Resources
Participant, Parent & New Volunteer Resources
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Texas Brigades is committed to providing our participants with the most authentic programming possible. The safety of our participants, volunteers, staff, and facilities is a priority.
All staff and volunteers pass an annual background review and complete child abuse awareness training. This aligns with state licensing requirements, which Texas Brigades Summer Brigades Camps annually comply.
All curriculum is executed by field and science professionals, who volunteer their time to share their enthusiasm for conservation and stewardship.
Interested in volunteering with us?
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• March 15th – Application Deadline [11:59 pm]
• March 15th – Final BOA Deadline [11:59 pm: post-marked or emailed]
• April 15th – Selection Notifications are made [via email]
• May 1st – Confirm Your Camp Selection & Attendance
• May 15th – $100 Non-Refundable Deposit Due [applied towards camp fee]
• May 26th (RPBB & STBUB Only) – Paid in Full & CampDoc Health Profile Complete
• June 9th (STBOB & STRB Only) – Paid in Full & CampDoc Health Profile Complete
• June 23rd (BASS & WTFL Only) – Paid in Full & CampDoc Health Profile Complete
• July 7th (RANCH, NTBB & COAST Only) – Paid in Full & CampDoc Health Profile Complete
• October 1st (RPBB, STBUB, STBOB, STRB) – June Camp Early Bird BOAs due
• November 1st (BASS, WTFL, RANCH, NTBB, COAST) – July Camp Early Bird BOAs due
Apply as an Adult Leader.
Adult Leaders serve as a mentor, counselor, and guide for five or six teenagers (13-17 years of age) as they progress through one of our five-day camps. As an Adult Leader, you will participate in ALL of the activities in which the youth participate, some of which are physically demanding. Physical activity will include team-building and leadership exercises, being in and outdoors throughout the day, walking/marching in Texas summer heat & humidity, walking through brush, etc. If the kids are doing it–you will be too! Experience with wildlife, fisheries, and/or animal agriculture is not required.
Volunteer Resources
Requirements for Camp
Camp Committee Resources
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The heart of this organization is its volunteers. Volunteers, plan, coordinate, recruit for and execute camps, all while instructing, mentoring, and guiding participants through our five-day camps.
All adults who instruct or attend camp for less than a 6-hour timeframe are considered “visitors” or “visiting instructors.” All visitors must check in with camp personnel when they arrive at camp to confirm their attendance and receive up-to-date information.
All adults who instruct or attend camp for a minimum 6-hour timeframe, regardless of an overnight stay, are considered “camp volunteers.” All camp volunteers must check in with camp personnel when they arrive at camp to confirm their attendance and receive up-to-date information. Additionally, they must complete their profile in CampDoc (medical and liability releases), a background check, and child abuse awareness training, and those records must be on file with Texas Brigades.
New or Interested in Volunteering?
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Camp Volunteers will receive a link directly from CampDoc. This link requires a log-in. We recommend using the email address where you receive consistent Texas Brigades communications (from Committee volunteers and staff).
Once logged in, each volunteer completes the required information including emergency contacts, medical information, medical releases, ranch liability releases, and Texas Brigades releases. Once you’ve completed a section, the bullet point (on the right side of the screen) will turn from red to green.
Complete CampDoc Profiles are required three weeks before the beginning of each camp.
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Each volunteer will receive a link directly from Sterling Volunteers. This link requires a log-in. We recommend using the email address where you receive consistent Texas Brigades communications (from Committee volunteers and staff).
Once logged in, enter the required information, and the system does the rest. Texas Brigades is not keeping any personal information on file and the organization is notified of your eligibility status.
Volunteer eligibility status is determined by the state youth licensing requirements. Texas Brigades Summer Camps have licensed youth camps with the state of Texas.
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Volunteers will receive a link directly from TrainRight, Inc. This link requires a log-in. We recommend using the email address where you receive consistent Texas Brigades communications (from Committee volunteers and staff).
IMPORTANT: You can view the training videos from a cell phone device BUT YOU CANNOT take the test. You must complete your training from a laptop or desktop.
The training takes about 50 minutes to complete. Once you’ve completed the course, the system sends your certificate to Texas Brigades (no need to send it individually). Texas Brigades requires this course to be taken no less than every two years.
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Texas Brigades BOA Evaluation Guidelines for Camp Committees
OVERALL AESTHETIC
1. How creative is the BOA?
2. Is the BOA neatly and consistently organized throughout?
3. Is the BOA typed?
REQUIRED BOA ELEMENTS
1. COVER PAGE: Cadet Name & Camp Name
o Is Texas Brigades and your Camp name used correctly? Are there any typos?
o Is this the camp the cadet actually attended?
2. INDEX: List category and activity number
o Is the BOA correctly organized by category (Education, Research, Promotion, Creative Art, Other) and within each category, listed chronologically?
o Do the activities in the Index match the Activity Report Forms?
3. ACTIVITY REPORT FORMS
o Is the Activity Report Form complete, neat, and accurate?
o Camp: is the correct camp selected?
o Cadet Name: is the cadet’s name spelled and capitalized correctly?
o Date of Activity: do the dates match the documentation of the activity?
o Activity Category:
Is the activity correctly categorized?
Does the activity meet all of the requirements of the category listed?
o Location of Activity:
Is the location description adequate for the activity?
o Total Audience:
Is the Total Audience number realistic and as specific as possible?
o Time Spent on Activity:
o Group Addressed:
o Brief Summary of Activity:
Does the summary provide enough information to fully describe the activity and meet the requirements of the category listed?
o Verified By:
Is the Verifier relevant to the activity and someone other than a parent (unless necessary)?
Call/email if there is any suspicion of legitimacy
4. DOCUMENTATION
o Is the documentation provided sufficient?
o PHOTOS: do the photos document the activities described in the Activity Report Form?
o ARTICLES: is a copy of the published article provided in the BOA?
o PLANTS: are scans/specimens provided?
o RESEARCH: are summary, data, and results pages included?
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Click through the Recruitment Toolkit for helpful resources, tips, and more. Whether you’re giving a presentation or sending an email, this is your one-stop-shop for recruitment needs and for sharing Texas Brigades information.
Since volunteers are the heart of Texas Brigades, we want to make sure volunteers have the opportunity to hear from and speak directly to headquarters about relevant Brigades topics. Tea Time was developed to provide another avenue for volunteers to “deep dive” into various topics throughout the year.
Mark your calendars for every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays (except camp season: June & July). We’ve scheduled topics that are relevant to all volunteers and that coincide with volunteer efforts in any given time.
