Volunteer
volunteers are key to our success
Our adult volunteers are a driving force for good behind BCM’s mission. When you volunteer with us, your efforts will both directly and indirectly support students as they tap into, strengthen, and expand social-emotional learning skills.
We have a wide variety of opportunities for you to get involved. Thank you for your interest!
opportunities
Front Country Volunteers
Our Front Country Volunteers help with a variety of year-round activities both in person and remotely. Front country volunteers assist with expedition gear management, special events which occur in our regional locations, and other in-office responsibilities. Remote opportunities include pro-bono professional support with marketing, communications, grant writing and fundraising, legal expertise, and local initiatives in each region.
Backcountry Program Volunteers Backpacking & Canoeing
BCM is instituting a new program design that focuses on scaling up outdoor experiences so that students are given opportunities to gain comfort and confidence with outdoor activities such as sleeping in tents and cooking outside. Student groups will go on on 1-2 Day Trips as well as an Overnight Car Camping Trip before going on an Expedition.
Volunteers on programs will support students in gaining comfort with outdoor skills, connecting to nature, engaging in community building and finding moments of joy and self-reflection. Volunteer responsibilities include helping lead group activities, assisting with meal times, and working cohesively with the result of the adult team. Program experiences are a way for students to explore their strengths alongside a supportive community of peers and adults. We ask that all participants, students and volunteers, come with an openness to learning and an ability to embrace curiosity and wonder.
Car Camping Overnight Programs are 2-3 days long and most often occur between May and July. On our multi-day backpacking and canoeing expeditions are generally 5-7 days and occur during the summer months (June-August). Expedition volunteers are expected to hike or paddle up to eight miles per day while supporting youth with limited backcountry experience.
All our program volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, live withing 100 miles of one of our regions of service, and be able to pass a criminal background check.
Volunteer Recruitment Schedule
As an organization that works with the seasons and facilitates most of our programming for students during the warmer months (generally May through September), we also recruit volunteers on a seasonal basis. While we do have some year-round opportunities for engagement, particularly for Colorado-based volunteers, we do the majority of our volunteer recruitment and screening during the fall and winter (November through January) for the following program season. We then schedule volunteers in the spring (February through April).
We invite you to submit a Volunteer Inquiry and/or Application whenever it is convenient for you or when you first hear of BCM, but we appreciate your patience in waiting for a reply given the seasonality of our programs and events. We gladly accept inquiries for community event volunteer opportunities any time.