Interested in working with Wild Kids?
Please consider any of the opportunities listed on this page, and feel free to contact our team if you have ideas for additional options.
Are you graduating high school in 2023, a current college student or enjoying a gap year experience?
Alumni engagement is central to the Wild Kids vision of an intergenerational, multi-age community. If you are a recent high school graduate or current college student, Please consider any of the opportunities listed on this page, and feel free to contact our team if you have ideas for additional options.
Join a Trip
The Basic Vision: Adventure on one of our backpacking trips and gain experience in the backcountry. Arrive on the date of the trip and explore beautiful Montana while forming strong bonds with the crew you are adventuring with.
Open To: Anyone
Requirements: Apply before February 15th
Cost: Air fair + discounted alumni trip fee of $2,100 (Scholarship opportunities available)
Perks: For alumni, see your favorite humans in one of your favorite places on the planet! Gain additional backpacking and camping experience. Apply for college credit with your University (talk to our team about this option).
For non-alumni, learn about Wild Kids through authentic experiences and receive contextualized training to apply to other facets of your life.
Guide In Training or Full Guide
The Basic Vision: Leading up to the summer, you will plan bonding and packing events with participants. Arrive 3-5 days before your trip begins (timing to be discussed with admin team). During the trips you will be responsible for the safety of participants, while also modeling the core traits and teaching about the unique cultures and ecosystems you encounter.
Open To: Adults with outdoor leadership experience. Preferred: one or more summer(s) in Montana as a Junior Counselor, Support Staff or Guide in Training.
Requirements: Wilderness First Aid Certification
Cost: Dependent on role and level of experience, Guides in Training may be asked to cover their own food and airfare.
Perks: Dependent on role and level of experience, this is a paid position. Stipend to be discussed with program director.
Choose Your Own Adventure Crew
The Basic Vision: Arrive a week or so before the first trip goes out (timing to be discussed with lead guides). We are picturing a trail-blazer crew, pitch your itinerary of a new exploration that you think will make the trips sparkle, and tackle any issues or kinks that you may face. Explore new routes, campgrounds and possible cultural experiences. Document your insights and help the guide team with detailed trip itineraries based on your findings.
Open To: Anyone who is open to adventure and possesses a flexible mindset.
Requirements: Wilderness First Aid Certification. Experience with Wild Kids.
Costs: Pay for your airfare, food and gas.
Perks: Hang with the crew, make your own adventure and gain more experience in the wilderness of Montana! Lodging and any permit fees covered. Vehicle provided.
Official Trip Photographer
The Basic Vision: Arrive on the date of the trip you would like to photograph. Support staff and participants when needed, but main goal is to capture moments on the trip. Photograph camp set-up, beautiful hikes, play, and horsemanship. While all trips are allowed to bring cameras, your specific goal would be to reproduce the essence of Wild Kids within a photo or video. After the trip, you will be in charge of creating a video and photo album for participants and their parents.
Open To: Anyone with photography experience.
Requirements: Quality camera. (No phones in Wild Kids)
Costs: Airfare and $250 towards food costs. (negotiable depending on experience with Wild Kids)
Perks: Join a trip cost free, except food stipend. Design your own adventure (we are open to moving between trips or joining Drop Crew). Consider applying for college credit.
Drop Crew
The Basic Vision: Arrive 4-5 days before the first middle school trip begins (timing to be discussed with lead guides). Support staff in creating a trip menu, purchasing gear and food for the trip and organizing trip gear. While students are on their trip, Drop Crew acts as a back-up team, helping secure campsites, providing additional supplies/food when needed, and engaging students on hikes and at camp when additional support is necessary.
Open To: Alumni with experience on 2 or more Montana summers, and/or experience with interning, council leadership or admin roles in Hawaii.
Requirements: Wilderness First Aid Certification
Costs: Pay for airfare, $250 gas fee, and cover your own food when on the road. Drop Crew will eat with the trips whenever at camp.
Perks: Adventure with the crew while building your resume and developing your organizational and management skills.
Base Team
The Basic Vision: This team is most needed during backpacking trips, but could serve for the entire month of July. Base team cooks and prepares meals for all students and staff when at base camp (the Wild Spirit Ranch and Pattee Canyon). When crews are in the field, Base Team resides at Pattee Canyon and acts as the central point of communication for parents and staff. In the event of an emergency, Base Team provides necessary support in terms of communication and possible help with backcountry evacuation. Base Team also helps with off-boarding trips in terms of cleaning and re-organizing gear and returning rental vehicles.
Open to: Adults who have experience in Montana and/or with administrative roles.
Requirements: Extremely good communication, organization and self efficacy skills.
Costs: Airfare to Montana (this is negotiable depending on experience).
Perks: This is a paid position.