Trip leaders
Our trip leaders are a big part of our success. All of our trip leaders are FUN, sincere, hardworking and responsible people. They realize that it is a privilege to be guiding these trips all over Europe and the rest of the world.
Our trip leader teams are very well balanced. Each team includes one male and one female trip leader, one leader from Europe and one leader from North America. Each team has at least one returning trip leader (senior trip leader) who is already familiar with Venture Europe and AAVE.
Each Venture Europe/AAVE adventure group is an autonomous group of 13 to 15 teenagers and 2 to 3 adult Trip leaders. The minimum age of our trip leaders is 21 but most trip leaders are around 25. We are proud of our high leader return rate, more than 50% return each summer and many leaders have led more than eight trips.
We conduct an in-depth interview; check references and do a background check of all potential trip leaders. Organizational skills, sense of humor, and an ability to teach teenagers about leadership and adventure travel, are the qualities we value most.
Before the start of our trips, trip leader orientation covers a broad range of responsibilities from meals, games and group dynamics to first aid, communication and guardianship. It is also a time for teambuilding, for getting to know all trip leaders very well and for trip leaders to get to know our high standards.
Venture Europe additionally contracts professional guides to join your group for most skill activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, white water rafting, canyoning, surfing and sailing. On our language trips, all trip leaders speak the language fluently and many of them are native speakers.
