Do you love adventure and want to share your passion with others? UCSB Adventure Programs offers many opportunities for employment, including kayaking instructors, outdoor trip leaders, ropes course staff, climbing center staff, and more. We also offer training to jumpstart your career in the outdoors!
Leadership Training Course (LTC)
Interested in leading trips, becoming an outdoor guide, or instructing classes?
The Leadership Training Course (LTC) is a comprehensive development opportunity for aspiring trip leaders, guides, and assistant instructors. The course is designed to train interested people in climbing, kayaking, canyoneering, group management, risk management, outdoor leadership, outdoor cooking, wilderness first aid, wilderness survival/primitive living skills, and trip leadership/guiding.
Check out "An Insider's View of the Leadership Training Course," an interview with Jacob Staines.
LTC if offered annually during Fall & Winter Quarters.
The full training course spans five months.
Participants will go on a Colorado River Canoe and a backpacking trip led by instructors with extensive experience in their fields. At the end of LTC, participants can apply to work with Adventure Programs on a volunteer basis as kayak, canyoneering, or climbing class assistants or overnight trip leaders. The program is a great way to gain important experiences in a variety of outdoor skills.
Want to become a paid instructor? Instructors are individuals with extensive experience in their field who are asked to lead classes. Many of our instructors begin with LTC and then train to instructor level.
LTC Update as of December 2024
The current application cycle for LTC has passed. Look out for LTC Info Nights starting in September 2025.
More Employment Opportunities with Adventure Programs
Adventure Ropes Course
Adventure Programs runs a team-building challenge course on campus where groups of all ages come to participate in teamwork games and high element personal challenges. Staff are asked to lead games, manage groups, and belay climbers.
For more information, please email ropes@recreation.ucsb.edu.
Adventure Climbing Center (ACC)
The Adventure Climbing Center (ACC) employs Desk Staff that assume the role of a "vertical lifeguard." They are responsible for supervising climbers' safety, checking in climbers, managing paperwork, and tending to the general upkeep of the wall. Essentially, wall staff perform similar duties a lifeguard would at the pool, except they work at a climbing wall. We also employ indoor climbing instructors and route setters.
For more information, please email mbouchet@ucsb.edu.
Contact
If you have any questions about LTC or Adventure Program employment opportunities, please contact the following managers.
Adventure Ropes Course
(805) 893-4114
ropes@recreation.ucsb.edu
Adventure Climbing Center (ACC)
(805) 893-3737
mbouchet@ucsb.edu
Outdoor Leaders & Instructors
(805) 893-3737
donald.wise@recreation.ucsb.edu
General Info & Questions
(805) 893-3737
adventure@recreation.ucsb.edu