Expedition and Proposal Information
Expedition Criteria
Expedition Requirements and Considerations
- Expeditions must be wilderness-based, and span at least 12 consecutive days in the backcountry
- Expeditions must take place in either the United States and/or Canada
- Expedition teams must be made up of at least two currently enrolled CC students
- Funding will not be awarded for: capital gear purchases, unreasonable or excessive travel expenses (reasonable expenses for food, lodging, and transportation during travel days to/from the expedition are generally funded), first aid kit purchases, or undesignated funds
- Recreational drugs and alcohol are forbidden on Ritt Kellogg funded expeditions
Note: Expeditions must be executed as proposed. If applicants make material changes to their proposal (i.e. dates, location, activities, itinerary, teammates, etc.) after their grant has been funded, they will be required to return their funding to the Ritt Kellogg Memorial Fund.
Applicant Requirements and Considerations
- All applicants must be currently enrolled at CC
- If an applicant is a senior, expeditions must be set to take place within 8 months of graduation
- Applicants must have demonstrable relevant experience in the backcountry, in the proposed activities, and in the proposed venue (what this looks like will vary based on the activity and location of your expedition)
- There is a limit of one grant application per student per year; this include Pathways grants. Students approved for an Expedition will not be able to recieve a Pathways grant for the same time period.
- Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification is required for all Expedition Grant applicants, and certification must be current through the duration of the expedition. Proof of WFR certification or letters of enrollment from your intended WFR provider are required on the proposal. Applicants are responsible for finding their own WFR course. If there is a major problem scheduling a WFR please note this in your proposal and state your contingency plan. Funding will not be released to an expedition team until all proof of WFRs are provided.
WFR note: Outdoor Education generally offers WFR courses over Half Block and financial aid is available. Additionally, if an applicant is of high financial need and is unable to take a WFR course hosted by Outdoor Ed, conditional WFR funding is available through the RKMF. Approval for this financial assistance is contingent upon the Expedition being funded by the RKMF.
Proposal Requirements
Expedition Grant proposals provide the Ritt Kellogg Memorial Fund Advisory Committee with the appropriate information needed to make responsible and well-reasoned funding decisions. Applicants are encouraged to provide more detail and information than less.
The Advisory Committee will review, discuss, and vote on proposals. Their considerations will include: compliance with Ritt Fund criteria, preparation of emergency and safety protocols, alignment with Ritt Fund mission, if the level of anticipated risk matches the applicants' level of experience, cost effectiveness and other factors. The Advisory Committee is committed to the Ritt Kellogg Fund and holds high expectations that proposals be thoughtful, succinct, and follow Ritt Fund criteria.
For additional advice on writing your proposal, example documents, and guidance, check out the Proposal Tips page. Additionally, in Block 4 Outdoor Ed will host a RKMF Grant Writing Clinic to help students prepare quality proposals.
Proposals are to be submitted through SUMMIT on the Outdoor Education page. Deadlines are strict and proposals may be discounted if any components are missing. Proposals will be reviewed during Block 5 and applicants will receive notice by email at the end of Block 6.
Group Application - one per expedition team
- The specific goal of the expedition
- Firm dates of the expedition and total days in the field
- Plan for team to solidify skills prior to the expedition start
- Travel plans to and from the trailhead
- Daily itinerary including maps, elevations, route topos, tide charts, etc.
- Equipment list (including contents of first aid kit) and food details
- Leave no trace plan (including details on how the expedition will minimize their environmental impact related to the specific location, activities, season, etc)
- Cultural considerations (if applicable)
- List of hazards and associated risk management plans
- Emergency evacuation plans (including hospital, etc. contact info)
- Special measures taken for individuals or area-specific concerns
- Itemized budget all aspects of the trip including transportation, food, fuel, permits, equipment rentals, carbon offsetting, and measures being taken to reduce costs
- RKMF Expedition Agreement, one per group
Individual Application - one per applicant
- Signed medical release
- Outdoor-skills resume
- References
- Photocopies of current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certification cards or letters of enrollment from your intended WFR provider (certification must be in force for the proposal dates; WFR cards are required for CC students as well as non-CC students participating on Ritt Fund trips)
- Proof of certification or letters of enrollment for any outdoor-skills training listed in outdoor-skills resume
- Participant Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risks & Release and Indemnity Agreement, includes parent signature even if >18 years