Where we’ve come from:
From an original core team of five founding members and a handful of loving partners, The Autonomy Project has grown tremendously over the three years since our opening — and so has the number of people who want to get involved.
During that growth, we tried a variety of ways to onboard new folks, all while actively building both the organization and the community at the same time. What we learned was that, despite our best efforts, some new team members received the training and guidance they needed, while others did not. Many people were also left unsure about what their next steps should be.
This was never due to a lack of care, interest, or belief in any individual. It was a very common growing pain for a young, fast-moving organization — and one we knew needed to be addressed thoughtfully and seriously.
So, starting in 2026, we’ve revamped our leadership runway to help you become even more important to the community we’ve created.
Who this is for:
- Command Team applicants who applied in 2025, were caught in our onboarding pause, and are now ready to complete the process
- New Command Team applicants who have recently applied and want to get started
- Current volunteers who want to get more involved and begin training as Shift Leads or Apprentices
Leadership Pathways!
There is no right or wrong way to become a leader here, and while the chart may seem linear, there is no assumption to “make it to team lead.” Everyone gets to choose their lane.
However, this is the new pathway required to join the command team based on our many hundreds of hours of community infrastructure building experiments. ;)
General Volunteer
- Support events by helping with Check-In, Merch, Performer Support, and Special Event Teams.
Shift Lead
- Support day-of event operations, volunteer coordination, and setup/teardown while learning how our systems work in real time.
Apprentice
- Train on behind-the-scenes planning and processes using structured checklists, with support from your team.
Team Specialist (Optional step!)
- Contribute specific skills at a sustainable level without taking on a long-term leadership commitment.
Command Team Member
- Take on recurring responsibilities like event planning, marketing, merch, tech, or volunteer coordination.
Team Lead
- Steward a team’s work, mentor others, and help guide long-term strategy.
Want to learn more about these steps? Go here: Join the Leadership Team!
Where you go now depends on one important question… have you volunteered with us yet?
Drum roll…
👉 Yes! I’ve already worked shifts.
Great! Check in with our Admin or Volunteer Lead to see if you’re ready to begin Shift Lead training.
- If you’re ready, we’ll get you scheduled.
- If not, we’ll tell you exactly what to work on so readiness is clear.
We generally ask folks to complete at least one shift in each area — Check-In, Merch, and Support — before moving forward. In some cases, more shifts may be recommended depending on prior experience, and we’ll always communicate that clearly.
👉 No — I haven’t volunteered yet (and I’m local to Ohio)
No problem at all — everyone starts here.
We ask new applicants to begin as General Volunteers by:
- Completing Volunteer Orientation
- Working a few volunteer shifts
- Checking in with our Admin or Volunteer Lead when ready to explore Shift Lead training
We’ll support you at each step and let you know when you’re ready to move forward.
Ready to get started?
Getting Started as a Volunteer!
👉 No — I haven’t volunteered yet and I’m not local to Ohio.
If you’re not local but you still want to join the command team, awesome! We have volunteers in other states and other countries.
You need to be able to provide at least 4-6 hours per month of consistent volunteer time, and be committed to taking on a specific role for no less than 3 months.
This ensures that we don’t have folks in and out, creating more logistical strain on our admin team.
Read more about Command Team application: Join the Leadership Team!
Ready to get started?
Already volunteering or applied in the past?
Reach out to our Admin or Volunteer Lead to check in and get started.
Brand new and curious?
Put in your application and let’s get you in here!
Start with Volunteer Orientation — we’ll guide you from there.
If you’re unsure where you fall, that’s okay too. Just reach out — we’re happy to talk it through.