Emerging Leaders Program
WhAT IS the Emerging Leaders PrograM?
The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is a program designed to create systemic change in the outdoor industry by creating entry points for underrepresented communities that have historically had inequitable access to the outdoors, including BIPOC individuals and other shared identities. Throughout the curriculum, cohort members will build their resumes and network with career professionals in their areas of interest.
Why did WTA create the Emerging Leaders Program?
WTA is committed to creating systemic change by increasing entry points to the outdoor industry for communities that have had inequitable access to the outdoors, including BIPOC individuals. WTA hopes that by investing in paid development opportunities for future leaders in the outdoor industry, those leaders can build upon professional and personal aspirations while contributing to an outdoor community where people of all identities feel included and valued.
Goals and impacts of the the Emerging Leaders Program
ELP has completed five years of successful programming, supporting 20 young professionals in their career journeys and building a network of dozens of community partners and outdoor champions committed to expanding the diversity of experiences represented in outdoor professions. The program has seen tremendous support from BIPOC community partners and individuals who collectively share their personal journeys into the outdoor industry with the cohort.
As we begin our sixth year, the Emerging Leaders Program will shift to a summer schedule and offer more pathways for a broader range of early-career professionals to engage with WTA's work. This refreshed model will hire six summer associates to fill seasonal roles across our various programs.
This could include positions such as a communications associate, a gear library associate, or someone to support our volunteers and get experience doing trail maintenance. The cohort will be onboarded together in the spring, where they will spend one Saturday a month coming together as a group, learning leadership skills and meeting with community partners. Then they will transition into full-time employment as program associates for the summer season.
Over the course of the program, cohort members will gain hands-on experience:
Leadership Skills
- Complete trail work projects while practicing inclusive and team leadership skills at work sites across the Puget Sound region
- Outdoor leadership skills development (snowshoeing or hiking, backpacking, and trip planning)
- Multi-day trip where the cohort will embark on an overnight backpacking trip together
- Practice and increase knowledge of the importance of safety in outdoor recreation. Learning and executing WTA's risk management protocols
Professional Development
- Hands-on learning with a WTA program that best matches your career interests
- Cross-collaboration with other WTA departments (advocacy, communications, development and community outreach)
- Resume development and career exploration within the outdoor industry, nonprofit sector and government land management agencies
- Continuous engagement with a variety of career paths in the outdoor industry
- Networking and engaging with community organizations and land manager agency partners
- Wilderness First Aid and CPR certification
How to join the Emerging Leaders Program
Review the current job descriptions to see the six summer associate positions being offered through the Emerging Leaders Program in 2027.
The application priority deadline is October 16, 2026.
Stories From the Field
Creating a Path for Outdoor Leaders
WTA celebrates 5 years of helping build a better future for trails through the Emerging Leaders Program | By MJ Mahan and Krista Dooley.
WTA's Emerging Leaders Program celebrates a successful fifth season
"Overall, the past 5 years of the program show a huge testament to investing in early professionals, and there is so much to teach about the outdoors: trail work, backpacking, snowshoeing and more."
Checking in with Emerging Leader Alums
Past participants of WTA's Emerging Leaders Program chat about what they're up to now and how their time in the program has helped inform their careers so far.
Intentional spaces
WTA’s Emerging Leaders find professional connections in the outdoor community. By Angelic Friday