Discover your leadership style!

Ever wondered who leads all those exciting outings you see on our Activities Calendar? Well, most of them are lead by volunteers! That’s right, normal folks just like you who stepped up and got involved.

Trip Leaders are the ambassadors of our organization, and they get to visit some pretty cool places while sharing the outdoors with others! Sounds pretty cool, right?

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Seven Priorities of Wilderness Survival

The sun is setting. You are lost. Not only are you scared and alone, you don’t know when, or if, help will arrive. Do you have the skills necessary to make it out of the wilderness alive? Thanks to leader Erik Kulick and assistants Pat Demko and Larry Gioia, eight outdoor enthusiasts had the opportunity to increase their odds of surviving this potentially tragic situation by attending the Advanced Wilderness Survival weekend on November 19th-20th.

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Learn to lead: You can do it!

If you enjoy Venture Outdoors activities, why not learn to lead them or become an assistant leader! It’s not hard (we promise), and we’ll teach you everything you need to know.

Venture Outdoors has 180 active volunteer trip leaders and we make it easy to become part of the team. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, read through the information below, and then contact Lora Woodward, Public Program Director, and she’ll discuss the next steps – lwoodward@ventureoutdoors.org or call 412.255.0564 ext 231.

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VO North Trip Leader Spotlight: Heather Toth

With the Outdoor Leadership Modules set to take place for the first time in Cranberry on July 19 & 26 and August 6, this is a perfect time to shine the spotlight on VO North Trip Leader Heather Toth.

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VO North: Learn to lead for free!

This year’s outdoor Leadership Weekend has been scheduled for September, and 10 residents of Butler, Beaver, and Lawrence counties can take the course for free, thanks to a grant from the Richard King Mellon foundation. Normal admission to the program is $53.

95% of our public programs are led by our volunteers. If you you have a passion and interest in getting people outside, let us help you add to your experience!

Each of our volunteers builds a unique relationship with Venture Outdoors, helping out with as many or as few trips as their schedule allows. Their interests run the gamut of outdoor activities from backpacking to paddling, and many of them are skilled teachers of themes including natural history, geology, personal wellness, and culinary arts. They help keep our public program schedule interesting! What would you like to share with VO North?

Training curriculum is based on the Appalachian Mountain Club and National Outdloor Leadership School modules. We’ll balance skill-training and fun, covering leadership styles, group dynamics, trip planning, risk management, and more.

If this sounds like you, OLW will take place at Crooked Creek Environmental Learning Center in Ford City beginning Friday, September 17 through Sunday, September 19.

Registration is open now… call Lora Woodward at 412.255.0564 ext 31 to sign up!
For more information on the training, visit www.ventureoutdoors.org.

Lead the way up North

Be it hikes or hydrobikes, attendance for programming offered by Venture Outdoors North has been steady. Interest in our weekend programs has been enthusiastic and along the way, we’ve heard from many of you who not only want to participate in VO North programs, but who also want to lead these programs as Trip Leaders.

If you haven’t had the chance to participate in an activity, but can identify with any or all of the following scenarios, being a VO Trip Leader may be the thing for you:

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Leadership Modules move to Monday

Our second round of Outdoor Leadership Modules are just a few weeks away. Beginning Monday, January 25 learn how to improve your leadership skills in three short sessions. The 2 ½ hour modules are a fast paced mix of skill training, awareness development and fun. The curriculum is based on our popular in-depth weekend training but scaled down to just cover the basics. No leadership experience is necessary, in fact, that’s just what these classes are about, learning to be an excellent leader.

The modules will be held at the Kingsley Association in East Liberty (6435 Frankstown Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206). More information on each module is below. Remember you can sign up for all three for just $50.00.

Click here to sign up for all three modules
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GASP Honors VO Founder

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is celebrating its 40th year of working for a healthy, sustainable environment in southwestern Pennsylvania. As part of the celebration on Friday, October 23, GASP will recognize 40 Environmental Heros for the good work they have done for the environment in our region, and Mike Schiller, founder of Venture Outdoors, is among the heroes!
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Leadership training that fits your schedule!

Mohandas K. Gandhi said that, “…leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” Starting October 29, 2009, learn how to get along with people and other vital leadership skills with our new our Leadership Training Modules.

We’ve extracted key elements from our outdoor leadership weekend and broken them down into three modules. Each module focuses on developing a specific set of leadership skills and is designed for a more general audience. Anyone can register, not just those with outdoor or environmental interests.

Each module is $20.00 for Venture Outdoors Members and $27.00 of non-members. Venture Outdoors Members can sign up for the whole series for just $50. Both established and would-be leaders are encouraged to take advantage of this unique learning opportunity.

Module 1 – Understanding Yourself and Your Group
The first module focuses on the dynamic that exists between leader and group. It emphasizes how to understand the basic needs and emotions of a group. Further examination of how those needs can change over the course of an activity and how to manage those changes are also covered. Additionally, the module explores what it takes to be an effective leader, including different leadership styles and when to employ them.
Date: Thursday, October 29
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

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(Indoor) Outdoor Leadership

Participants in last weekend’s Outdoor Leadership Training didn’t let the weather interfere with their fun. Attendees of a wide range of age and experience shared magic tricks, spirited card games, good food and fellowship with one another during evening socials, and while heavy rain did keep a number of learning activities indoors, each activity cultivated feelings of preparedness. If we can enjoy ourselves and the outdoors when it’s muddy, what can’t we do with the colorful, dry fall days ahead?
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