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Training & Education

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Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

Map of Colorado

photo of people on bridge

Young volunteers on a Volunteers for Outdoor
Colorado project

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to motivating and enabling citizens to be active stewards of Colorado's public lands. Since 1984 we have mobilized over 40,000 volunteers to work on outdoor projects in partnership with land management agencies and nonprofit groups. In these years we have completed 185 projects on public lands with an estimated value exceeding $9 million.

Several courses in trail building, maintenance, volunteer management and crew leadership are offered each year through the Outdoor Stewardship Institute.

Typical seminars include:

Trail Construction and Maintenance, Introduction to Trail Design, Rock Wall Construction, Rock Step Construction, Switchback Construction, Trail Closure and Revegetation, Leading Volunteer Crews, Working with Young Volunteers, Managing & Organizing Volunteer Projects.

Developing new training

The following is a summary of the proposed process which VOC's Outdoor Stewardship Institute will follow when developing and/or adopting new General Skills Curricula and Workshops.

Needs Assessment

The proposed training topic/curriculum must align with one of the training needs identified in previous COTI member surveys and needs assessments. If not, the individual or organization presenting the workshop for development must include a needs assessment that is judged satisfactory by the Training Steering Committee (TSC).

Workshop and Curriculum Selection

Any individual, organization, or COTI member can submit a workshop topic/curriculum for review by completing a short application and questionnaire to ensure that the training topic/curriculum meets COTI standards and guidelines. New training topics that are submitted will be reviewed and selected for development each year by the Training Steering Committee.

Curriculum Development

Once selected for development, the TSC will convene a sub-committee of interested and qualified individuals to begin the curriculum adoption/development process. The curriculum (including instructor guide and trainee manual) will be developed/modified by the committee to ensure that it meets COTI-approved standards and required elements.

Piloting and Evaluation

Once the curriculum is developed, COTI will test and evaluate the curricula through a series of pilot trainings. The workshops will be led by experienced individuals that assisted with the curriculum development process or other individuals that are deemed qualified by the sub-committee members to be Instructors and trained to deliver the training. Evaluations from participants and instructors will be used to make any needed modifications to the curriculum and workshop format.

Review and Final Approval

Upon completion of the pilot and testing process, the TSC will review the workshop results, instructor evaluations, and agency/organization/volunteer demand and make a final decision whether or not to include the training as part of COTI's portfolio.

Training Delivery

After final approval from the TSC, COTI will begin the process of recruiting and training additional instructors, print manuals and supporting materials and include the training workshop as part of its annual training calendar.

For more on Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado training visit www.voc.org/

The National Trails Training Partnership

American Trails, P.O. Box 491797, Redding, CA 96049-1797 • (530) 547-2060 • Fax: (530) 547-2035 • nttp@americantrails.org • www.AmericanTrails.org

The National Trails Training Partnership is an alliance of Federal agencies, training providers, nationwide supporters, and providers of products and services. Visit the online calendar of training opportunities, access hundreds of trail-related resources, read the news, learn how you can help, and see training resources in your state.

This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under Cooperative Agreement DTFH61-06-H-00023. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Federal Highway Administration.

Related Pages:

Training & Education

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

The National Trails Training Partnership