Nature Camp Counselor (Spring Break April 13-17)

Job Summary
Join us as a Nature Camp Counselor during Spring Break from April 13 to 17 and inspire young explorers to connect with the natural world! In this energetic role, you will lead engaging outdoor activities, foster curiosity about the environment, and ensure a safe, fun, and educational experience for elementary school aged children in grades K-5, ages 5-10. Your enthusiasm for nature and commitment to nurturing child development will help create memorable moments that encourage environmental stewardship. This employment position offers an exciting opportunity to make a positive impact while working in a lively camp setting filled with discovery.

APPLY: complete the application in the Google Form: https://forms.gle/Jkwu6ySj19w6wVgw9. The application is also accessible on Inspire Active Learning's website. Only applicants who follow instructions will be considered.

Essential Duties:

• ​Complete training online and onsite at Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve
• Punctually and reliably attend scheduled work hours, rain or shine, including training, staff meetings, and camp session dates
• Safely lead hikes in parks up to approx. 6 miles per day for K-5th graders in small groups
• Maintain a 4:1 or 5:1 student: staff ratio or ratio approved by the camp supervisor
• Implement age-appropriate, grade-appropriate, K-5 level nature-themed science, outdoor education, language arts, art, and motor activities for Call of the Wild Camps
• Teach and facilitate fun and positive nature education curriculum on vegan topics such as animal rights, speciesism, health, food, clothing, and the environment
• Teach and lead outdoor language arts activities for children with nature and wilderness themes, including circle time with story time and singing, literary show-and-tell, skits, nature journaling, mapmaking, creative writing, and authoring and illustrating books
• Teach and facilitate science activities on topics in biology, ecology, zoology, life science, environmental science, outdoor education, stewardship, conservation, preservation, etc., integrating naturalistic observation, group discussion, games, children's books, and writing activities
• Teach and engage children in outdoor activities that blend recreation and education, such as nature-themed field games, hide and seek and chase games, forest "I Spy" games, and scavenger hunts
• Teach and facilitate nature-themed arts and crafts
• Engage children with a fun teaching style and high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity
• Supervise and facilitate children's rest breaks, snack and lunch breaks, and physical play breaks
• Provide naturalistic executive function teaching across diverse activities
• Implement teaching and behavior management based on principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), including prompting, positive reinforcement, and contingencies of reinforcement based on student preferences and choices
• Facilitate emergent curriculum and child-centered, student-centered, experiential, incidental, and play-based teaching and learning opportunities
• Create both structured and incidental learning opportunities
• Keep work materials neat, organized, and in good working condition
• Record accurate, objective incident reports
• Drive by personal vehicle during the work shift for emergency or safety-related situations or to access reception as needed under supervisor direction
• Follow the three camp rules: (1) be kind, (2) be safe, and (3) leave no trace, and make sure campers follow them
• Follow all health and safety requirements, and make sure campers follow them
• Follow all seven leave no trace principles, and make sure campers follow them
• Actively contribute and participate in staff training and meetings
• Proactively communicate camp questions and concerns with the camp director and supervisor
• Follow directions and implement feedback from supervisors
• Interact with students and staff in a kind, caring, respectful, positive, and professional manner
• Represent Call of the Wild Camps in a positive and professional manner with customers, staff, and park visitors
• Mentor and support Counselors in Training (CITs) participating in the internship program
• Meet all of the physical requirements for the job, including standing, bending, sitting, squatting, walking, occasional lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs., hiking up to approx. 6 miles per day on varied terrain in varied weather with a backpack weighing up to 20% of your body weight, visual acuity for reading books, maps, interpretive panels, and signs
• Perform other duties as assigned

​APPLY: you must complete the application in the Google Form in order to apply for this job: https://forms.gle/Jkwu6ySj19w6wVgw9. The application is also accessible on Inspire Active Learning's website. Only applicants who follow instructions will be considered.

