Recreational Sports facilities remain closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are working to establish a reopening schedule and will provide more information as soon as it is available.
Are you looking for virtual fitness options to do at home? Check out our free Group‑X classes on Zoom or find workout videos from our fitness team on our YouTube channel. Click here for more information.
Adventure Leadership
Recreational Sports facilities remain closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are working to establish a reopening schedule and will provide more information as soon as it is available.
Our trips can take you anywhere: dogsledding in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, spelunking in North Carolina, backpacking the Grand Canyon, paddling the Huron River, and more. Whether you want to take off for a couple of hours, a day or a week, let us handle the details—like food, transportation, logistics, trip leaders, and outdoor equipment—while you take in the great outdoors.
Experience the true spirit of winter recreation: come dogsledding and snowshoeing in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula this MLK weekend! Fly down wooded trails led by a team of professional dogs, and visit the amazing Eben Ice Caves or other magnificent ice structures as time will allow. Snowshoes will be provided as we hike through endless white woods of the northern mitten. Cozy cabins, hot chocolate, good friends, and warm blankets also provided. No experience is required!
Cost
$425 by Monday, January 13, 2020
Trip Includes
Trip leaders, dogsledding instruction
Transportation
Meals
All group gear including snowshoes
You Bring
Meals while on the road
Personal gear: Weather appropriate clothing including boots, hats, toiletries
Pre-Trip Meeting
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 7:30pm. at Adventure Leadership Center, 336 Hill St
Looking to try something new and exciting this year? Have you ever wanted to scale a wall of ice? If so, come ice climbing with Adventure Leadership this winter! Peabody Ice Climbing Club is located about an hour north of Ann Arbor and provides a wonderful setting for beginner and advanced ice climbers alike. This unique outdoor experience will definitely get the adrenaline pumping! How else are you supposed to stay warm on a chilly winter day?
Cost
$115 by January 31 for the February 1 trip
$115 by February 14 for the February 16 trip
Trip Includes
Trip leaders
Transportation
Lunch
Climbing equipment
You Bring
Meals while on the road
Personal gear: Weather appropriate clothing including jacket, hat, gloves, mittens
Drive up north with us for a spectacular view of the winter sky! Did you know that cold weather provides the best conditions for night sky viewing (and bonding with strangers!)? We will sleep at Wilderness State Park in a cozy cabin, spending our days cross country skiing and our nights stargazing and drinking hot chocolate.
Cost
$225 by Monday, February 3, 2020
Trip Includes
Trip leaders
Transportation
Meals
Sleeping bags
You Bring
Meals while on the road for the first and last day
Personal gear: Weather-appropriate clothing including jacket, hat, gloves, mittens, winter boots, toiletries
Pre-Trip Meeting
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 7:30pm. at Adventure Leadership Center, 336 Hill St
Head south this spring break for both sun, warmth, and sand and dark, damp caves! Start your trip at Mammoth Caves for some truly spectacular spelunking. Then, escape the cold by heading south to Cumberland Island, GA, where we will spend our time hiking among old ruins, hunting for seashells with wild horses, and sleeping under the stars. We will hike up to ten miles each day while exploring this beautiful island for three full days. This is sure to be a spring break trip you will never forget!
Cost
$675 by Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Trip Includes
Trip leaders
Group gear including tents and stoves
Transportation
Meals
All climbing gear, sleeping bags, backpacks and sleeping pads
You Bring
Personal gear: Weather-appropriate clothing, shoes and toiletries
Pre-Trip Meeting
Tuesday, February 19, 2020 at 7:30pm. at Adventure Leadership Center, 336 Hill St
The First Ascent program provides incoming U‑M freshmen with an opportunity to connect with fellow freshmen in small groups for camping, hiking, paddling and exploring the state’s natural areas. Casual campfire discussions are led by upper-level undergrads or grad students and center around the transition to college and all things U‑M. The goal of First Ascent is to help participants grow in self-esteem, self-reliance and confidence—and to have a great time!
All gear is provided. No experience is necessary.
We’ve worked with University Housing to coordinate our First Ascent trips with move-in. If your trip starts in late August and ends on an official move-in date, you can move your belongings in to your room before the trip begins.
First Ascent Trip Dates for Spring/Summer 2020 Coming Soon!
For questions, email advleadtrips@umich.edu or call (734) 764-3967.
Youth Camps
Let us take your child’s summer to the next level! Adventure Leadership Camp is packed with opportunities for campers to cultivate wonder, build confidence and independence, and develop new relationships. Your camper will spend the week engaging in a variety of experiences—from climbing to kayaking—that will empower them and encourage exploration of the natural world around them. Our survival challenges, excursions, and high adventure activities (led by University of Michigan students participating in the Adventure Leadership Internship program) will inspire collaboration and creative problem solving, while allowing campers to practice resilience and enjoy all the outdoor excitement Ann Arbor has to offer.
Both day camp sessions take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Adventure Education Center at 1120 N. Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Drop-off will occur at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up will end at 4:30 p.m.
