Become A Trip Leader

Adventure Outings (AO) offers the Chico State community a wide range of services. Each semester, AO leads a variety of adventure trips including rafting, kayaking, backpacking, climbing, caving, mountain biking, and more. We also provide custom trips for groups and clubs, host wilderness medicine classes, operate an equipment rental center, and operate the WREC indoor climbing wall.

As one of the leading student-run outdoor programs in the nation, we are always looking for quality people to join our staff. Since its inception, AO has been a premier program run by the Associated Students and continues to be an integral partner in the education of Chico State students. Our goal is to provide professionally organized adventure-based trips to the students and community of Chico State.

All trip staff begin as Assistant Leaders. The Assistant Leader position is an unpaid internship position, designed to train staff in outdoor education and programming, increase the technical skills necessary to lead trips, and learn about AO policies and procedures. In most cases, Assistant Leaders advance to paid Trip Leaders after interning for 2-3 semesters and obtaining appropriate experience. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please review the following expectations.


Click to HERE apply for the Assistant Leader 2024 Position !

Photo of AO trip leader

Expectations of Assistant Leader Candidates:

  • Must be a current CSU, Chico student and enrolled in at least 6 units
  • Must have at least 2 semesters remaining as a student
  • Must be able to attend a 20-minute in-person interview in April 2024

  • Must be able to attend 4-day Foundations of Outdoor Leadership trip in May 2024. Dates and cost are listed on the application.

  • If selected for an Assistant Leader internship position, you will be expected to meet the following expectations:
  • Ability to attend staff retreats (1-2 days), which typically occur the first weekend after classes begin in the spring and fall semesters
  • Ability to attend weekly staff meetings on Wednesdays at 5-6pm
  • Willing to assist in leading at least 2 Adventure Outings trips each semester
  • Willing to obtain and maintain certification in First Aid, Adult/Pediatric CPR, and Epinephrine Auto-Injector
  • Willing to enroll in a 1-unit internship class that will require: 2 (1-page) papers, 2 experiential activities, and volunteer hours each semester
  • Willing to make progress towards becoming a Trip Leader.