What is the LDP?
Before crew members arrive, our crew leaders participate in a 2.5-month Leadership Development Program (LDP). You’ll grow in emotional intelligence while building practical leadership competencies. You will then pass those skills on to your crew as you live, learn, and serve together in some of our wildest places. The entire season, crew leaders and crew members will hone their skills, receive feedback on their performance, and work with regional staff to meet your performance goals.
The training you’ll complete has been refined over the course of two decades:
- Experiential Learning Model
- Communication Styles
- Feedback and Reflection
- Stages of Group Development
- Emotional Intelligence
- De-escalation
- Facilitation and Teaching Debriefing
- Identity development
How Does Training as a Leader Impact You and Your Career?
MCC uses outdoor conservation work as a method for leadership development. This has made MCC alumni extremely successful across a wide variety of career paths. MCC’s leadership development program will help you build essential competencies that companies in any industry are seeking in job candidates. Participants engage in experiential learning activities to explore various communication styles, develop emotional intelligence, master conflict resolution, and learn facilitation techniques to engage with different learning styles. Through feedback, reflection, and thorough debriefing, participants leave with actionable strategies to become effective leaders.
You will build these career skills:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Feedback and conflict mediation
- Problem-solving abilities
- Creative thinking
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Mental and emotional resilience
- Managing stressful situations
- Planning and organization Productivity
- Being a valuable member of a community or team
- Effectively leading a team
- Taking Initiative
- Delegation of tasks Independence/self-sufficiency
What Makes a Successful Crew Leader at MCC?
We often see applicants who don’t realize they are qualified to take on a role here at MCC, especially those coming from marginalized communities. MCC is a developmental program and it is our job to teach, train, and develop leadership competencies in our participants. We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings. We encourage ANYONE to apply that has an interest in not only conservation, but bettering themselves for the future.
What Qualities Make a Good Crew Leader:
- A passion for service, the environment, and conservation
- A positive mental attitude and seeing others with positive regard
- Adaptability and flexibility
- A commitment to serving the whole term
- A growth mindset - coming willing to learn, grow, and challenge yourself
- A commitment to motivating others and their success
- A willingness to engage in hard conversations, resolve conflict, and communicate openly
- A desire to enhance your leadership capacity
- A desire to hone your personal leadership style
We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not think they meet all of the qualifications or have enough previous experience.
What Training & Certifications Will You Receive as a Leader?
Crew leaders at MCC can expect to receive comprehensive training, depending on crew type, including:
- Training on Resume Building, Interviewing, and Federal Hiring
- Hand & Power Tool Use (Federally recognized training and certifications in chainsaw and crosscut use)
- Defensive Driving
- Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA)
- Backcountry Travel & Navigation
- Trail Maintenance & Construction
- Leave No Trace
- Habitat Management & Improvement
- Natural resource management principles
- Leadership, communication, and teamwork competencies
- Develop life skills, work skills, and a strong service ethic
- Connect with project partners: federal, state, and non-profits for career opportunities
