So, you led a BOLT trip this year or last, or maybe you’ve just completed leader training in the last few years, but now what? Your lovely managers want to keep seeing you, and boy oh boy, do we have lots of ways for you to stay involved this spring. From joining the BOLT management team as the Jan-Jan student manager to coming to our steering committees a handful of times, there are lots of levels of commitment available to you!

Mentoring with BOLT offers former leaders a way to remain involved in the BOLT community and simultaneously strengthen their leadership skills. A BOLT mentor is a former leader who has volunteered to instruct a small group of new BOLT leaders in technical and group facilitation skills throughout the spring semester.

Opportunities to Stay Involved

Calendar Year (Jan-Jan) Manager Position

Time commitment: Paid, approximately 15 hours/ week

Description: Join the academic year managers in selecting the BOLT leader class, leading trainings, and preparing for the fall trip! Attend weekly manager meetings, mentor prep meetings, and leader trainings in addition to weekend training trips.

Mentor BOLT Leader Class

Time commitment: One 3-hour training and one 1.5-hour prep meeting per week & leader trips

Description: Remember the amazing BOLT alum leaders who taught you how to tie knots, and what to do if you saw a bear? Well, this is your opportunity to bring all your BOLT wisdom and traditions to our trainings each week! We rely on amazing mentors to create home groups that function as the main structure for BOLT training. A full-time mentor commits to attending each Wednesday leader training and working with a second mentor partner as the leader of a home group, or a small group of new leaders. Mentors have the opportunity to lead a spring training trip for new BOLT leaders. This opportunity is available to both part-time and full-time mentors, but preference is given to full-time mentors. Please consult the mentor calendar for required time commitments. If you are interested in being a part-time mentor, please email the managers to discuss possible accommodations.

Join Steering Committee Meetings

Time commitment: Drop in on weekly 1.5-hour meetings

Description: Looking forward to our return in the White Mountains, we want to make sure that the feedback we’ve received from BOLTers and BOLT Leaders from the past few years is integrated into the design of the 2023 trip.

Interview the BOLT Leaders

Time Commitment: Weekend in February

Description: Interviews for potential BOLT leaders are conducted by mentors and past BOLT leaders. We are looking for folks to sign up to conduct several interviews, write evaluations, and meet to make final decisions.

Promote Leader Applications!

Time commitment: Flexible!

Description: Leader applications are live through this semester until early January. We love to get a diverse class of experiences and backgrounds, and a big piece of that is getting good publicity across many spheres on campus. Please plug the BOLT program through your personal IRL and virtual networks.

Base Camp

Whether or not they have mentored in previous semesters, former BOLT leaders are invited to attend base camp during both the spring training trip and the fall BOLT trip. Base camp participants stay at a single campsite throughout the trips, available in case of any emergency problems. Each year, base campers are an integral feature of the trips, providing anything from urgent medical care to forgotten cookware. Whether or not BOLT has remained a part of your life following your time as a BOLT leader, come out to base camp–we’d love to have you!