Volunteer For Our Himalayan Leadership Program With IIM Indore

We are about to conduct our next Collaborative Leadership Program for the students of IIM-Indore. And just like the past 12 years, we are giving a chance to our best trekkers to join us as volunteers to organise this program. 

This program is scheduled to happen on the five different Himalayan treks between October 13-18th 2023.

If there’s something you should look forward to in October, ~Contact.FirstName~, it’s this.

Just last week, students of IIM Lucknow wrapped up their Collaborative Leadership Program with us and had brilliant takeaways from their experience. Now, it's time for us to start planning for the next. 

What is the Collaborative Leadership Program?

If you’re not familiar with it, this is a programme we have been organising since 2011. It is a part of our Experiential Learning Programme. 

During this program, management students of IIM gather in the Himalayas and participate in a strategy game. The game is designed to test the endurance, grit, strategy and planning of the students. At the end of it, students take back real life management skills from the world of mountains.

It’s a highly acclaimed programme that IIM has included in its curriculum for the past 12 years. Although it began with IIM Indore, IIM Bangalore and IIM Lucknow have made it a part of their curriculum, along with other B-schools across the country, such as Goa Institute of Management. It has extended to several corporates too. 

For Indiahikes to organise it is a huge pride and responsibility, and it’s an equally big responsibility for our volunteers to shoulder.

Being a volunteer is a huge learning experience

Being an insider and being an active member of the team conducting the program is a big opportunity.

And volunteering for the Collaborative Leadership Program carries a lot of weight. You get to learn effective leadership skills. You’re managing IIM students who are stepping into the Himalayas for the first time, doing a trek largely on their own, battling circumstances completely out of their comfort zones, and trying to win a strategy game.

As a volunteer, a lot of the program’s success depends on you.

You are assigned a team of 8-10 students. You are not only trekking with them but, as an insider, you are also conducting the program. It is your job to ensure that the students complete the program successfully.

What are we looking for in our volunteers?

We are extremely picky about our volunteers for two reasons.

First, volunteers must be able to intellectually stimulate IIM students. This is not easy, considering IIM students are few of the top minds in our country!

Second, volunteers play a big role in managing the whole programme. This requires good people skills, time management skills and basic qualities of humility and eagerness to go beyond your duty.

We have a specific eligibility criteria.

Every volunteer:

• Must be between the age of 25 and 35
• Must have at least 3 years of work experience
• Must have done at least one Himalayan trek with Indiahikes
• Must be extremely fit.

If you fit the bill, ~Contact.FirstName~, you’re welcome to apply as a volunteer. If you don't, please spread the word to your inner circles. It's a wonderful opportunity for anyone.

When and where is the Collaborative Leadership Program happening?

The program will be held parallely on 5 different treks: Kedarkantha, Dayara Bugyal, Kuari Pass, Deoriatal-Chandrashila and Brahmatal. Each trek will have about 35 students. (Volunteers do not get to choose the trek. They will be classified based on their strengths and weaknesses.) 

The dates are from October 12th to 18th. 

All volunteers have to reach Dehradun on 12th October by 5 am. We will move you to your basecamps the same day. We highly recommend that you reach Dehradun by the evening of 11th October.

Volunteers will be back in Dehradun on 18th October by 7 pm. 

Indiahikes will sponsor your volunteership throughout the trek. All stay, food and trek costs are borne by Indiahikes. You have to get to Dehradun and out of Dehradun on your own. Also, you have to incur share travel cost to (and out of) the base camp that you are assigned to.

Cancellation policy for volunteers: In case Indiahikes or IIM calls off the program in the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, Indiahikes will accommodate you within our regular groups during the same dates. This cannot be converted into a voucher or a refund.

If you’d like to apply as a volunteer

We have a two step process to select volunteers.

Step 1: A questionnaire to get to know you and your skills

Step 2: A video interview to assess your potential as a volunteer

Please fill out this form if you’d like to apply as a volunteer - https://forms.gle/aeXvYhCTQjmZVfor5

There are only 20 slots available for this volunteership and we are closing the registration within 48 hours. So apply soon.