The application process for the US Trek Team is now closed. Please check back in the spring of 2001 to find out about our next project.

We are looking to fill any positions left open by Trekkers that do not continue on to the second semester. We will not certain of the number of open positions until early November, but in anticipation that at least one position will open up we are conducting a vigorous outreach effort.

Team members will travel for 5 months acting as documentarians for our educational website. It's part of an effort to engage effectively The Odyssey's audience of hundreds of thousands of youth in a study of US History that values diverse perspectives and highlights efforts by people to create positive change.

The Trek is being conducted in two parts. September 1, 2000 - January 15, 2001 will explore US History through the Industrial Revolution. January 15 - May 20 will look at US History in the 20th Century.

The itinerary will include visits to historic sites and meetings with prominent people throughout the US, as well as profiles of individuals and organizations creating positive change, and explorations of the social, environmental, economic, and political issues they are addressing.

These are volunteer positions, though all travel and living expenses, as well as health insurance, will be paid by The Odyssey.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, meaning the advantage goes to the person who applies earliest. To be considered for the second semester, applications must be postmarked by November 30, 2000.

Please note that The Odyssey is a relatively young organization and has not yet secured complete funding for the US Trek. We can make no guarantees about the number of open positions that will be available.

Applicants will be judged based on some very concrete criteria that apply directly to their potential success with The Odyssey and what they will bring to the program. These include your general background, areas of interest, experience in the outdoors and traveling, experience with service work, lanugages spoken, etc. You must be in good health. You should be 18 years or older, and we cannot accept minors accompanying an adult. If you are applying with someone else, please understand that we must consider each application individually - we neither favor nor disfavor couples.

Then there will be some more subjective criteria such as personality and how well you would fit in with the group and work in the kind of environment that the US Trek will entail. A significant period of time traveling with a small group of people under challenging and constantly changing conditions will obviously spawn its own challenges in the group dynamics department.

We are commited to developing a diverse team professionally, ethnically, religiously, linguistically, sexual orientation-wise, gender-wise, etc. You need not be a US citizen.

We are a non-profit organization with limited staff and ask that you only apply if you would seriously consider joining. We also have a $30 application fee to help defray costs. Contact us if you cannot pay this or have questions.

Please snail mail us your complete applications materials, including 1) cover letter, 2) resume, 3) application, and 4) the $30 fee to

The Odyssey US Trek
650 Townsend, Suite 375
San Francisco, CA 94103

There is no application form per se. However, you must include the following information:

Name
Age
Sex
Address
E-mail
Phone