Outdoor AfroLeadership Application

Welcome! Thank you for your interest to become a volunteer leader as part of the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team. On a rolling basis, we are recruiting enthusiastic, committed, adventurous, and community-oriented outdoor innovators to join our national not-for-profit organization. Before you apply, please ask yourself the following questions to ensure our expectations align with your community, connection, and career growth aspirations:

  • Are you at least 21 years old?
  • Are you an outdoor enthusiast comfortable with leading accessible outdoor events in your neighborhood or larger community?
  • Do you know how to connect outdoor experiences with the local Black history that surrounds your local community?
  • Are you open to receiving specialized training and year-round coaching to help strengthen your, Black people, and Black community connections to outdoor conservation, recreation, and education? 
  • Are you invested in leveraging the outdoors to improve Black family and community health and wellness relationships to our planet?

About Outdoor Afro Leadership Team

What started as a kitchen table blog by Outdoor Afro’s Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 is a nature movement and organization nearly 15 years later. Outdoor Afro’s mission is simple: We celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Our award-winning organization helps people take better care of themselves, our communities, and our planet. Outdoor Afro Leadership Team started with 12 outdoor enthusiasts in 2009 who said “yes” to gaining firsthand experience in navigating and leading in nature. Our annual training formed to empower everyday people to draw inspiration from Black history, art, music, and activism to become confident and skilled outdoor leaders and innovators. Our volunteer leaders create relationships among our local communities and the outdoors by telling known, little known, and unknown stories about Black connections to land, water, and wildlife.

Outdoor Afro Leadership Team Requirements 

Volunteer leaders are required to fulfill the following nature activities throughout the 2024-2025 cohort year:

  • Create, host, and lead a minimum of 1 Outdoor Afro event every month in your local community;
  • Join scheduled monthly meetings with Outdoor Afro HQ and peer volunteer leaders to learn about the latest organizational news and gain professional development connected to our nature work together;
  • Attend the organization’s annual Outdoor Afro Leadership Training (OALT) held annually in April. This in-person training will take place at a secluded retreat location for a weekend of professional development workshops (travel costs covered by participants; accommodations and food covered by Outdoor Afro); 
  • Use Outdoor Afro’s social media platforms (Facebook and Meetup) to post and promote your monthly events to educate our audiences about our outdoor conservation, education, and recreation activities only; and
  • Participate in Outdoor Afro stewardship, conservation, and nature-related campaigns connected to our mission when applicable.

For applicant consideration for this unique opportunity with Outdoor Afro, please fully complete the form below.