Archive for the 'About Overland' Category

Fall has arrived in Williamstown, and the full time staff at Overland is already back to work in the office preparing for our 28th summer. Though the trips are months away, the work that goes into preparing for an Overland summer begins well in advance.

Preparation for the upcoming summer begins with a thorough review of our 2011 programs. Theresa, Emily, Dawn and Kate have been busy collecting and reading student and parent questionnaires from the summer and passing them on for a second reading to our logistics coordinators and enrollment team. We love receiving positive feedback and value constructive criticism that helps us to improve. September and October are exciting months for strategic planning, and we love the new ideas and visionary changes that spring from the previous summer’s feedback. If you haven’t yet completed a questionnaire, it’s not too late! Email us to request an electronic copy of the questionnaire.

Meanwhile, our logistics staff has been busy tweaking the fine details of each trip. Emily, a new addition to our full-time staff, is preparing for her upcoming trip to southern California and Santa Monica to scout a new section of the American Challenge; Hannah, Catherine, Alec, and Kate are fine-tuning Overland’s classic trips through Alaska, Yellowstone and along the Pacific Coast, as Melissa and Conor meet with Tom regularly to hash out the details of a new international program! And of course, we are all sorting through the 39,000 photos collected over summer 2011 to identify catalog-worthy shots of smiling faces, epic scenery, and the Overland family. Kate and Tom are working hard to compile our glossy catalog as we all wait eagerly for the final product. Contact us now to secure an early November mailing of our 2012 catalog, if you have not done so already.

Jonathan and Chris are busy scheduling leader recruiting visits to campuses across the country. Leader hiring for the upcoming summer begins early in the fall, as Overland staff members contact potential leaders, arrange interviews and prepare presentations about leading for Overland at colleges and universities around the country. It is not by luck that Overland’s leaders are among the brightest and most inspiring students in the country; the rigorous hiring process requires visits to nearly two dozen campuses multiple times a year, in-person group interviews with all finalists, and discussions among full time staff members about leader candidates – the final product is a truly special hand-picked group of warm, charismatic, over-achieving leaders who we feel immensely fortunate and proud to call our own.

Though summer 2011 is only now drawing to a close, we are already looking forward to our 28th summer with anticipation. Soon, our catalog will hit the mail, the phone lines will begin to ring with calls from curious parents and eager students, leader applicants will start to visit our office for interviews, and the office will fill with the sound of excited conversations and ample laughter that characterizes the Overland community through all seasons.

It is never too soon to start thinking about 2012 – a friendly, helpful conversation is just a phone call away. Our online application is up and running, our program dates and prices are current on the website, and the catalog is nearly complete. Please join us!

Happy fall from Williamstown,

The Overland Team

Hello Overland families and friends!

Thanks for a wonderful summer!  Please check our SmugMug photo website to see photos from all of our trips.   All photos were taken by our leaders and are available for free download for home printing or professional printing through SmugMug.  All photos from the summer will be online by Friday, August 12.

Overland SmugMug Website

Enjoy!

The Staff at Overland

Hello Overland families and friends!

Overland’s summer blog updates will be every Saturday for most of our programs and on Wednesdays for BA, NEA, CEP 2, CEP 4 and FST. You can expect one post for our two-week trips, two for our three-week trips, three for our four-week trips and so on. Feel free to call our office for any other updates during the summer; the office is staffed 7 days a week from 8:00am to 10:00pm EDT.

After many requests for pictures, we’ve decided to try to get photos of Overland groups going forward. That being said, many leaders do not have camera phones or access to computers so we may not be able to get a picture of every group. However, after leaders return to Williamstown from their trips, we’ll upload their photos on the Overland SmugMug site!

Thanks!

How did you first learn about Overland, and why did you choose to apply to be a leader?

I heard about Overland from one of my best friends from Dartmouth, Adam Platz, who led for Overland in 2007. After his summer, he told me what a great experience it was and encouraged me to look into it. I took his advice and was fortunate enough to lead hiking trips out west for two summers before I began working in the office full-time.

What are your responsibilities in the Overland office?

One of the things I like most about working here is the seasonal cycle of the job. You start every September with the goal of making the following summer as close to perfect as possible. I used to hate long-term projects in high school that had deadlines which were months away because the project actually just took a few days of focused work. So it was always difficult to motivate myself to work on it when it was first assigned. Overland has the same long-term deadline by nature, but it’s quite different because it actually takes the whole year to put all the pieces in place for the next summer. For me, it involves the logistics of planning each day of my programs, leader recruitment, website development, slideshow presentations, permit applications, leader interviewing and hiring, answering phone calls, building bikes, figuring out gear requirements, leader training and the dozens of other projects along the way. But that’s what makes it enjoyable; each month’s work is different, yet it all culminates in a successful summer.

Conor (far right) on the summit of Mount Shasta with a few of his students in 2009.

What is the most important quality that you look for when hiring successful Overland leaders?

