Volunteer Opportunities in Experiential Learning Programmes on Treks Across India

The Indiahikes School of Outdoor Learning (InSOUL) is looking for volunteers for our Collaborative Leadership Programme (CLP) with top management institutions in India. We also require volunteers for our other programmes designed for schools, corporates, and colleges. 

This is an opportunity for our best trekkers and everyone else who deeply aligns with our vision and meets the requirements to join us in organising these programmes.

The Collaborative Leadership Programme with a management institution will take place on Himalayan treks between 14th to 19th October 2024.

Additionally, we will be running three more programmes between 14th October 2024 to 3rd November 2024. 

Volunteers cannot choose which slope they would like to work on. It will be decided based on your strength and background. This assessment will be done based on interviews with you.

Volunteering for an experiential learning programme with the Indiahikes School of Outdoor Learning (InSOUL) is deeply rewarding. You not only get to trek in some of the most beautiful locations in our country, but you also get to be part of a futuristic learning programme. 

Such volunteering programmes are rare. We open these opportunities only once or twice a year.

What is the Collaborative Leadership Programme?

This is a programme we have been organising since 2011. 

The Indiahikes Collaborative Leadership Programme (CLP) turns management theory into practice through a six-day outdoor adventure. Participants learn by doing, planning, and executing their own Himalayan trek with the goal of reaching a high summit together within a set time frame.

In this challenging environment, teams navigate tough terrain, handle bad weather, manage group dynamics, set up camp, prepare meals, and face designed challenges. Success is defined by every team member reaching the summit.

At the end of it, students take back real-life management skills from the mountains.

The CLP is a highly-acclaimed programme that IIM has included in its curriculum for the past 12 years. The journey began with IIM Indore, followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Lucknow that have made CLP a part of their curriculum, along with other B-schools across the country, such as Goa Institute of Management. 

Organising the programme is a source of pride and responsibility for Indiahikes, and it’s an equally big responsibility for our volunteers to shoulder.

What are we looking for in our volunteers?

We are extremely picky about our volunteers for two reasons.

First, volunteers must be able to provide intellectual stimulation for MBA students. This is not easy, considering that the students are few of the top management students in our country!

Second, volunteers play a big role in managing the entire programme. This requires good people skills, time management skills, 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.

Volunteering for our school programmes:

What is the Outdoor Leadership Programme?

Seeing the strong impact of the outdoors and trekking on children, Indiahikes has designed special Outdoor Experiential Learning Programmes for schools. Over 10,000 students from across the country have trekked with us.

In the Outdoor Leadership Programme (OLP), students go on a trek, and learn leadership and teamwork skills. The focus is on building resilience, confidence, and the ability to overcome difficulties in young learners.

We do this through a trek that is specially designed to bring out these aspects.

What skills are we looking for in volunteers for our OLP school programmes?

For our school programmes, it is very important that you are good with children. You have high levels of energy and you can keep students engaged and motivated.

Furthermore, volunteers play a big role in administering the whole programme. This requires good people skills, discipline, and leadership ability.

The entire volunteering period is a 6-day marathon with hardly any time to breathe, eat, or sleep. Volunteers need to be physically and mentally capable to handle these situations.

What do we do at Indiahikes School of Outdoor Learning (InSOUL)? 

Our goal is for everyone to find or rediscover a sense of wonder through trekking. We want to inspire people to push their personal limits, continue learning, love the process of discovery, reflect on their experiences, and become better versions of themselves.

Our North Star is that ‘Everyone Must Trek’, because trekking transforms lives. At InSOUL, we ensure that we provide this opportunity to everyone, whether they are sitting in a school classroom, a college classroom or a corporate office.

Why is it a special opportunity to volunteer with InSOUL?

Volunteering with InSOUL is a unique opportunity for you to play a role in empowering students through outdoor experiences. 

You get to observe as students gain confidence, resilience, and compassion as they face real challenges. Young adults, at pivotal moments in their lives, develop a stronger sense of self, humility, and the courage to tackle personal and professional challenges. 

It is deeply rewarding to be able to carry out operations when you get to witness such transformation and learning.

Volunteering for the OLP and CLP carries a lot of weight. You get to test your leadership skills in a natural setting. It is a true experiential learning programme for both students and us, the organisers. You’re conducting the programme for young people, many of whom are doing a Himalayan trek for the first time, battling circumstances completely out of their comfort zones.

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

That is why at Indiahikes, an experiential learning program is not just transformative for the students it is equally transformative for us, the organisers, too.

At the end of the volunteership you also earn a certificate.

What is the application/interview process?

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

Indiahikes will sponsor your volunteership throughout the trek. All stay, food and trek costs are borne by Indiahikes. You would need to arrange your transport until the pick up point, either Dehradun or Manali (based on where you are assigned).

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. 

Please note: Even though the programme is a volunteer experience and Indiahikes will bear all your expenses, any last-minute dropout of chaperones is a significant setback to the programme. 

Therefore, to confirm your volunteering, you must pay a refundable deposit of Rs 5,000. This will be refunded within 7 days after you return from the trek. If you cannot make it to the programme, this deposit will not be refunded.