The highest level of security:
The staff team is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do. They are more than just instructors – they are role models, mentors, and friends to our students. Because we don't take this responsibility lightly, we have a rigorous and selective hiring process.
Who is our staff?
Our hiking guides and outdoor educators are the key ingredient to our success at Young Explorers Club. Although we all come from different backgrounds, we all share a passion for adventure, our national parks, and sharing experiences with others to create memories that last a lifetime. Our team of Yosemite guides is a young and energetic group that understands the importance of professionalism, caring, and risk management. Some of our guides were youth participants themselves before moving on to their elite roles, while others were selected for the backgrounds and experiences they have with youth and in the outside environment. Many of our outdoor educators work off-season jobs as teachers, naturalists, counselors, or other youth-focused professions, and many of us live in the Sierra Nevada year-round. On most outings, you will have the pleasure of getting to know several guides!
Before each hiking season, our guides meet for a week of staff training to prepare and refresh their skills. We have fun covering serious practices, playing games, and reviewing protocols, essentially using the same adventure-based programming model that we facilitate on our adventures with youth, groups, schools, and companies. We’re more than colleagues – we’re a team – and we work hard, live and play together all summer long!
Our instructors have
Certifications:
- Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
- PSIA Ski Instructor
- PSIA Snowboard Instructor
- Alpine Ski Instructor PSIA
- PSIA Adapted Snowboard Instructor
- PSIA Child Specialist
- ACA Whitewater Rescue
- Eagle Scout Behavioral First Responder
- NAUI Rescue Diver
Summer Camp Health & Safety:
Who takes care of your children at camp?
How do we manage risk?
An excellent average ratio of 1:6 between counsellors and children on each camp and program ensures effective supervision, great attention and supervision for all young campers. Advisors are responsible for direct supervision.
During each activity, all preventive safety measures are in place and strictly followed. All Young Explorers Club instructors must be fully certified in CPR and First Aid. In addition, at all campsites, full-time health care specialists are responsible for the health of campers. They are responsible for first aid, organizing and distributing medications, liaising with local doctors and hospitals if necessary, and keeping all records relating to any illness or accident.
Hospitals are always accessible by car. In the rare case of illness or accident, parents are called at the earliest opportunity and updated with full information about the steps taken to help the child. At each location, there is a full fire drill for all staff and campers.
Young Explorers Clubs is committed to providing the safest environment for your children. In anticipation of a world where the pandemic may still be widespread, we will take certain precautions to minimize any risk of an outbreak in a camp environment. As a company based in Switzerland, we will closely update the policies in accordance with the required standards put in place by the Youth Protection Service (SPJ) and the relevant local authorities. Some of these include the following:
Sanitizer dispensers will be provided around each of our various locations with individual bottles of hand sanitizer and surfaces distributed regularly throughout the camp stay.
Strict hygiene measures for campers, including regular hand washing, sneezing/coughing scenarios and more, will be supervised and delivered by staff to educate campers.
Strict cleaning protocols will be followed several times a day by all housekeeping staff as well as counselor staff.
Meal times will follow the appropriate regulations regarding the service of campers.
Prior to arrival, all campers and staff must complete our updated health form confirming their good health and informing us of any underlying health conditions as well as any previous corona virus results.
Upon arrival, all campers and staff temperature will be checked (as well as parents if they are accompanying them for check-in).
