Volunteer Snowboarding Instructor - SOS Outreach

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SOS Outreach offers a value-based leadership curriculum that enhances the experience for students by promoting self-respect, positive relationships, social justice, and positive values. Students discuss and discover the meaning of our 5 core values; courage, discipline, integrity, wisdom, and compassion. SOS partners with youth agencies and mountain resorts in the winter and spring to provide multi-day snow sports programs that incorporate these SOS core values.

SOS volunteers encourage the students to uncover the way these values affect their everyday actions.

Sessions typically takes place over the course of five 8-hour, consecutive weekend days and consists of roughly forty hours of work per session. Volunteer time commitment includes training dates and on-hill sessions.

SOS Volunteer Instructor Responsibilities
Instructor responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Prior to Ride Days
Commit to instructing an SOS group for all five ride days
Complete and pass a federal and state criminal background check
Attend an SOS orientation, evening off-hill training date, the on-hill instructor training dates, and on-hill orientation date

During Ride Days
Listen to and work together with your Resort Program Coordinator (varies per session) and the Regional Program Director, Malee Lucas
Arrive at the rental shop early to meet with the Resort Program Coordinator and other adult volunteer instructors
Support student preparation and participation. For example, in the rental shop, volunteer responsibilities may include helping with attendance, boot fitting, getting students through the rental shop, clothing inventory, and organizing students on the hill for the Circle of Love
Participate in the Circle of Love, and share your definition of the core value of the day
The Resort Program Coordinator will split students into groups. Once groups are finalized based on ability (usually by Day Two), groups must remain consistent.
Teach your regular Level I beginning snowboarding progression
Model and integrate the core values throughout the ride days
Teach and model the five SOS core values
Understand and teach students the Mountain Safety Code and SOS Rules
Understand and follow the SOS Guidelines for Serving Youth
Monitor skiing or snowboarding progress
Shoot photos and video of each activity

Outside of Ride Days
Maintain strong communications with the Regional Program Director, Malee Lucas, at malee(at)sosoutreach.org
Submit snowboarding progress updates for each student to Regional Program Director, Malee Lucas, at malee(at)sosoutreach.org, after each ride day
Post photos and videos on the SOS website, and send best shots to Regional Program Director, Malee Lucas, at malee(at)sosoutreach.org
Prepare for and facilitate a portion of the end-of-season graduation

Application Process: Send email to Regional Program Director, Malee Lucas, at malee(at)sosoutreach.org.

Helpful Skills and Interests
Experience, comfort, and passion in working with underprivileged youth and low-income families
Awareness of factors impacting the lives of urban youth
Willingness to learn about privilege, racism, and oppression and how these social constructs impact students and staff
Experience with or an interest in learning how to teach snowboarding
At least beginner level ability in snowboarding