Become a Trip Leader

What does a Trip Leader do?

RecSports Trip Leaders guide outdoor adventures for the University of Florida, managing groups of up to 10 people while doing activities such as surfing, backpacking, and canoeing.

To become a Trip Leader, you must be accepted into and successfully complete the spring Outdoor Leadership Course (OLC). In the OLC, you will -

Learn to become a wilderness guide
Develop transferable leadership skills
Become a member of an incredible community of people

Apply Today!

Applications for the Spring 2027 Outdoor Leadership Course are open now and close October 11, 2026, at 11:59pm.

Step 1: Get confident! No guiding or outdoor experience is required to become a Trip Leader. You must have 3 years of driving experience in the US by May 2027.

Step 2: Look through the tabs on this page and read the Frequently Asked Questions

Step 3: Prepare your cover letter and resume. You can improve your chances of being selected by attending a resume and cover-letter writing workshop, held during our Info Sessions below.

Step 4: Apply here.

Outdoor Leadership Course Info Sessions

Join us for one of our upcoming OLC Info Sessions to learn more about the program, improve your application materials, and connect with current Trip Leaders.

Fall 2026 Info Session Dates:

September 8
- Info Session, Cover Letter & Resume Review, Trip Leader Panel
- 6-7pm at the CORE Building (1441 Bledsoe Drive)
September 22
- Info Session, Cover Letter & Resume Review, Trip Leader Panel
- 6-7pm at the CORE Building (1441 Bledsoe Drive)
October 6
- Info Session, Cover Letter & Resume Review, Trip Leader Panel
- 6-7pm at the CORE Building (1441 Bledsoe Drive)

Virtual option available for all three meetings, reach out to Education Program Assistant Katie Wiklund at k.wiklund@ufl.edu or at (224) 688-5842

Outdoor Leadership Course

The Outdoor Leadership Course (OLC) is a semester-long experiential learning course created to train future Trip Leaders for the Department of RecSports. If accepted into the OLC, you will learn the 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. It is a significant time commitment, and includes training trips on the weekends and over May Break.

Experiential Training Trips Included in the Course

You must be able to attend all training trips to complete the OLC. Dates are listed below and are subject to change.

Backpacking (Jan 23-24)
Mountain Bike (Feb 20)
Surf (March 27)
Sea Kayak Training (Self-Rescue Clinic (March 31) and Cedar Key (April 3))
Stand Up Paddleboard and Canoe (April 17)
Week-long Backpacking (May 3-8)
Epi Pen Certification (TBD)

All training trips include transportation to and from the Center for Outdoor Recreation (1441 Bledsoe Dr.) and personal gear, as well as food on overnight trips.

Price

$600

Requirements:

You are required to attend monthly Trip Leader staff 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 2027, and no major moving violations.

Wilderness First Response (WFR)

This is an eight-day emergency medical response training for backcountry situations. It will be held at Lake Wauburg over Spring Break 2027 (March 13-20). This training is required to become a Trip Leader.

Price

$575

RecSports Outdoor Leadership Course Grant

The RecSports OLC Grant provides up to $550 to help reduce financial barriers for the cost of the course. UF students with financial need may apply in Fall 2026 after being accepted into the OLC. We offer up to two awards each year.

Additional Financial Assistance

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.