How RLT Picks Its Trip Leaders
One of the first questions families ask us is simple:
“Who is leading the trip?”
We are glad when that question comes early.
Your teen spends the trip with a small team of field leaders. Those leaders are with the group during travel days, service work, hikes, meals, camp routines, homesick moments, weather shifts, and the regular in-between parts of group life that never make it into an itinerary.
Credentials matter. So does judgment.
Here is what we require before leaders work with students in the field.
The training and screening every RLT leader completes
Every RLT leader is required to:
- Attend a 10-day in-house staff training
- Obtain a minimum of 80 hours of wilderness medicine training through Wilderness First Responder certification, including CPR and AED training
- Complete American Red Cross Lifeguard or equivalent training
- Receive Mental Health First Aid training
- Pass a comprehensive background check, including driving record verification
Trip Leaders have a minimum age of 21.
That is the baseline. We also look for people who can communicate clearly, stay calm, work well with teenagers, follow protocols, and make good decisions when a group is tired, wet, homesick, excited, or moving through a full day outdoors.
Wilderness First Responder training
Wilderness First Responder training is built for remote and outdoor settings.
That matters because RLT trips are not always five minutes from urgent care. Students may be hiking, rafting, kayaking, camping, snorkeling, doing service work, or traveling between regions.
WFR training helps leaders assess what is happening, provide first response, communicate clearly, and know when a situation needs more support.
Leaders are not expected to be doctors. They are trained to notice, assess, document, respond, and use the support systems behind them.
Water safety training
Many RLT trips include water.
That might mean rafting in Colorado or Costa Rica, kayaking in Alaska or Puerto Rico, snorkeling along a reef, swimming at a beach, paddleboarding on a calm stretch of water, or moving as a group near rivers and coastlines.
RLT requires American Red Cross Lifeguard or equivalent training because water days need more than enthusiasm. Leaders need to understand supervision, prevention, communication, and response.
Some activities also use professional outfitters, local guides, or specialized instructors. The RLT leader’s job is to help keep the student group organized, prepared, and supported throughout the activity.
Mental Health First Aid
Trip leaders are with students all day.
They see who is quiet at breakfast. They notice who is hanging back from the group. They hear the small comments that can tell you a student is homesick, anxious, overwhelmed, or having a hard time socially.
Mental Health First Aid training gives leaders a framework for recognizing and responding to emotional distress.
That does not mean every hard moment becomes a crisis. Most do not. Sometimes a student needs sleep, food, a walk with a leader, a reset, or a clear conversation about how to rejoin the group.
The training helps leaders know how to respond with steadiness and when to bring in more support.
The 10-day RLT staff training
Before summer begins, RLT runs a 10-day in-house staff training.
This is where leaders learn RLT’s specific systems: safety protocols, medical procedures, emergency planning, group dynamics, communication practices, behavior support, travel procedures, and how we make decisions in the field.
Leaders also practice scenarios. Not because we expect every scenario to happen, but because practice builds steadier decision-making.
A leader may come to RLT with strong outdoor skills, teaching experience, medical training, or previous youth work. They still complete RLT training before leading students. We want every leader using the same language, expectations, and operating systems once trips begin.
The support behind the field team
A trip leader handles first response in the field. They are not working alone.
RLT’s Medical Protocols and Standing Orders are reviewed annually by a Licensed Medical Advisor. RLT also has 24/7 access to an emergency medical physician for situations that need additional medical guidance.
If something medical comes up on a trip, leaders assess, document, communicate with RLT HQ, and use the support systems in place. When needed, the Licensed Medical Advisor or emergency physician access becomes part of the decision-making.
That structure matters. It means field leaders are trained, but they are not isolated.
What leaders know before the trip starts
Before a trip begins, families complete required forms through the RLT portal, including health history, medical forms, waivers, and emergency contact information.
Leaders review participant medical history before the trip starts. Allergies, medications, previous injuries, and other relevant notes are flagged so leaders know what to watch for and how to support the group.
During the trip, leaders keep track of the whole picture: group energy, route, weather, gear, hydration, food, medical status, and how students are doing socially.
That is part of why small-group leadership matters. A leader responsible for a smaller number of students can notice more.
What the student-to-leader ratio looks like
The exact student-to-leader ratio depends on the trip.
RLT’s maximum student-to-leader ratio is 8:1. More commonly, it is 6:1, and it can be as low as 2:1 when groups are working with expert guides.
Each of our trip pages lists the specific group size and leader count for that program.
Trip Leaders and Interns
RLT has two field staff roles: Trip Leader and Intern.
Trip Leaders guide and support students through service-learning projects, language immersion, backpacking, rock climbing, biking, kayaking, trekking, scuba diving, whitewater rafting, and other trip activities.
Interns work alongside Trip Leaders in supportive roles. Interns are graduates of an RLT program who have completed at least one year of college.
Both roles matter. Trip Leaders carry primary leadership responsibility. Interns help support the group, the leaders, and the daily flow of the trip.
What this looks like on a trip
On Day 1, leaders help students move from airport arrivals into the first group routines: introductions, safety expectations, phone collection, travel logistics, and settling into the first night.
During the trip, they manage the daily rhythm. Wake-up, meals, gear, service work, activity briefings, route decisions, weather checks, group conversations, and the small moments that keep a group moving.
If a student is homesick, leaders check in.
If a student is moving slowly on a hike, leaders notice.
If a student needs medication, leaders manage and dispense medications as needed.
If something medical happens, leaders provide first response, communicate with RLT HQ, and use the medical support systems behind them.
Most of this is quiet work. Families may never see it, but students feel it in the way the trip is held.
Questions to ask about any teen travel leader
If you are comparing programs, ask direct questions:
- What medical training do leaders have?
- How long is staff training?
- Is training in person?
- Are leaders background checked?
- Are driving records checked?
- Is there Mental Health First Aid training?
- Who supports leaders while trips are running?
- What is the student-to-leader ratio?
- Are there different field staff roles?
- What happens if a leader needs medical backup or help with a student issue?
A good program should be able to answer clearly.
Talk with us
If you want to know more about the leaders assigned to your teen’s trip, ask us when you call.
We can talk through the training, the field team structure, the student-to-leader ratio, and how leaders are supported while trips are running.