Or in other words, how do you get a job at Overland? Well, if I had to choose two things on top of the requisite leadership and relevant program experience, it would be a great first impression and a positive attitude. Why is a first impression important? Because when you meet your 12 students the first time, you’ve got one chance to show them that you care, that you know what you’re doing, that the trip is going to be amazing and that they’re going to have an awesome time. You also meet a number of parents who drop their kids off at trip start or at the airport, so you have to just radiate poise and enthusiasm to them, too. It’s a solid handshake, a genuine smile and 100% attention. A positive attitude is also paramount to working at Overland. Leading is tough; it’s 24 hours a day, seven (or more) days a week, and you’re constantly thinking about the next meal, the group dynamic and how each student is doing. And you have to do it with a smile on your face and upbeat attitude because your students will mirror your demeanor. You can’t be unrealistically happy, but you must maintain that sanguine disposition throughout.

What do you like about living in Williamstown, Massachusetts?

I live within walking distance of the office; I can run on a mountain trail 10 minutes after leaving work; and the people I work with are just phenomenal.

Conor with his High Sierra Explorer co-leader, Hannah Phillips.

What makes Overland special?

One of the things that makes Overland unique is the amount of responsibility we give to our students during the programs. It’s still a structured group environment—so students are working safely together—but we ask a lot of them. We have these high expectations, but there’s also an incredible amount of support provided by the leaders if they need guidance or help. Overland students are doing things like planning, preparing and cooking their own meals; doing their own laundry; grocery shopping; planning afternoon activities; and taking on leadership roles within the group. They’re also expected to be positive group members, to reflect on the each day and to have a lot of fun. When students leave an Overland program, regardless of where they went, they come away with self-confidence and pride because they’ve had the opportunity to take on an incredible amount of ownership in the program. This paradigm—giving someone substantial and significant responsibility with a great support network in an effort to facilitate genuine personal growth—is also true for our leaders and even for our full-time staff. Actually, it’s a good recipe for any worthy challenge you might face.

Learn More

Want to see what other leaders we have from Dartmouth College?  Check out our leader profiles.
Want to learn more about trips Conor has led?  Read more about RMX and HSX on our website.
Have a question for Conor?  Email him.

Theresa Lepicier is our enrollment coordinator and handles the large task of placing our students on trips, processing applications and managing our wait list, among the MANY things she does in the office!  Her daughter, Sam, has done four Overland trips.

I first heard about Overland 11 years ago when my daughter Sam joined the New England Explorer program.  At that time, I did not realize how Overland would shape her and her future.

Theresa with her daughter Sam

Sam was nervous and excited that first day when we dropped her off at the welcome tent. I was also nervous; this was the first time she would be away from us! While she was gone I was wondering if she was having a good time and if she was making friends… that’s all we really needed to know.

I don’t know what happened during those two weeks, but Sam came home a different girl; she was more confident and independent.  I think that she learned to push herself in ways that she never knew were possible.

Sam is a quiet girl by nature, but she did not stop talking about Overland for months! I knew that something big had just happened.  I felt like I needed to give back to Overland in some way for offering her this unbelievable opportunity so I went to Overland to see if I could volunteer my time.   I did some data entry work and one thing lead to another and here I am employed by Overland for over 10 years!

After her first summer with Overland in New England, Sam went on three more programs: the High Sierra Explorer hiking trip, the European Challenge bike trip, and the American Challenge coast-to-coast bike trip. Just imagine the confidence she has now as a young adult!

Sam graduated college in May of 2010 and has since moved to Chicago.  I truly believe that Overland has helped shaped who she is today!  I love knowing that all of us here at Overland are doing the same for other families.

Our second leader interview is with Kate Silverman, a three-time Overland Leader who has been a member of the full-time Overland staff for a year and a half. In 2008, she led Vermont; after her graduation from Amherst College in 2009, she led Pacific Coast; and in 2010, she led Nova Scotia & Acadia. During August & September of 2010, Kate re-scouted our European Challenge bike trip with co-worker and former Overland leader, Conor Frantzen.

1.  How did you first learn about Overland, and why did you choose to apply?

I first heard about the opportunity when Overland did leader recruitment at Amherst. I attended an information presentation and was hooked. I chose to apply because I had a lot of experience working with kids, and it seemed like a great way to take those skills to a new level and environment. Overland sounded like a great summer adventure.

2. What are your responsibilities in the Overland office?

At the office, I tend to wear a lot of hats. My primary responsibilities are on the admissions side of Overland— talking to parents, processing admissions forms and overseeing student flights. I also oversee the production of our catalog and other mailings. Last year, I was in charge of getting us re-accredited by the American Camp Association and, new this year, I’ve taken on some logistical responsibilities and plan half of our bike programs. I am also part of the leader-recruiting team.

3. What is the most important quality that you look for when hiring successful Overland leaders?

Successful Overland leaders are hard-working, but incredibly flexible and up for anything. Their goal should be an incredible summer for 12 students and a co-leader—through this selflessness they’ll have a rewarding experience.

4. What do you like about living in Williamstown, Massachusetts?

Williamstown is a beautiful place. There are great places for running, biking and hiking. I also love all of the local farms and small town feel. Plus, someone’s got to rep’ Amherst in this enemy territory!

