VISIONS leaders are the backbone of a safe and dynamic program. Much depends on the passionate, versatile individuals who work hard and with great heart every summer. We choose our summer directors and staff carefully. They know that their primary responsibility is safety and the well-being of our participants. Their key role within the VISIONS framework is to encourage participants to be as open as possible to the life and learning awaiting them in their programs.

Maximum group size at any VISIONS site is 24 or 25 participants and 6 leaders, including the program director. In any program we maintain a staff-to-student ratio of 1 to 4, and never lower than 1 staffer for every 5 participants.

Staff training receives important focus. Program directors spend a full week together before all other staff arrive for a three-day orientation here in Newport, PA, in mid-June. Everyone then travels to the program site for 8 to 10 more days of orientation and preparation before participants arrive. This investment pays off in a well-grounded staff team when participants arrive, and in a staff return rate each season averaging from 44% and 55%.

Leaders range in age from mid- to late 20s and older (minimum age to apply is 23), with program directors averaging 28 years old. All staffers hold current first aid or Wilderness First Aid and CPR certification; the majority have advanced safety certifications, including Wilderness First Responder or a Wilderness EMT certifications.

Confirmed experience and enthusiasm for working with teens and more-than-passing experience in cross cultural settings are requisites in hiring staff. A team player mindset and an authentic community-minded spirit is essential.