Field Team Leader Program

The hardest job you will ever love!

It takes a special person to be a Field Team Leader. While there is no single leader archetype, there are some qualities and skills that all MAC leaders share prior to entering the program:

• A demonstrated ability and/or history of leading people
• Practical experience living and working in the outdoors
• Proven communication and organizational skills for a professional environment
• A willingness and aptitude for learning from people and experiences
• An enthusiasm for community service
    
Field Team Leaders participate in an intense sixteen week training program that prepares them to co-lead a team of six. They learn both technical restoration skills (Wilderness Advanced First Aid, Trail building, Chainsaw and more) and team management concepts. Most of the training occurs in the field, including a six week stint on the Pacific Crest Trail in Southern California.

Upon successful completion of the training program, Field Team Leaders train their crew members for two weeks before embarking on a season of service throughout the mountains of Washington and Oregon. During these five months, Field Team Leaders are busy handling project logistics, coordinating residential responsibilities, maintaining communication with staff and sponsors and shaping a life changing experience for their crew.

Field Team Leaders leave the program poised and prepared to take the next step in their lives. Some return to school. Others find professional employment. All leave as better people ready to positively impact their communities.

Quick Facts:

• Location:  Trout Lake, WA, then varies by team assignment
• Term of Service:  February 7, 2011 – November 10, 2011
• Recruitment Begins:  October 1, 2010
• Minimum Age:  21
• Housing:  Team dependent and variable – possibilities include Forest Service bunkhouse, Forest Service house, front-country campsite, and backcountry primitive campsite
• Living Allowance:  $11,800 divided into nine monthly payments of $1,311.  Each month a program fee of $476 is deducted from this amount to cover program expenses such as food, training, certifications, and field trips
• Education Award:  $5,350
• Loan : Payment on qualified student loans may be deferred during the term of service, and accrued interest will be reimbursed upon completion of the term of service
• Health Insurance:  Basic coverage at 80% after $100 deductible.  Reimbursement of prescriptions at 80% after $100 deductible

For a more in-depth look at our Field Team Program, check out the Field Team Experience.