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B.O.S.S. (Blackpackers Outdoor Skills School)
Events
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General B.O.S.S. Information
Building foundational skills for the next generation of outdoor professionals
Blackpackers Outdoor Skills School (BOSS) is putting its vision into practice with the launch of BOSS Foundations Cohort #1, its inaugural Basic Skills cohort for aspiring and current outdoor professionals.
The 80-hour program combines in-person learning, remote instruction, and in-field practicums. Participants are developing skills in areas including team leadership, wilderness survival, Wilderness First Aid, navigation, nutrition and meal planning, Leave No Trace, gear use and maintenance, and risk management.
A New Approach to Outdoor Education
BOSS was shaped by years of experience in outdoor education and a recognition of the need for new pathways into the field. Bill Landis, former department head of Pikes Peak State College’s Outdoor Leadership and Recreation Technology program, brings extensive experience in outdoor education and recreation to the development of BOSS.
Blackpackers Founder and Executive Director Patricia Cameron also brings years of outdoor leadership experience, including serving as an advisory council chair for the PPSC program before it closed, as well as current advisory roles with Red Rocks Community College and the National Outdoor Leadership School.
Together, this experience has helped shape a curriculum that takes an anti-racist and decolonized approach to outdoor education, connecting technical skills with leadership, equity, and community.
Looking Ahead
Foundations is the first step in BOSS’s learning pathway. Participants who successfully complete the Basic Skills curriculum will be invited to continue into the 2027 Advancing Leaders curriculum, focused on preparing participants for leadership roles in outdoor recreation organizations.
As the inaugural cohort, participants are also helping shape what BOSS becomes. Their experiences and feedback will inform future curriculum, scheduling, and teaching approaches.
Q: Who can apply, what is the time commitment, and what will I gain from the B.O.S.S. cohort?
A: B.O.S.S. is open to applicants who are committed to developing outdoor leadership skills—no prior professional experience required; motivated beginners to intermediate outdoorspeople are encouraged to apply. The program runs approximately one year, starting in June, and includes a mix of in-person workshops, fieldwork weekends, hybrid/online modules, an internship, and a capstone project; expect a variable weekly time commitment (intensive periods during field sessions and internships, lighter during online modules). By graduation you will have practical field experience, completed internships, and receive industry-relevant certifications and a portfolio/capstone demonstrating your readiness to lead recreational trips, serve as a volunteer, or pursue paid outdoor roles. Application details, schedule planning sessions, costs, and certification types will be finalized with the cohort during the planning phase.
Blackpackers
Upcoming B.O.S.S.Events
Events
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Blackpackers Outdoor Skills School
B.O.S.S. (Blackpackers Outdoor Skills School) creates a one-year, cohort-based pathway that turns outdoor interest into leadership by providing hands-on field training, industry certifications, internships, and a capstone project. Rooted in Blackpackers’ mission to expand access and representation, the program centers community-driven curriculum design, culturally responsive instruction, and peer mentorship so graduates are prepared to lead recreational trips, serve as volunteers, and enter paid outdoor careers.