Intern Program

The Arctic Youth Leadership Expedition Intern position is new for 2010. This is a volunteer position on the program, where the Expedition Intern acts as a bridge between the new students and the instructors while on the expedition. The Expedition Intern will use skills learned on a previous AYL program to motivate, lead, encourage and support new students, taking a larger role of responsibility, and building new leadership skills while assisting the instructors.

This program offers the potential to build on the leadership skills developed on the Horton River expedition by providing an opportunity for alumni to apply their new skill set in a work situation. Ideal candidates for internships are identified through the evaluations and recommendations of the NOLS instructors, and further screened for capacity and motivation during the follow-up contacts with the AL Coordinator. Undertaking an internship will enable Alumni to foster new leadership skills and learn valuable organizational and project management skills.

This year two graduates, one from each territory, will be provided the opportunity to rejoin the program as an intern, mentoring new students and assisting with the instructors on the expedition. They will be given responsibilities, tasks, and instructional opportunities that will further develop the leadership skills learned on their first expedition. In their role as mentors to the new participants, the interns will be taking a concrete step toward effective leadership, and they will be recognized as leaders among their peers.