Most college students having an interest in leadership—future teachers, business leaders, youth leadership, non-profit leadership, social workers and coaches—really want to make a difference when they work with people BUT feel they lack experience and worry their leadership won’t be authentic.
Coldwater Foundation offers paid positions for future leaders that gives significant opportunity to lead and to discover their own personal style and approach as a leader.
Wilderness Leader Intern (WLI)
[College Students/Recent Graduates]
Wilderness Leader Internship is a summer immersion opportunity for college aged leaders, focused on developing ministry capabilities as a Christian educator, mentor, and wilderness instructor. As a Wilderness Leader Intern, you will discover and experience first-hand the thrill of teaching and leading in the wilderness classroom.
Interns join our leadership team and are equipped to bring about lasting change in wilderness course participants. Students are not chosen on a “first come, first served” basis, but are selected through an application process. Selected students will have all course fees covered (with exception of Wilderness First Responder Certification) and will receive a stipend following their field experiences.
Date: May 15 – August 5, 2023
Location: Mink Lake Wilderness Camp
What will the Internship encompass? Leaders will:
- Participate in our 21-day Wilderness Leadership Expedition: our cornerstone leadership course for wilderness leaders
- Receive significant opportunities to practice leadership and actually lead in our outdoor programs
- Learn the various important roles of an outdoor leader in our Wilderness Instructor Training seminar
- Engage in rigorous peer teaching, role playing & interaction involving wilderness skill instruction
- Study the Biblical foundations of Christ-centered leadership
- Express a personal “lived theology” of leadership, with a focus on mentoring and discipleship
- Receive training and practice in facilitating guided reflection
- Participate in a healthy, vibrant Christian community Mink Lake
- Complete a Wilderness First Responder certification (valid for 3 years)
- Receive room and board at Mink Lake for the duration of the program
As a part of the Coldwater ministry, you will be a part of a tight-knit Christian community and work as a team with others. You will have the opportunity to integrate your faith and work with God’s restorative mission for the world. You will participate in hands-on service and leadership opportunities rooted in the biblical ethic of care for self, others and place. Summer Interns will learn a strong service-ethic and gain measurable employability skills and experience. Through a focus on service, our hope is for each intern to encounter God in a fresh way, grow in appreciation for creation and see the value of the work of his or her hands.