Training of Leaders

To make sure you have capable leaders to lead a treehouse program, you should provide trainings beforehand. It is advised to join a treehouse camp or receive training yourself before you implement the information for a treehouse training based on information from this website. This part of the website is focused on how to build treehouses with a group of youth, assuming the leaders already have experience in leading groups. If not, preliminary group leadership training is required. In this part we refer to the leaders as ‘trainees’.

At the end of the training it is important the trainees have certain skills or knowledge regarding treehouse building. These competences are stated below:

Hard skills

• Knotting
• Tree climbing
• Hoisting with a pulley system
• Belaying with a security system (slackline)
• Climbing and building materials
• Rescue
• Toprope climbing / belaying

Soft skills

• How to give a workshop
• Leading reflection in groups regarding the building process
• Knowing the why behind treehouse building, not just the what
• Knowing how to transfer knowledge of treehouse building to a group (youth)
• Creating a safety culture
• Creating a team culture

These skills are divided into three parts:

Learn: The trainees learn how to do a skill.

Do: The trainees practice a skill to gain more experience (learning by doing).

Teach: The trainees practice how to teach the skill to participants of a future treehouse camp.

There are many options for training formats, the most important thing is that the trainees know are competent in the competences stated above. If the knowledge is inadequate they will need more training and/or practice. If the knowledge is adequate, go and build some treehouses!