rounds of hiring, so even if you’re not placed initially, there may still be opportunities! 3. Applicants who are placed on a crew will receive an offer letter, you must respond to the offer letter within two weeks or your application will move onto the waitlist. 4. Once we receive the onboarding packet, medical, and demographic forms, Youth are officially signed up for their session. Youth and parents/guardians can expect a session-specific email with Crew Leader information, project details, pick-up and drop-off information, and other pertinent information two weeks to a month before the session starts.

Being around people all the time is simultaneously the best and hardest part of this experience. The connections forged on our crews are deep and meaningful and can be hard to recreate outside this setting, but alone time and independence are often put on the back burner for group priorities. We always put the group first, and that involves compromise and tolerance of others. Members are pushed out of their comfort zones with group dynamics, living arrangements, and the physical nature of the work. People also often say that the remote nature of our season can make staying in consistent contact with their support systems a challenge.

If you have any prescription medication that you need to take throughout the season, please speak with your doctor to see if you can make sure to have enough while on crew. It is generally advisable that if you are on medication regularly for any reason, you consult your prescribing physician and explain to them the extreme rigors of the experience you will be embarking on before you choose to change, begin new, or quit using any regiment of medication. Any adjustment to your usual self care (medically) should be approached with extreme caution and consultation when living and working in back country settings, often far from your normal physician, not to mention medical facilities in general (at times).

Showers are provided by RMYC to crews who operate on a 24/7 camping model. Showers happen once a week and all other times, everyone is stinky and dirty together. Crews utilize the many recreation centers in small towns across the Rockies to access showers which are paid for by RMYC. Occasionally project partners allow us access to shower facilities, and that is an option as well. Bathrooms are generally available in the frontcountry, and we follow Leave No Trace (https://lnt.org/)principles while we are camping. Group campsites call for latrines, and on the worksite, we utilize cat holes. Learn more about waste disposal here.(https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/dispose-of-waste-properly/)

Yes! We have tents available to borrow and we provide tents for the backpacking expedition. We have sleeping bags and sleeping pads available to borrow, but we recommend that members have their own sleep setup if possible. We provide all group kitchen gear such as coolers for food storage, bear bins, a hand wash station, utensils, table, etc. The packing list can be found here.(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7f5T5GeTcv3L5L5PPc22_LNXvAKVyzu/view?usp=drive_link)

All meals are provided while participating in the Outdoor Leaders program. If there are specific food allergies or needs and you prefer to bring your own food items, you are welcome to do so. Please label them clearly with your name.

Yes! RMYC is happy to make accommodations for youth with food allergies and sensitivities. Please call us to let us know about severe allergies so we can discuss options. It is not a guarantee that shared cooking gear is completely free from severe allergens such as gluten, dairy, and nuts, but we do our best to properly sterilize.

While all of our programs have a strict technology-free policy, we allow our participants to make one 15-minute phone call to a person of their choice, 2-weeks into the program. We believe that programmatic immersion is beneficial for the overall experience but understand the importance of connecting with our loved ones.

We allow for things like a Kindle for reading books in your free time. We believe that the removal of technology enhances the experience for everyone involved. Please do not show up to the program with your phone or smart watch. Music happens frequently when you are driving to and from project sites. It is up to your leader whether music will be played while at camp, recognizing that you are representing RMYC at all times and we do not want to disrupt other campers.

If there is an emergency or a pressing need to make a phone call from the program, the two adult crew leaders are both equipped with mobile phones. Additionally, if there is an emergency at home and a parent/guardian needs to reach their youth participant while in the field, our on-call emergency phone number is (970) 439-2850. An RMYC staff member will then take the steps to contact the Crew Leaders so you are able to reach your youth participant.