Top 10 Reasons to Join the Brave Trails Team!

At Brave Trails, we celebrate the identities, experiences, and perspectives that each person brings to our community. You’ll be surrounded by LGBTQ+ people and allies who value opportunities to learn, explore, and grow together.

Campers and staff wear nametags with their names and pronouns, and there’s room to try a new name, explore your expression, or share more of yourself. As a staff member, you help create that affirming environment for young people while continuing your own journey of self-discovery.

From cabins to activities, our approach to camp makes room for people of all genders. We know that navigating gendered spaces can bring additional stress for trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. Thoughtful housing practices, affirming language, and respect for individual needs are part of how we build a welcoming community.

Our staff bring these values into everyday camp life. By respecting names and pronouns, supporting personal boundaries, and making room for different forms of expression, you help campers feel more comfortable being themselves.

There is so much to learn from our community’s stories. At Brave Trails, LGBTQ+ education is woven into programming that invites campers and staff to ask questions, share perspectives, and deepen their understanding.

Topics may include LGBTQ+ history, identity, intersectionality, knowing your rights, healthy relationships, consent, and more. As part of our team, you’ll bring your own experiences and curiosity while helping young people connect what they learn to how they want to lead.

Start your morning beneath the trees, spend an afternoon supporting an outdoor activity, and end the day gathered with your community. Working at camp gives you opportunities to step away from your usual routine and connect with the world around you.

LGBTQ+ people belong in outdoor spaces, and our staff help young people build that sense of belonging through shared adventures. Along the way, we encourage care for the places we gather and respect for the Indigenous peoples whose ancestral lands we occupy.

**#5 Be the Person you Needed Growing Up**

Think about what it might have meant to know an LGBTQ+ adult who celebrated you, listened to you, and believed in your potential. At Brave Trails, you can be that person for a young camper.

Being a role model happens in everyday moments: inviting someone into an activity, helping them work through a challenge, or cheering them on as they try something new. Your patience, encouragement, and example can help campers build confidence and practice advocating for themselves and others.

You don’t need to have every answer. A willingness to listen, learn, and show up with care goes a long way.

Have a skill you love sharing? An activity idea you’ve been dreaming about? Camp is full of opportunities to put your creativity to work.

Our programming brings together camp favorites like hiking, swimming, archery, and art with opportunities to explore leadership, identity, and self-expression. Depending on your role, you might lead a workshop, support an activity, or help campers bring their own ideas to life.

Whether your passion is crafting, outdoor skills, performance, or community organizing, your talents can help a camper discover something they love.

There’s a reason we call our team the Unicorn Crew. We bring enthusiasm, imagination, and plenty of playful energy to camp.

Theme days, costumes, camp traditions, and spontaneous moments of silliness give staff and campers opportunities to connect and express themselves. Your version of camp spirit might be an elaborate costume, a favorite T-shirt, or being the person cheering everyone on.

However you participate, your willingness to have fun helps campers feel comfortable joining in, too.

#8 **Facilitate Meaningful Conversations**

Some of camp’s most memorable moments begin with someone feeling heard. Through cabin conversations, workshops, and community activities, staff help create opportunities for campers to share their experiences and learn from one another.

You’ll practice asking thoughtful questions, listening with care, and supporting conversations across different identities and perspectives. These moments can help young people find common ground, feel less alone, and recognize the value of their own stories.

Working at camp gives you hands-on experience in communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership. You’ll practice adapting plans, supporting a group, offering encouragement, and working through challenges with a team.

You’ll also meet people who bring different skills, career paths, and experiences to the work. Whether you’re interested in education, youth development, nonprofit work, or another field entirely, camp offers opportunities to learn from others and build relationships around shared values.

There’s something special about spending your summer with people who care deeply about LGBTQ+ youth and are excited to create something meaningful together.

Shared meals, staff check-ins, big camp moments, and everyday laughter give you time to build connections with your teammates. Many staff and volunteers leave with friendships they continue to nurture long after the session ends.

As you help campers connect to their people, place, and passion, you may find more of your own along the way.

Join the Unicorn Crew!

We’re looking for caring, creative people to help make next summer memorable for LGBTQ+ youth. With a variety of paid and volunteer positions, there are different ways to bring your skills, energy, and experience to Brave Trails.

Come be the person you needed when you were younger.

Explore OPEN POSITIONS →