Volunteer
Leadership
Training
ATTEND THE LEADING ADVENTURE SUMMIT
APRIL 25-26, 2026
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN
Volunteer
We take youth development and leading outdoor youth adventure seriously. Any volunteers, on the bike or off, who will interact with youth in any of the Adventure Team communities will:
- Pass a nationwide background check.
- Complete all seven online training modules.
- Pass with an 80% or higher on each module quiz.
LEADING ADVENTURE SUMMIT - April 25-26
Keynote: Leading By Example, Todd Poquette, 906AT Founder, Adventure Intelligence. Todd Poquette is a well-known advocate for adventure, resilience, and youth empowerment. He is the Founder and Director of Adventure for 906 Adventure Team, a non-profit begun with no staff or funding and five kids, transforming into an organization that is changing lives across the country supporting seventeen youth Adventure Teams across the Midwest (training 600+ volunteers and engaging over 1,300 kids).
In addition to 906 AT, Todd has become nationally infamous for developing endurance events challenging people to find their limits and go beyond them. As a notorious and unapologetically evil Race Director, he started and leads the Endurance Trilogy (PolarRoll, The Crusher, and Marji Gesick) comprised of three of the hardest endurance events in the country. With a passionate following, his races continue to sell out in minutes and post record attendance year after year, despite participants quitting at a rate of 50% or higher (and requiring them to text Todd the word ‘#quitter’ when they do).
Todd is a nationally recognized thought leader and motivator who has built a powerful movement around the development of ethos-driven culture and personal resilience. Through guiding principles such as Do Hard Things, Finish What You Start, and There Is No Finish Line, Todd has inspired individuals, teams, and organizations to embrace discomfort, pursue growth, and lead with purpose.
His work centers on creating an action-based resilience language—one that shifts focus away from problems and toward solutions. Todd’s approach empowers people to confront adversity with clarity and courage, fostering a mindset rooted in grit, accountability, and service.
Todd and 906 have been recognized as Changemaker of the Year (League of Michigan Bicyclists), Extraordinary Organization of the Year (Governors Fitness Awards) and was the leader of Project Adventrus, a bold, 1,000+ mile bikepacking expedition across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula designed to push limits and inspire resilience. This journey challenges riders to embrace discomfort, discover strength, and redefine adventure – and inspired a film documenting the journey, showcasing the highs, lows, and transformative power of adventure.
Adventure Team: an approach to childhood mental and physical health., Dr James Reinhart will review data on trends in physical health (obesity, asthma, etc.) mental health (anxiety), emotional health (peer interactions, dealing with adversity, school participation) and some reasons behind those trends. He will also discuss the known beneficial impact of exercise in general, sports, and getting outdoors. Finally, Dr Reinhart will feed the trends and benefits of exercise through the specific individual progress, perseverance, collaborative approach of Adventure Team and look at some of the feedback 906 has gotten on impact from kids and parents. Add some of the specific benefits of biking (and/or running) in terms of lifelong health and wellness.
Real-world scenarios: Kids at Adventure Team. Julie Cunningham, Educator and Area Lead; You will be invited to put the skills you learned in the Connecting with Kids session to work. We will discuss some bike club situations that regularly occur with children and brainstorm ways to prevent the scenarios or deal with them appropriately so they do not occur again. All participants will be encouraged to reflect on differences in personal responses versus whole group outcomes.
Connecting with kids at Adventure Team. Cori Nordyk, Clinical Social Worker will lead a discussion on why it pays to make meaningful connections with kids at Adventure Team and you will leave with some skills that you can practice. The skills may include: getting to know your riders, communication – what your body language conveys, assuming competence, providing autonomy, providing validation and what it means to be a mandatory reporter. Time for Q&A will be provided.
Laurie De Young, Adventure Team Lansing Area
Adventure Team, Building Youth Resilience Through Outdoor Adventure and Play. Dr. Ryan Brang
Enhanced First Aid. The whole group presentation will begin with a primary/secondary assessment of an injury. This will include how to approach a child that is injured and what to look for immediately. The second part of the presentation will focus on small “breakout” groups. Volunteers will rotate through topics which include: berry/plant safety, how to apply a splint/what to do with a fracture, how to treat heat related illness and EpiPen training. The training will conclude with scenarios based on the breakout group experiences.
Day 1, April 26
Location: Bluff Street Station in Mqt
Breakfast (7:30 – 8:30 AM)
Keynote: Leading By Example, Todd Poquette, 906AT Founder, Director of Adventure.
Connecting with kids at Adventure Team, Cori Nordyk, Clinical Social Worker.
Adventure Team: an approach to childhood mental and physical health, Dr James Reinhart
Lunch/Break (11:30 – 12:30)
Food Truck
Real-world scenarios: Kids at Adventure Team, Julie Cunningham, Educator and Area Lead.
Adventure Team, Building Youth Resilience Through Outdoor Adventure and Play, Dr. Ryan Brang
Enhanced First Aid. Dr James Reinhart, Dr Ryan Brang and Dr Cara Crawford-Bartle
Break (4:30 PM)
Evening Volunteer Panel (6:30 – 8:00 PM)
Day 2, April 27
Locations: Bluff Street Station & Base Camp in Mqt
Breakfast (7:30-8:00 AM)
MTB Mechanics 101 (Bluff Street Station) (8:00-11:00AM).
Coaches have been asking for this. This is an introduction to becoming a mechanic, lead by mechanics. You’ll go home with a renewed understanding of common MTB problems and how to repair them. This will be a combination of instruction and hands-on work in the field.
Lunch (11:00 – 12:00 PM)
On The Bike Skills for AT Leaders (Base Camp) (12:00-2:30PM).
The day will start with a boxed lunch from 231 West at basecamp, and then we’ll dive into training. After breakfast, we’ll start with a 45 minute walk through of basecamp. It’ll be a quick review of the equipment, the rules, why it’s set up this way, and we’ll answer questions.
Next, it’s time to get on the bike. Instructors will take you through every skill you will teach this summer. This is a deep dive into each skill. We’ll talk it, walk it, and then let you try it. This is not a ride. Expect to get a lot of reps riding over obstacles, and getting out of your comfort zone. We piloted this last summer and it was very well received.
END (2:30 PM)
Select one of the volunteer roles (on the bike or off the bike). If your community rides one day a week, we ask that you attend all of the rides unless you’re on vacation. Pick a day or do both if your community rides twice a week. The commitment is up to you, but we’ll count on you to be there every week once you pick a day.
You can be experienced or brand new. We’ll train you. We need leaders willing to show up and be role models for the kids. If you’re inexperienced but love working with kids, we’d love to have you on our team.
906AT offers volunteers online training modules to prepare you to coach this summer and you can attend the in-person Leading Adventure Summit for additional hands-on experiences. The Summit also provides OTB (On The Bike) skills for Leaders, so you know how to teach the skills we focus on with youth riders.
Adventure Teams develop youth resilience and community. We do not race. We do not keep score. We do not group by skill. There is no clock. Our staff and volunteers will meet youth and volunteers where they are. You have one mission, should you choose to accept it. Get a little better every day. It’s You vs. You.
We work hard to keep out-of-pocket costs for volunteers low. If cost is a concern, please get in touch with us for more information.