Q: How much will I work this season?

SUMMER PROGRAMS: Our programs are one and two weeks in length with additional prep and debrief days. For one- and two-week courses, you will have two days of prep work and one day to debrief. Typically, instructors can expect to work 3-5 field weeks which translates into 33-58 days of work during the summer.

SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAMS: School year programs vary in length from day trips to week-long overnight experiences. For overnight trips, instructors can expect to have one day of prep, with gear cleaning occurring on the final day of the trip. Across fall, winter, and spring seasons instructors could work up to 45 days.

Q: How does BOLD & GOLD determine what it pays its instructors?

We value your past experience (technical, educational, and otherwise) and you will be paid based on that experience. Upon receiving an offer of employment you will be sent a form to document your relevant experience and return it to us. We will use that to determine your daily rate of pay.

Q: Do you provide staff housing?

We are not able provide staff housing between trips. With that said, we have and incredibly supportive community, and local staff and alumni often times open up their homes to seasonal staff who are here for the summer.  Additionally there are a number of universities in the area and sublets can be found relatively inexpensively.

Cornish College of the Arts: Staff who are currently enrolled in higher education programs are able to apply to housing through the Corish College of the Arts Internship Housing Program. Information can be found on their website website. Individual contracts do not require meal plans, though they recommend submitting an application sooner than later as we do typically sell out in March. The application is obligation free.

Green Tortoise Hostel: The Green Tortoise Hostel is excited to support BOLD & GOLD staff in finding housing on time off between trips. For regular accommodation for those who want to stay with them for less than 7 nights, they can go to www.greentortoise.net and book a bed at the best available rate! They offer luggage storage for $5/day when folks are out on trip and are happy to work with staff who want to stay longer than 7 nights!

Questions can be directed to Haru who is the manager at manager@greentortoise.net

Q: Where do your staff come from?

We hire staff from across the Pacific Northwest and all over the country. At this time, we are not able to support international staff looking to work in the US on a J-1 Visa. Please reach out if you have specific questions about your eligibility or would like to hear about sister programs that are able to sponsor international staff.

Q: Do you provide wilderness medical certifications?

There are opportunities to attend a Wilderness First Aid course in Seattle throughout the spring and fall for hired staff. We also have a great partnership with Longleaf Medical and they provide a Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder Recertification course for us in early June at a subsidized rate. Instructors who work with us receive a discount to participate in this course. All you need to do is mention that you work with the program to receive the discount. Please visit the benefits section to read more about our Wilderness First Responder incentive program.

Q: Where do the participants come from?

SUMMER: 80 percent of our participants are from the greater Seattle area. The other 20 percent come from across the US and all over the world. We have had participants from France, Spain, Ecuador, and Columbia to name a few.

SCHOOL YEAR: Throughout the fall, winter, and spring we work with a variety of partners to offer outdoor program to youth and adults. This includes working with local public and private schools, community organizations, and Y branches across Seattle.

Q: What is the most challenging part of working with BOLD & GOLD?

We ask a lot of our staff on a physical and emotional level. It is not easy to carry a 60+ pound backpack for up to three weeks at a time while maintaining a positive group atmosphere. We ask our instructors to be open, self-aware, and be willing to have challenging conversations with youth in a supportive and inclusive manner.

Q: What is training like?

SUMMER: Training is a multi-faceted blend of facilitation and technical skills. We also offer an optional three-day backpacking skills training to anyone who is working with us during the summer in early June. For our rock climbing and mountaineering instructors, we have a mandatory three-day Climbing Training. This training is held at Mt Erie, about 90 minutes north of Seattle.  

In addition to those trainings, our 10-day long All-Staff Training focuses on group management, diversity and inclusion, and facilitation skills while orienting folks to the program. That training is held in Seattle and either North Cascades National Park or Olympic National Park.

During the summer months, we hold aside one hour during your prep days for professional development in more focused areas.

SCHOOL YEAR: Training for BOLD & GOLD school year programs occurs on a much more individualized basis. Individual staff receive general facilitation and training as they join the BOLD & GOLD team. Specific trainings for skills such as winter driving, snowshoeing, and kayak facilitation are provided on a seasonal basis. Additionally, prep days for multi-day trips include time set aside for goal-setting and professional development based on the program.