THe American Journey Project

1. Basic Applicant Information

Please provide your basic contact and availability information.

Full legal name

Preferred name

Email address

Phone number

City and state of residence

Best time to contact you

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?

Are you available for the full 30-day journey?

Are you available for required pre-trip orientation and training?

Primary position applying for

If applying for another support role, describe the role

2. General Screening Questions

These questions help us understand your mission alignment, experience, and readiness.

Why are you interested in being part of The American Journey Project?

What does youth leadership mean to you?

What experience do you have working with high school students?

Have you ever traveled with or supervised youth overnight?

Are you comfortable being filmed or appearing in behind-the-scenes project content?

Are you comfortable traveling by bus for an extended period of time?

Are you able to work long days, changing schedules, and emotionally significant environments?

How do you handle stress, conflict, or unexpected changes while traveling?

Describe a time you had to lead, supervise, or support people during a difficult situation.

What personal qualities make you a strong fit for this project?

3. Safety and Youth Protection Questions

These questions are required because this project involves minors, overnight travel, and student supervision.

Are you willing to complete and pass a criminal background check?

Are you willing to complete child safety / youth protection training before the trip?

Have you ever been dismissed, suspended, or removed from a youth-serving role? Please explain.

Have you ever had allegations made against you involving misconduct with minors? Please explain.

I am willing to follow all OSP CARES student safety, supervision, and reporting policies. I am willing to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students at all times. I am comfortable reporting safety concerns, misconduct, emotional distress, or rule violations immediately to project leadership. I am willing to sign a code of conduct, confidentiality agreement, media release, and travel agreement.

4. Availability and Travel Readiness

These questions determine whether you can safely and reliably complete the full project.

Can you commit to the full 30-day journey?

Do you have any scheduling conflicts during the proposed travel window?

Are you willing to travel through multiple states by bus?

Are you comfortable sharing lodging arrangements according to staff travel policy?

Are you able to participate in early mornings, late evenings, and long travel days?

Do you have a valid government-issued ID?

Do you have current health insurance?

Are you CPR / First Aid certified?

Are you willing to complete CPR / First Aid training if required?

Do you have any travel limitations that would prevent you from safely completing the journey with or without reasonable accommodation?

5. Role-Specific Questions

Select a primary position above. The related questions will appear below.

Adult Chaperone Questions

Describe your experience supervising teenagers.

Have you worked in schools, youth programs, churches, camps, nonprofits, athletics, or mentoring programs?

How would you handle a student who refuses to follow instructions?

How would you respond if a student becomes emotionally overwhelmed after visiting a difficult historic site?

How would you handle conflict between two students?

Are you comfortable enforcing rules consistently and professionally?

Are you comfortable doing room checks, group counts, meal supervision, bus supervision, and activity monitoring?

What does appropriate adult/student boundary-setting mean to you?

Are you willing to work under the direction of the Project Director and Wellness Lead?

What makes you a safe and reliable adult presence for this project?

Licensed Therapist / Wellness Lead Questions

What type of professional license do you hold?

What state is your license issued in?

Is your license active and in good standing?

License number and expiration date

Do you have experience working with adolescents?

Do you have experience with trauma-informed care?

Do you have experience supporting youth through grief, racial trauma, historical trauma, anxiety, or emotional distress?

Are you comfortable providing wellness support in a travel-based, non-clinical educational setting?

How would you structure daily or periodic student check-ins?

How would you support a student who becomes emotionally triggered during the journey?

How would you coordinate with parents/guardians, project leadership, and emergency services if a student is in crisis?

Are you trained in mandated reporting?

Are you willing to help develop pre-trip emotional preparation and post-stop reflection protocols?

Are you willing to provide documentation of licensure, liability coverage, and professional references?

Professional Driver Questions

Do you hold a valid Commercial Driver’s License?

What class of CDL do you hold?

Do you have a passenger endorsement?

Do you have a current DOT medical card?

How many years of professional driving experience do you have?

Have you driven charter buses, motorcoaches, school buses, or large passenger vehicles?

Have you completed long-distance or multi-state routes before?

Are you comfortable with a 30-day cross-country route?

Are you familiar with DOT hours-of-service requirements?

Have you had any moving violations, accidents, suspensions, or DUI-related incidents in the last 7 years?

Are you willing to provide a motor vehicle record?

Are you willing to complete drug testing if required by law or company policy?

How do you handle fatigue, route delays, weather changes, or vehicle issues?

Are you comfortable working with youth, chaperones, and production crew in a supervised travel environment?

Project Director / Logistics Staff Questions

Describe your experience managing events, travel, tours, programs, or group logistics.

Have you managed multi-day or multi-city projects before?

What project management tools do you use?

Are you comfortable coordinating lodging, meals, schedules, transportation, vendors, staff, and emergency plans?

How do you handle last-minute changes or route disruptions?

Have you managed teams in high-pressure environments?

Are you comfortable being the point of contact for partners, venues, hotels, restaurants, parents, and staff?

What systems would you use to track students, staff, schedules, and daily check-ins?

Describe your leadership style.

What would you do if the bus is delayed, a meal partner cancels, or a student becomes ill?

Are you comfortable documenting issues, incidents, receipts, vendor confirmations, and sponsor deliverables?

Are you willing to participate in pre-trip planning meetings before the journey begins?

Video Production Crew Questions

What production role are you applying for?

Describe your documentary, travel, event, or youth-centered production experience.

Provide a link to your portfolio, reel, website, or sample work.

What camera, audio, lighting, drone, or editing equipment do you own or operate?

Are you comfortable filming students in emotionally sensitive environments?

Are you willing to follow strict student privacy, release, and consent protocols?

Are you comfortable capturing daily recaps, interviews, B-roll, reflection videos, and sponsor content?

Are you able to back up footage daily?

What is your workflow for file storage, labeling, and media management?

Are you comfortable traveling for 30 days with a small team?

Are you willing to sign confidentiality, media usage, and production ownership agreements?

Are you comfortable working under the direction of the Project Director and documentary lead?

6. Professional References

Please provide three references who can speak to your professionalism, leadership, safety, youth work, travel readiness, or role-specific experience.

Reference 1: Name, relationship, organization, phone, email, how long they have known you, and what they can speak to

Reference 2: Name, relationship, organization, phone, email, how long they have known you, and what they can speak to

Reference 3: Name, relationship, organization, phone, email, how long they have known you, and what they can speak to

7. Compensation and Expectations

All selected candidates will be compensated. Final compensation terms will be confirmed in writing.

What is your expected compensation for a 30-day project?

Are you open to a flat project stipend?

Are you open to a daily rate?

Are you available for paid pre-trip training or planning meetings?

Do you understand that compensation terms will be finalized in writing before selection?

Do you understand that travel, lodging, and meal arrangements will be handled according to project policy?

8. Required Uploads / Document Links

This HTML form does not upload files directly. Please provide links to documents, or note what you can email as attachments.

Resume or professional bio link

Headshot link, if available

Certifications, licenses, or credentials link, if applicable

Portfolio/reel/sample work link, if applying for production

What documents can you email as attachments?

9. Final Certification

Please confirm the following statements.

I certify that the information provided is true and accurate. I understand that all candidates must pass a criminal background check. I understand that submitting this application does not guarantee selection. I agree to follow all OSP CARES safety, travel, media, and student protection policies if selected. I understand this is a supervised youth project and professional conduct is required at all times. I understand that final selection may require interviews, reference checks, background screening, and signed agreements.

Apply To Join The American Journey

This is a serious supervised youth project.

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