Required Qualifications:

​Required Education:​

• Proof of your high school diploma or higher degree
• Most recent academic transcript (unofficial is permitted) in good standing with a 3.5 minimum GPA. If your school does not provide grades, you do not qualify for this position.
• Proof of a declared major or minor in a relevant discipline or completion of one or more relevant courses, such as biology, environmental science, or education

​Certification and Safety Requirements:​​

• Proof of CPR and First Aid certification that remains unexpired through all camps dates you are applying to work. The only accepted CPR and First Aid certification involves passing a live skills assessment with an instructor. In person or hybrid in-person/online courses are the only acceptable courses. Entirely online courses are not acceptable.
• Proof of current COVID-19 vaccination obtained within 12 months of hire before hire or obtain an exemption for medical or sincerely held religious belief reasons.
• Pass a DOJ and FBI background check.

​Required Experience:​​​

• Minimum 12 months of experience as a camp counselor, outdoor educator, naturalist, recreation leader, coach, instructor, or classroom teacher working in person with GROUPS of elementary school age children at K-5th grade level, ages 5-10. Babysitting or nannying are not equivalent experience.
• Frequent, regular experience hiking, running, or backpacking trails on varied terrain at least 6 miles in a day
• Experience working in person with culturally, linguistically, and developmentally diverse children
• Experience working in person with students with widely diverse abilities, such as giftedness, typically developing children, children with disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia, speech and language delays), and English Language Learners (ELL)
• Experience leading extracurricular enrichment activities in person for groups of children in grades K-5, ages 5-10
• Experience implementing effective and appropriate behavior management in person for children in grades K-5, ages 5-10
• Experience with child development and implementing age-appropriate, grade-appropriate, developmentally appropriate activities in person for children in grades K-5, ages 5-10

​​APPLY: https://forms.gle/Jkwu6ySj19w6wVgw9

Required Skills:​

• Ability to model and educate about veganism as more than a diet
• Ability to hike trails of moderate difficulty on hilly and uneven terrain up to approximately 6 miles a day five days a week for multiple consecutive weeks
• Ability to carry a hiking backpack weighing up to 20% of your body weight for the duration of each camp day
• Ability to meet all other physical requirements for the job, including standing, bending, sitting, squatting, walking, occasional lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs., and visual acuity for reading books, maps, interpretive panels, and signs
• Demonstrate a fun and engaging leadership style with high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity
• Friendly, kind, caring, compassionate, and patient teaching style for learners of all skill levels
• Eagerness and openness to continually learn and develop your skill set
• Command of American English phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics
• Excellent ability to break concepts down into simple and easy steps
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Eco-conscious skills with a demonstrable love of nature and the outdoors
• You can articulate how veganism benefits animals, health, and the environment
• Health-conscious skills with a demonstrable love of active and healthy living
• Enthusiasm for nature-themed language arts and literacy teaching
• Enthusiasm for making education relevant to children's lives
• Demonstrate care for children and a desire to help the whole child learn and grow in enjoyable ways, in addition to subject-matter competence in language arts and relevant life sciences

APPLY: https://forms.gle/Jkwu6ySj19w6wVgw9

​Other Requirements:​

• You are an adult (age 18 or older) or will be an adult before the start date of the camp session
• Proof of a valid California driver's license
• Proof of auto insurance

​​Preferred Qualifications:​​​

• Experience hiking in Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve
• You are vegan, as defined by The Vegan Society and as described on Inspire's website here:

APPLY: https://forms.gle/Jkwu6ySj19w6wVgw9

This role is perfect for individuals passionate about education, the environment, and making a meaningful difference in children's lives through engaging outdoor experiences. Join us in creating a memorable spring break adventure that inspires the next generation of environmental stewards!

APPLY: you must complete the application in the Google Form in order to apply for this job: https://forms.gle/Jkwu6ySj19w6wVgw9. The application is also accessible on Inspire Active Learning's website. Only applicants who follow instructions will be considered.

Pay: $21.00 - $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Referral program

Work Location: In person

Salary : $21 - $23