First-Year Trips Leader and Crooling applications have closed for 2024. Look for the 2025 application sometime during Winter Term 2025.
Anyone can apply to be a First-Year Trip Leader or on a Croo, regardless of background, experience, or ability. This includes people with no outdoor experiences at all, physical disabilities, and those who did not go on a First-Year Trip. Trips is a program for all of campus and incoming students of all sorts -- we strive to reflect that in our leader body.
The main role of the Trip Leader is not to be an outdoor guide - it is to be your most authentic self, be a supportive and empowering mentor to incoming students, and create space for you and your Trip to have an impactful experience.
Trip Leaders (in pairs) lead six to ten incoming students on multi-day outings centered on a specific theme or activity. During Trips, Trip Leaders are responsible for fostering safe, fun, welcoming, and reflective spaces for their participants (and themselves!).
Trip Leaders are among the first upper-level students that incoming students will meet, helping to set the tone for how incoming students view Dartmouth. They facilitate and support a close-knit, small-group structure, often forming impactful relationships with their trippees and co-leaders that extend beyond the end of the Trips program.
An ideal Trip Leader is someone who is excited about welcoming incoming students of diverse backgrounds to Dartmouth. They value peer mentorship and engagement, and are eager to introduce new members to the Dartmouth community in a fun, meaningful, and inclusive way.
While each trip varies heavily by type, Trip leaders can adapt activities to meet the needs of the trip.. On a typical day as a Trip Leader, you might wake up with your Trip, cook and clean breakfast together on your camp stove, and hike along a trail, paddle a canoe, take photographs of wildlife, discuss literature, or visit a cultural site on campus. See sample itineraries and training descriptions to learn more!
First-Year Trip Croos are logistics and support teams who work behind the scenes to keep Trips running smoothly and safely. Croos foster thoughtful and fun environments for incoming students and their leaders. Croolings support Trip Leaders, allowing them more space to form relationships and connections with their trippees. The ideal crooling is passionate and excited about contributing to the success of Trips and working closely with their team towards a common goal!
The daily life of croos depends on the team, but all croos work together to meet the needs of the program—finding the right supplies, cooking for a group, facilitating a discussion circle, or sitting with someone who needs a quiet moment. Croos work hard through the day, but emphasize time together as a community, often becoming very close in the process. Being on a croo is a challenging but rewarding experience!
Please note that we provide a description of the different croos as insight into the role – applications for croo are general, and not for a specific team. We will consider your experience and background and place you in the croo that’s the best fit. If you have ability- or accessibility-related concerns regarding a specific croo, please specify this in your application!
Hanover Croo
H-Croo serves as the head of all Hanover-based logistics: checking-in participants, distributing food and gear, and ensuring a smooth departure of Trips from Hanover. H-Croo coordinates start-of-trips programming, including the first meeting of incoming students and their Trip Leaders.
Vox Croo
Vox croo handles the majority of safety and logistics responses during Trips. The croo is on-call 24 hours a day to respond to all emergency and non-emergency incidents, including evacuations and first aid. Vox also routinely checks-in with trips, bringing needed supplies, moral support, and tasty treats. When not responding to incidents, Vox Croo provides other croos with assistance.
Lodj and Sklodj Croo
The Lodj Croos welcome trips to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge (Lodj) and Skiway Lodge (Sklodj), providing them with care, food, and entertainment. The Lodj program brings together students on each section and serves as an important part of participants’ transitions into the larger Dartmouth community.
Oak Hill Croo
The Mountain Biking Croo (formerly/futurely known as Oak Hill Croo) instructs mountain biking trips at local mountain biking areas and helps coordinate the trips staying closest to campus. Croolings must be able to ride over uneven terrain (gravel, roots, dirt). Oak Hill Croo leads trips on gravel roads and beginner single track!
Grant Croo
Grant Croo oversees the logistics and safety of trips at the Second College Grant in northern New Hampshire. Grant Croo oversees and facilitates all Trips to the Grant including canoeing, fly fishing, and cabin camping (with variations), and attends to trips needing assistance. Grant Croo often works independently to respond to concerns and crises of all trips that take place in the Grant.
Klymbing/Sunapee Croo
Klymbing Croo is responsible for the logistics and facilitation of all rock climbing trips. The Croo teaches basic climbing and belaying skills and ensures safety at the crag – all while making the participants feel as comfortable as possible.
Everyone! We know we’re repeating ourselves here, but we really want to emphasize this.
The First-Year Trips program strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for every incoming student. The best trip leaders are those who are thoughtful and genuine, not those of a specific background, experience, or personality. Just as there is no typical Dartmouth student or experience, no specific type of person makes a good Trip Leader or Crooling.
Outdoor skills and experiences are not required to be a successful Trip leader. We want everyone to apply to be a First-Year Trip Leader or on a Croo, regardless of background, experience, or ability. We will provide you with all the training and gear that you need, and make sure that you are placed in a role in which you feel excited about.
If you have any concerns or questions at all, or want to talk through if your background is a good one for Trips, please let us know! We’d be happy to talk to you ourselves, put you in touch with someone who has a similar background and/or answer any questions.
Absolutely not - we prioritize the experiences of all personality types and needs. Leaders and Croolings help meet the needs of all incoming students, especially those who might feel overwhelmed in social settings. While Trips is high energy at times, it is also filled with moments of quiet reflection and small group experiences.
Any Dartmouth undergraduate student who is graduating at the end of Fall 2023 or later is eligible to apply to be a trip leader or crooling. There is no required or expected experience. There are roles for people of all experiences and abilities on Trips, and we will give you all the training you need. We do require that applicants be in good standing with the College.
Yes! There are roles for all comfort levels and experiences, and our training will provide you with the skills you need. While a deep love of outdoor recreation isn’t a requirement to apply, most Trips do spend the majority of their time outside. We encourage you to note any comfort levels or concerns on the application. If selected, we’ll match you to a role that fits you, and teach you all the skills that you need!
Absolutely. The First-Year Trips program isn’t about preserving or passing on any one type of experience – if you are excited about being a significant part of welcoming incoming students to Dartmouth, that is enough. Regardless of whether you went on Trips, the experiences that you have had at Dartmouth thus far are real and are just as important as anyone else’s. It’s okay to be nervous about being a trip leader. We’ll provide you with all the training you need to welcome and support incoming students in transitioning into our community.