5. What was the best part of your European Challenge scouting trip during August 2010?

Kate pauses at the border of Luxembourg while rescouting our European Challenge trip in August 2010

I loved seeing the European countryside from a point of view that not many people experience. I really think that bike touring is the best way to travel, hands down. I also loved putting my language skills to the test—I’m kind of a “jack of all trades, master of none” when it comes to foreign language so it was fun to use my beginner skills in the seven countries that we biked through. Also, France has amazing bakeries!

6. Please explain the goals of dessert circle. And would you share a dessert circle highlight?

Dessert circle is a time to reflect on the day and think about everything you experienced. Every person has a chance to speak while the rest of the group listens. Each student and leader presents his or her best part of the day (high), the worst part of the day (low) and gives a shout out of thanks to someone who helped them out or just helped make the day better (cheers). It’s an opportunity to vent any difficulty or challenges so you can move on and not dwell, and it’s an even better time to focus on and remember the good memories. I love when students really put effort into dessert circle. Rather than “low was rain, high was getting to camp, cheers to cook crew,” it’s nice to see students appreciating what they’re doing and who they’re with. One of my favorite additions to dessert circle is just laying back and looking at the stars while reflecting on the day, whether it’s before or after sharing with the group. On one trip we did this in silence for a good 20 minutes. Afterward, as we got up and made our way to our tents, many students commented that they never had the opportunity before to just relax and gaze at such a clear sky with so many stars.

7. You have led three biking trips—in what ways were your leading experiences similar? Different?

Of course differences in length and location make each experience unique, but the real difference is in the group of students. Each group of 8-12 comes together as a team and takes on its own personality. For me, that is where the real differences are. In the end, it doesn’t matter as much where you are or what you’re doing, but, rather who you’re with. Each group has its own favorite songs, inside jokes, good memories, etc. Because of this, leading an Overland trip never gets old!

8. What are two things that you learned while leading Overland programs?

In terms of hard skills, I have learned a ton about bike mechanics. Although stressful at times, learning during training and then on the road really proved to be the best teacher. More importantly, though, I have really enhanced my general awareness of others around me and learned to better read group dynamics. This often involves a lot of multitasking. While biking, you’re not just thinking of where to go and motivating yourself up a hill, but, rather you’re constantly doing a mental check of each student and making sure that everyone is having a good time and being themselves. You’re also making sure everyone is well-fed, making sure the group is cohesive, thinking about any on-going bike issues, and you’re having fun along the way! It’s not easy, but the rewards and memories are priceless.

Kate on her 2009 Pacific Coast trip

9. Many Overland parents comment on the maturation of their children during Overland programs. Please share a story of growth that you witnessed in one of your Overland students.

On my first Vermont trip, we had a pretty small group and a shy one at that. In particular, there was one student who was very nice and a great biker, but mainly kept to herself and wrote letters home for the first few days. By the end of the trip, however, she totally came out of her shell. She was central to group dynamics, had great, creative ideas of fun things we could do along the way and was an absolute pleasure to have around. During final dessert circle she shared her amazingly deep reflections of how the trip challenged her, helped her to be more outgoing and really changed her for the rest of her life. This student went on to do a three-week bike trip with us the following summer and stepped up to complete the American Challenge this past summer!

10. List your top three Overland moments.

1) My co-leader, Nate, pulling two huge bottles of sparkling cider out of his panniers upon reaching the Canadian border on Vermont.

2) The adrenaline-filled ride on the last day of Pacific Coast en route to the Golden Gate Bridge after 1000 miles of riding on Pacific Coast.

3) All five times that I’ve watched my group of students change from 12 shy individuals to a cohesive group of 12 inseparable teammates.

An American Challenge group moments before reaching the Pacific Ocean.

Our daily flow of applications is steadily building!  Families always ask us on the phone, “When should we apply?”.  If Overland is in your plans for next summer, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to ensure your first choice trip is still available.

Trips that are filling quickly this January include:

-Alpine Challenge
-Alaska Explorer
-Field Studies Peru
-Hawaii Service
-Language & Service Costa Rica – 3 weeks
-Paris to the Sea

How can you learn about a program you’re interested in or decide if Overland is the right fit for your family?  We’re happy to provide you with references for a specific trip you’re interested in or a list of families from your area who’ve participated in Overland programs before.  Just give us a call and we’ll send you a list of families who would be glad to talk with you about their experience with Overland.

A Nova Scotia & Acadia group atop Cadillac Mountain last summer.

Another great way to learn more is to meet us in person at one of our slideshow presentations held across the country this winter.   Meet one of our full-time staff members, see a slideshow of photos from past Overland summers, and ask questions about the program you’re interested in.   Give us a call to RSVP and get the address of the presentation.

Beyond that, you can call our office seven days a week and ask questions about the trip you’re interested in and get the latest on program enrollment.  We’re happy to talk to students and parents to answer your questions and help you find a program that’s right for you.   Give us a ring at 800.458.0588.  If you’re looking for a great summer adventure for 2011, now is the time to apply!