Virtual Education
The Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) is the leading organization in the United States dedicated to serving the needs of outdoor recreation professionals and facilitators. We work to provide valuable content to our members through our benefits, including virtual education and professional development.
We are bringing on speakers from all over the world to speak on topics you’ve requested through surveys and conversations with us. We encourage you to not wait for our Annual Conference to learn and network — join us from anywhere in the world — no travel costs required!
August - October
Pathways to the Outdoors: Careers, Certifications, and Sustainable Futures
Whether you're just stepping into the outdoor industry or planning your next professional move, this series offers a roadmap to building a purposeful and sustainable career in outdoor recreation, education, and leadership. Explore a variety of topics ranging from entry-level opportunities to advanced certifications, niche careers, risk management strategies, and wellness in the workplace.
Each session in this series is designed to equip you with practical tools, insider insights, and real-world strategies to help you grow as a confident, informed, and impactful outdoor professional. From seasonal jobs and resume building to mental health resilience and climate-adaptive programming, join experts and peers to shape a future that is not only career ready but also community and sustainability minded.
Ideal for current students, job seekers, seasonal staff, and mid-career professionals looking to expand their role in the outdoor industry.
This series will offer free learning credits to participants in partnership with American Trails. This webinar series is free for AORE professional members, $5 for AORE supporter members, and $20 not yet AORE members.
August 21, 2025 | 4pm ET
Foundations in the Field: Launching Through Seasonal and Graduate Positions
Kick off your career in outdoor recreation and education with insight into two of the most accessible and impactful entry points: seasonal roles and graduate positions. This session will explore the pros and cons of seasonal jobs, strategies for finding work across different times of the year, and how to leverage these experiences for long-term growth. You’ll also learn about graduate-level roles — what they entail, where to find them, and how they can set you up for success in this field. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up, this session will help you chart a clear path forward.
August 28, 2025 | 1pm ET
Building a Competitive Outdoor Industry Resume
Not all outdoor careers require a long list of certifications—so what does it take to stand out? This session will help job seekers identify which credentials truly matter, how to showcase transferable skills, and how to craft a resume that highlights experience, leadership, and industry-relevant expertise. Whether you’re applying for guiding jobs, outdoor education roles, or administrative positions in the industry, this session will provide insights into what employers are really looking for.
September 4, 2025 | 1pm ET
Managing Impactful Spring Break & Semester Outdoor Programs
Discover how to design and lead outdoor programs during spring break and May semesters that balance adventure, education, and professional development for students.
September 11, 2025 | 1pm ET
Routesetting & Climbing Industry Careers: From Gym to Crag
Learn about career pathways in routesetting, climbing gym management, and outdoor climbing instruction. Understand the required certifications, skills, and opportunities for growth in this specialized field.
September 18, 2025 | 1pm ET
Future Horizons: Careers in Facilitated Recreation with Federal Agencies
Discover diverse outdoor careers beyond traditional guiding and facilitated recreation. This session will highlight opportunities in federal agencies, conservation, outdoor program administration, and other industry roles.
September 25, 2025 | 1pm ET
Stress Resilience for Outdoor Professionals
Outdoor excursions carry the risk of incidents and near misses that have the potential to be traumatic both to field staff and participants. We recommend staff training and organizational planning to manage the risk of stress injury.
This webinar will introduce a shared language for stress injury, with the goal of helping outdoor professionals identify the risks and manage the impact of stress exposures. We will cover how stress injuries are formed and discuss the importance of including structured support for stress exposure within organizational risk management plans.
October 9, 2025 | 1pm ET
Risk Management Roundtable: Extreme Weather Changes and Policy
Weather patterns have been changing over the past decade, and the increase of fires, flooding, and hurricanes are impacting programs. This roundtable is made to share thoughts, resources, and policies associated to risk management and program planning, as well as a place to discuss new changes programs may have made in response to these shifts in weather patterns. This session is FREE to all attendees.
Previous Series + Webinars
January / February 2025: Navigating the Outdoors: Facilitated Recreation, Policy, Permitting, and Partnerships
April 2025: Inclusivity in the Outdoors
Nature for All: Redefining Inclusivity in the Outdoors [ACCESS]
When “Woke” Isn’t Welcome: Embracing a systems approach to justice work [ACCESS]
The Declassified Field Guide to an Outdoors For All [ACCESS]
2025 Inclusive Summit [ACCESS]
May - June 2025: Reaching New Heights: Reaching New Heights: Marketing, Community, and Risk Management
- May 22, 2025 - Social Trails: Leveraging Marketing and Social Media to Promote Outdoor Programs [ACCESS]
- May 29, 2025 - Safety Culture and Risk Management: Empowering your Outdoor Program Staff [ACCESS]
- June 5, 2025 - Community at the Core: New Approaches to Building Connection in Outdoor Spaces [ACCESS]
- June 12, 2025 - The New Outdoor Model: Post-Pandemic Trends and Opportunities [ACCESS]
Events
Risk Management for Outdoor Programs
Outdoor Rec Connect
Foundations in the Field: Launching Through Seasonal and Graduate Positions
Building a Competitive Outdoor Industry Resume
Risk Management for Outdoor Programs Training
Managing Impactful Spring Break & Semester Outdoor Programs
Routesetting & Climbing Industry Careers: From Gym to Crag
Future Horizons: Explore Alternative Career Paths in Outdoor Recreation
Stress Resilience for Outdoor Professionals
Risk Management for Outdoor Programs Training
We offer professional development and learning opportunities in three ways:
- Annual Conference
- Live sessions:
- Professional Development Webinars
- Networking
- Inclusive Summit
- On demand content, including:
Why Attend AORE's Virtual Education?
- It is important to invest in yourself to grow and stay up to speed on current trends and regulations. Professional development is like giving your brain a workout!
- When you commit to professional development with AORE you will receive a framework to grow your programs, interact with public land managers, influence decisions that affect the human-powered outdoor recreation industry, and more.
- When you invest in your professional development journey, this means you are registering and showing up for events. You are engaging and asking questions. Many of our sessions are casual and a great place to network and meet fellow education leaders and facilitators.
- We encourage you to register and set aside time each month to your professional development and engage with these opportunities.
- AORE aims to provide professional development in a cost-effective manner. As an AORE member, you will benefit from the most cost effective access to programming. While we can’t offer everything for free, so do work to offer a variety of opportunities in different cost brackets.
I volunteer with AORE because it's a great way to network within the Outdoor Adventure community. It's also a great way to gain experience in different roles within the industry than I generally play and to give back to the community.
Candace Brendler
Coordinator for Outdoor Action at Princeton University
Be a Speaker
We would love to have you join as a speaker. Tell us about your expertise and what type of event you'd like to host. We'll be in touch if you are fit!
Share an Idea
Interested in learning about a certain topic or from a particular speaker? Tell us about it! Submit your ideas and we will reach out if we have any question.