JHOC

The members of the club are current Hopkins Students passionate about the outdoors.

This semester we are back and running free outdoor trips every weekend for all Hopkins students! We offer many different types of activities including: Hiking, Hike and bike, Flat water and whitewater Canoeing, Caving, Climbing, Mountain biking, Backpacking and more.

Official trip signups for the Fall 2023 semester are happening through Campus Groups on a first come first serve basis.

Applications are open for YOU to join us as a leader for JHU’s Experiential Education program! You don’t need to have prior outdoor experience, as long as you are excited to work with others, enjoy learning, and want to work to become an effective teacher of outdoor skills! 

How do you join this awesome community of instructors? Freshmen and Sophomores are encouraged to apply for the 2024-2025 cycle by October 7th – more information below & official application at the bottom of this page!

EE? OP? JHOC? 

Experiential Education (EE) encompasses both the Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club (JHOC) and Outdoor Pursuits (OP). Both organizations are dedicated to getting Hopkins Students outside and fostering a love for the outdoors. Listed are some key features of each program:

JHOC

• Weekly meetings
• Expectation to lead ~2 trips per semester
• Not admitted under a specific specialty allowing for flexibility
• JHOC Specific Specialties: Horizontal Caving, Vertical Caving, Mountain Biking, Biking in Baltimore
• Training paid for by University but instructors do not get paid for leading trips

OP

• Instructors get paid for trips but have to pay for training (financial assistance is available)
• OP Specific Specialties: White Water Kayaking, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Fly Fishing, Sailing, Sea Kayaking, Disc Golf
• Admitted to the program under a specialty, but there are opportunities to specialize in multiple activities
• Expected to lead at least one trip per semester

Both JHOC and OP offer instructors the opportunity to lead trips throughout the school year with the following specialties: Hiking, Backpacking, Climbing, Flatwater Canoeing, and Whitewater Canoeing. For more information on OP and JHOC please click here. If you still have questions about the programs or the application in general please email [email protected] or [email protected].

The EE Instructor Application Process is the same for both OP and JHOC!!!!

***NO OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED FOR EITHER PROGRAM***

How do I Apply?

1. Attend OP or JHOC Events (Highly Encouraged)

In addition to our trips, we will be hosting a variety of FUN events that you should attend! Some will have CampusGroups registration but others will be more informal and you can just drop by! Keep an eye on our Instagrams (@johnshopkinsoutdoorsclub and @jhuoutdoorpursuits) to see when we have events. Attendance is not mandatory, but talking to current instructors at these events will help us get to know you better and give you a chance to ask questions about the club. Signing up for trips on CampusGroups will also help us get to know you better and give you a chance to get to learn more about who we are and what we do!

2. Attend an Information Session (*Required*)

All applicants are required to attend an information session. Come to find out more about the EE program and ask any questions you have for current instructors. Please RSVP for one of the sessions in CampusGroups.

• September 16th, 2024 from 8-9PM Becoming An Instructor Information Session

• September 24th, 2024 from 8-9PM Becoming An Instructor Information Session

• October 2nd, 2024 from 8-9PM Becoming An Instructor Information Session

3. Fill Out the Written Application and Submit Video (*Required*)

This form is for applying to either OP or JHOC and will be due on October 7th at 9am. Apply with the link below. A short video will also be a required part of the application and instructions on how to submit that are included in the below form.

https://forms.gle/yGpZGUs1htXAK3eRA

4. Attend a Short Interview (*Required*)

We will be holding 20-minute interviews after the application deadline. You can choose available times at the end of your written application. The interviews will be in-person at Basecamp.

Outlined below is the application timeline and more dates that will be important to note off if accepted! Please mark these in your calendar now!

September 16, September 24, October 2nd	Becoming an Instructor Information Sessions
September-October	JHOC and OP Recruitment events
October 7th, 9am	Applications Due
Mid-October	Interviews
October 18	Notifications
October 23, 7-8:30pm	New Instructor Training 1: Intro to EE
October 30, 7-8:30pm	New Instructor Training 2: Intro to Risk
November 2-3rd, 2024	New Instructor Training Trip (Overnight)
January 10-18, 2024	Wilderness First Responder Training (in-person at JHU)

We are so excited to get to know you all through this process!