Who are Trip Leaders?
TRiP Leaders lead outdoor adventure trips for the University of Florida, managing groups of up to 10 people while doing activities such as surfing, backpacking, and canoeing. As a trip leader, you will -
- Learn to become a wilderness guide
- Develop transferable leadership skills
- Become a member of an incredible community of people
Applications are open for Spring 2025 and close Sunday, October 13th at 11:59pm.
Outdoor Leadership Course
The Outdoor Leadership Course (OLC) is a semester-long experiential learning course created to train future outdoor leaders for the Travel and Recreation Program (TRiP). This course trains students in the basics of interpersonal skills, judgment skills, and technical skills necessary to lead groups of beginners in the wilderness. This course is a mixture of lecture, discussion, peer teaching, and field application.
Experiential Training Trips Included in Training
- Backpacking Training
- Mountain Bike Training
- Stand Up Paddleboard and Canoe Training
- Sea Kayak Training
- Surf Training
- Week-long Backpacking Training (iMMERSiON) (May 5 - 10, 2025)
- Epi Pen Administrator Certification
All trainings trips include transportation from CORE to activity location, group and personal gear, and all food on overnight trips.
Price
Notes:
- You are required to attend monthly TRiP meetings.
- You are required to attend all trainings and certifications listed above in order to enroll in the course.
- You must have a United States driver's license, three years of driving history by Fall 2024, and no major moving violations.
Wilderness First Response (WFR)
This is an eight-day emergency medical response training for backcountry situations. Typically held over Spring Break. This training is required to become a Trip Leader.
Price
OLC CORE Grant
The OLC CORE Grant provides up to $500 to use for the OLC. Students with financial need may apply in Fall 2024. You must be accepted into the OLC to receive the grant.
College Scholarships
- Bright Futures AND Florida Prepaid: If you have both scholarships and take the class for credit, then you will get reimbursed like you would for other classes. You can then use the reimbursement money to pay for either the Course Cost or the cost of WFR.
- Bright Futures OR Florida Prepaid: If you have one or the other and take the class for credit, the scholarships will just cover the cost of the credit hours, not the Course Cost or the cost of WFR.
- CLAS Students: Can apply for the Beyond120 experiential scholarship using this link. This can be used to defray or cover the cost of WFR.
- CALS Students: Can apply for the VP Promise Financial Assistance next Spring after being accepted into the OLC using this link. This can be used to defray or cover the cost of WFR.
- Honors Program Students: Can apply for the Wentworth Travel Scholarship next Spring after being accepted into the OLC if they are in good standing. This can be used to cover the cost of WFR.
- Current RecSports Employees: Can apply for the Jim Bryan Grant after being accepted into the OLC. This can be used to defray or cover the cost of WFR. You will not be hired on as a TRiP Leader until you successfully complete the OLC, so you must already have a job within RecSports to apply for this grant.
Follow us on Instagram at @coreuf. Any questions? Reach out directly to Braja Smith, Assistant Director, at b.smith2@ufl.edu.