where there be dragons
where there be dragons
where there be dragons

Instructor qualifications

The richness of our learning adventures is largely attributed to the amazing life experience of our course instructors.

 

Working with Dragons is challenging, yet also infinitely rewarding! Our instructors are empowered with a multitude of responsibilities, requiring a specialized skill set that many applicants possess only after spending considerable time living, working, volunteering or studying in a community within the developing world. Our instructors average 29 years old.

 

While we don't expect that every applicant will meet all of the below criteria, the ideal candidate will:

  • Be capable of instructing a safe, educational, dynamic and engaging course in challenging environments within the developing world.
  • Demonstrate unique experience and strong local contacts in any of the countries where we run programs.
  • Exhibit significant experience in a relevant field (i.e. education, guiding, development work, etc).
  • Possess a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) certification.
  • Demonstrate experience leading groups and/or working with adolescents.
  • Demonstrate foreign language skills relevant to the program area.
  • Express an ability and desire to educate the whole student.

These are the broadest of our instructor qualifications. As you can imagine, the specialized nature of the work means that there are also many sub-qualifications. The ideal candidate needs to demonstrate other talents, including strong interpersonal skills, technical skills, and risk management skills. There are many hats - both collective and individual - that must be worn by the members of an instructor team. The list is exhausting, and a little overwhelming, but don't worry; we understand that few individual applicants will carry the skill set needed to wear all of them! Some may bring a wealth of in-country contacts; some may bring a great deal of experience working with adolescents; and some may bring a strong background in wilderness medicine and emergency response. No matter the hats that an individual wears, all are equally valued.

Before applying to work with Dragons, you'll want to review our job description and responsibilities, so that you more clearly understand the ways in which instructor talents are brought to the forefront of both course design and course implementation.

And finally, we encourage you to review the 9 core components that we've described and rated for each and every program. Before beginning work on our instructor application, it's important that you can clearly identify the ways in which your connections and passions may help to facilitate program-specific activities and elements.

the leader in cross-cultural education