Open to lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allied (LGBTQQIA+) teens ages 14-17. LGBTQQIA+ Adventure Leadership Exploration is packed with opportunities for teens to cultivate community, build confidence and independence, and explore their identity in a safe and nurturing environment for LGBTQQIA+ teens. Teens will spend the week engaging in a variety of experiences—from climbing to kayaking—that will empower them and encourage exploration of the natural world around them. Our survival challenges, excursions, and high adventure activities (led by University of Michigan Master of Social Work Students and supervised by a licensed Social Worker) will inspire collaboration and develop leadership skills to empower their community.
Space will be limited to the first 24 registered campers.
Cost: $295
Wilderness First Responder
Wilderness First Responder courses are designed specifically to meet the needs of wilderness guides, expedition leaders, and outdoor instructors, and is the outdoor education and recreation industry’s standard for wilderness medical training. This is the wilderness medicine training course for outdoor professionals and the course you want your friends to have taken before you travel with them. This course uses the Wilderness Medicine Training Center’s unique Distance Learning Project. Participants complete a course of study and tests online prior to the start of the practical on-site training. Registration opens February 3, 2020 and is open to the public. Call with questions or for more info 734-764-3967.
Ignite your passion for adventure! The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour will exhilarate you with amazing big-screen stories when it comes to the Michigan Theater, hosted by Adventure Leadership. Journey to exotic locations, paddle the wildest waters and climb the highest peaks.
Adventure Leadership is an outdoor, activity-based, experiential learning and leadership development program. You will facilitate team building programs and can choose to guide trips, providing participants opportunities to explore leadership, organizational behavior, group development, and the environment using adventure education practices and outdoor recreation principles. As an intern, you will learn to design and deliver custom experiential programs for students, educators, corporate groups, nonprofit organizations, and beyond using experiential tools which can include ground initiatives, low ropes course elements, high ropes course elements, and a climbing tower. Interested interns can also learn how to create community by leading day, weekend, or week-long trips. Past trips have included dog sledding in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, backpacking along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and paddling the Huron River. Upon acceptance of the internship, training will be provided. In addition to hands-on experiences, you will design and complete a project of your own that takes into account your unique strengths, passions, and ambitions. No matter what your career aspirations may be, the skills and experience gained during this internship will be powerful and highly valued in all areas of your life, personal or professional.
2020 Internship Hiring, Training and Employment Timeline
The following dates are required for all potential interns. Please disclose any conflicts in the application.
February 4, 2020 AL Internship Applications Due
February 7, 2020 Interview Invitations Sent
February 12, 2020 @ 6:30PM – 8:30PM Interview Session I
February 19, 2020 @ 6:30PM – 8:30PM Interview Session II
February 26, 2020 @ 6:30PM – 8:30PM Final Interview Session
February 28, 2020 Internship Offers Sent
March 13, 2020 Deadline for Internship Acceptance
March 28, 2020 @ 9:30AM – 5:30PM Facilitation Training I
March 29, 2020 @ 9:30AM – 5:30PM Facilitation Training II
April 1, 2020 @ 6PM – 9PM Facilitation Training III
April 7, 2020 @ 6PM – 9PM Facilitation Training IV
April 15, 2020 @ 6PM – 9PM Facilitation Training V
April 18 & 19, 2020 @ 8:30AM – 4:30PM High Adventure Training
April 24, 2020 by appointment High Adventure Practice Day
April 28 – May 1, 2020 by appointment Skill Verification Days
May 4 – 8, 2020 Wilderness First Responder Training (OPTIONAL)
May 13 – 15, 2020 Trip Leader Training
May 20 & May 21, 2020 @ 9AM – 5PM Low Element Training
June 3, 2020 – October 14, 2020 Bi-Weekly Staff In-Service Sessions (MANDATORY)
August 23 – 30, 2020 Peak Week (MANDATORY)
Expected Time Commitment
May 11, 2020 – August 31, 2020 Minimum 15 hours/week (maximum 40) as assigned
September 1, 2020 – November 30, 2020 Additional hours available upon review and based on program schedule
Compensation
$10/hour
Application
Please respond to the following prompts with a short paragraph (2-3 sentences). Attach your resume and your responses in a document and email to Jessa Lytle, Assistant Director, at jessal@umich.edu.
How did you hear about this opportunity?
Do you have prior experience working in an adventure education, outdoor recreation, experiential learning, summer camp, or challenge course program? Please list any skills, qualifications, and/or certifications you possess as they apply to this type of work.
What do you hope to gain as a member of the AL Internship 2020 Cohort?
Please share an example of a time you tried something new or took a risk.
Please list any dates/times that conflict with the internship timeline listed above. This information will be used to create each intern’s individual schedule, so please be as thorough as possible. Examples include but are not limited to: class, family vacation, study abroad programs, research expectations, part time job hours, other commitments, etc.
Want to learn more? Check out what Karl, a member of our 2018 Cohort, had to say about his experience.
Each trip follows a different set of policies and guidelines. We typically cover this information in our mandatory pre-trip meetings. These meetings are held a few days before your trip; if you have questions at any time, contact us.