Outdoor Educator

Christodora, a 125-year-old nonprofit, nonsectarian organization, based in NYC, seeks Outdoor Educators (OEs) to work at its Manice Education Center (MEC) located in the  heart of the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts on a 200-acre wooded campus for the 2023 spring, summer, and/or fall seasons. Enjoy living and working in a phenomenal setting for nature enthusiasts and outdoor  adventurers in a forested playground, sandwiched between multiple state forests, rivers, and  ponds.

Each spring and fall, MEC hosts two field trips per week for NYC public middle schools, serving approximately 30 students during each trip; and each summer, MEC offers a full season of environmental and expedition (backpacking and canoeing) courses for  NYC youth in grades 6-12 with approximately 40 campers in age-grouped sessions, running approximately one to three weeks in length. 

OEs in the Fall/Spring School Programs work as residential, recreational camp counselors, facilitating three-day, school-chaperoned, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field trips at and nearby MEC for our partner NYC public schools. Staff work closely in a supportive atmosphere and teach small, mixed-gender groups of 10 youth in all types of  weather (there is no bad weather, only bad planning!) in forest, mountain, and pond settings during the spring and fall. The MEC staff lives in similarly rustic housing as students from Monday through Thursday each week: large, canvas-walled tents on top of large wooden platforms that can fit up to eight beds. Each school trip engages in nature hikes to a summit with a view of four states, an 80-foot cascading waterfall, and a unique bog ecosystem.  

Join our Spring Team: April 12 – June 2, 2023 

Join our Summer Team: June 6 – Aug 27, 2023  

Join our Fall Team: Sept 6 – Nov 5, 2023

Spring/Fall Training Opportunities  

Red Cross First Aid, CPR/AED, low-ropes challenge course facilitation through Project  Adventure, and Verbal Intervention through the Crisis Prevention Institute. Additionally, all educators receive hands-on training and ongoing professional development in the delivery of an active, outdoor, experientially driven curriculum, grounded in social-emotional development and  trauma-informed care  

Summer Training Opportunities  

Wilderness First Aid through SOLO Wilderness Medicine; Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguarding  (optional); low ropes challenge course facilitation through Project Adventure; Verbal  Intervention through Crisis Prevention Institute; and 1.5 day professional canoe training on flat  and whitewater. Additionally, all educators receive hands-on training and ongoing professional development in the delivery of an active, outdoor, experientially driven curriculum, grounded in social-emotional development and trauma-informed care 

Responsibilities 

• Facilitate low-ropes challenge course activities designed for teamwork, communication, leadership skills, trust, and social-emotional outcomes 
• Inspire curiosity about the natural world through discovery-based activities in a variety of ecosystems 
• Plan active and experiential lessons from MEC’s discovery-based curriculum Introduce composting and gardening (including a small flock of chickens) to students Lead nighttime hikes to see the stars and cultivate sensory awareness 
• Work closely with other educators within activity groups to create meaningful, problem-based,  experiential, and active environmental science lessons  
• Provide overnight supervision on a rotating schedule for up to six youth in canvas-walled, cabin style tents on large wooden platforms 
• Celebrate as a camp community with skits, music, and s’mores at our campfire program (rain or  shine) in a covered gazebo surrounded by forest 
• Problem-solve unexpected student behavior through restorative circles 

Qualifications 

Required: 

Adventurous spirit, willingness to learn, passion for the outdoors, and enjoy connecting with  youth from NYC 

Background clearances and medical physical from a licensed medical professional required BA/BS in related discipline, demonstrable professional experience, and/or previous Christodora program experience 

Preferred: 

Experience in environmental education in a residential camp or outdoor setting Experience working with middle-school groups from large cities in classroom or outdoor settings Spanish/English bilingual a plus 

Valid driver’s license 

Compensation/Benefits 

$450-550 weekly salary, commensurate with experience, room/board and meals at MEC during employment, outdoor equipment discounts through Liberty Mountain, and training certifications listed above 

Acknowledgement 

The staff of the Manice Education Center acknowledges that, as outdoor professionals, we continue to live and make a living on the unceded and ancestral lands of the indigenous people who stewarded these lands for generations before the arrival of European settler colonialism. These people and sovereign nations include the Mohican, Pocumtuc, Nipmuc, and Wabanaki, though much of this history remains lost or stolen through the effects of European settler colonialism. These nations are not currently represented in the board, directors, or employees of Christodora, Inc., which owns and operates MEC, and MEC continues to benefit from the oppressive history of colonialism and industrial agriculture that has forever altered the ecosystems of the region. We recognize there will be implications for how Christodora must alter its thoughts and decisions when educating youth on unceded lands, and we welcome dialogue in this work, as this is only a small step toward repairing the generations of injustice done to these people and nations. 

Staff Vaccination Policy

To help maintain the health and safety of the Christodora community, all camper-facing employees must be fully vaccinated and up-to-date against COVID-19, unless an exemption applies.

How to apply:

Please email employment@christodora.org with only “[Last Name]/MEC OE” as the subject of the message with a resume and brief cover letter. Three professional references may be requested following an initial phone interview. 

Christodora is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive  consideration for employment without regard to age, family status, income, ethnicity or race,  religious or spiritual practice, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national  origin, disability status, protected veteran status, indigenous heritage, and/or any other  characteristic protected by law.