Become a Site Leader for Sko Serve
Go all in! Sko Serve trips are immersive, community-based service opportunities that all students can engage in during their breaks from the academic year. Sko Serve offers meaningful projects where teams of college students collaborate to make a difference through active citizenship, experiential learning and leadership development all while exploring a different location in the U.S.
Applications for 2026-27 are now open! Applications are due Sept. 10.
Site Leader Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Must be a current, full-time, fee-paying undergraduate or graduate student at CU Boulder. Students must be paying the Student Activity Fee, which supports CUSG student activities.
- Must have completed a minimum of 24 lower division credits.
- Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Must have availability to attend and lead a Sko Serve program and participate in all site leader trainings.
- Must be able to meet in person for trainings, retreats and events listed in the required attendance section.
- Demonstrated knowledge of, respect for and sensitivity to issues experienced by historically underrepresented communities.
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to effectively communicate, collaborate and organize individually and as part of a team.
- Demonstrated passion, commitment to and willingness to learn about social issues and social change.
Preferred Qualifications
- Interest in community engagement and service.
- Previous leadership and/or group facilitation experience.
- Knowledge and/or experience working with nonprofits or with similar topics around social justice.
Site Leader Responsibilities
- Implement the Sko Serve curriculum with co-site leader.
- Meet with the Sko Serve group during weekly site leader training throughout the fall and spring semesters.
- Participate in group volunteer projects with the Volunteer Resource Center before your Sko Serve experience.
- Develop spring break itinerary.
- Work with community partners to schedule service projects and supplement learning experiences.
- Build community among your group before, during and after the program.
- Engage in planning the spring break program, including securing housing, managing the program budget and recruiting participants.
- Facilitate reveal events, pre-departure meetings and reorientation.
- Lead your Sko Serve group during direct service and through reflection, logistics and any interpersonal conflict.
- Implement philosophies of the Volunteer Resource Center and the Sko Serve program.
- Facilitate your group's learning around issues of intersectionality and social and environmental injustices.
Site Leader Expectations
If any of the listed responsibilities, duties or expectations are not upheld, site leaders will not be entitled to compensation.
- Fulfill responsibilities and duties required of site leaders.
- Participate in all pre- and post-trip meetings, educational and team-building activities and co-lead orientation and trainings.
- Serve as a role model for Sko Serve participants.
- Be open to learning about yourself and others.
- Be respectful of diverse communities, cultural norms and values and protected identities.
- Adhere to the CU Student Code of Conduct before, during and after the program.
- Refrain from use of alcohol, substances and drugs for the duration of the spring break experience and during any affiliated program or event.
- Understand the Sko Serve terms and conditions.
- Understand and uphold the Volunteer Resource Center’s mission and service philosophy.
- Attend other leadership and social justice training opportunities outside of Sko Serve whenever possible.
Training and Time Commitment
Site leader training will prepare student-leaders to facilitate group learning that is centered around intersectionality, as well as the complexity of varied social and environmental injustices. Through training, students will be able to value and implement ideas of reciprocity, active citizenship, community building and culturally competent leadership.
- The site leader position requires student-leaders to fulfill program duties and tasks, requiring them to contribute time outside of scheduled training and events.
- Site leaders must complete all training sessions, which will occur weekly (approximately two hours) throughout the fall and spring semesters.
- Site leaders must attend and fully engage in all Sko Serve events, including the fall leadership retreat, reveal event, pre-departure meetings, the entirety of their Sko Serve Spring Break program and reorientation.
Important Dates
Winter Break Site Leaders
| Sept. 29-March 9 | Site Leader Trainings (2 hours weekly) |
| Sept. 29-Dec. 12 | Office Hours at SLICE (2-5 hours weekly) |
| Oct.-Dec. | Monthly 2:1 meeting with Sko Serve Staff |
| Oct.-Dec. | Meet regularly with faculty/staff advisor |
| Oct. 10, 2026 | Buffs Big Event Volunteer Day (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) |
| Nov. 4, 2026 | Leadership Retreat (4+ hours) |
| Nov. 5, 2026 | Reveal and Participant Orientation |
| Nov. 12, 19, & Dec. 3 | Weekly Pre-Departure Meetings |
| Dec. 12, 2026 | Trip Preparation |
| Dec. 14-20, 2026 | Sko Serve Winter Break |
| Jan. 14, 2027 | Participant Reorientation |
| Jan. 19, 2027 | Site Leader Reorientation |
| TBD | Closing 1:1 with Program Manager |
Spring Break Site Leaders
| Sept. 29-March 9 | Site Leader Trainings (2 hours weekly) |
| Sept. 29-March 9 | Office Hours at SLICE (2-5 hours weekly) |
| Oct.-March | Monthly 2:1 meeting with Sko Serve Staff |
| Oct.-March | Meet regularly with faculty/staff advisor |
| Oct. 10, 2026 | Buffs Big Event Volunteer Day (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) |
| Jan. 16, 2027 | Leadership Retreat (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) |
| Feb. 9, 2027 | Reveal and Participant Orientation |
| Feb. 16-March 9 | Weekly Pre-Departure Meetings |
| March 12, 2027 | Trip Preparation |
| March 13-19, 2027 | Sko Serve Spring Break |
| Jan. 14, 2027 | Participant Reorientation |
| Jan. 19, 2027 | Site Leader Reorientation |
| TBD | Closing 1:1 with Program Manager |