Seasonal - Lakeside Classroom Field Teacher (id:83856)
Orono
Cooperative Extension - OCES
Temp
N/A
Bryant Pond
Live in Maine and join a team of energetic outdoor professionals looking to share their love of the outdoors and sciences with people of all ages and backgrounds. We are looking for dedicated educators who truly enjoy exploring the natural world and the importance of community.
Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center is seeking qualified, high-energy individuals to work in our Lakeside Classroom. The mission of the University of Maine 4-H Center in Bryant Pond is to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to lead sustainable lives through affordable, experiential learning. Our campus is nestled on the shores of Lake Christopher in Bryant Pond, Maine with 160 acres of forest and mountain trails leading to remote campsites, streams, ponds, wetlands, and a mountain summit.
Candidates will be considered for any combination of the three seasons; spring, summer, or fall. In the spring and fall, a seven-month Field Teacher would support the Lakeside Classroom residential school program. This program focuses on teaching environmental education and teambuilding to students, kindergarten through college. In the summer, a seven-month Field Teacher would work as a counselor in the summer camp program leading ecology, survival, arts, hunter safety, or adventure programming. We work with over 1,000 youth in our open enrollment summer camp. The seven-month positions run late April-mid November, with the opportunity for winter extensions in afterschool and expeditionary roles.
The primary responsibility of Field Teachers is to provide students with high-quality programming in ecology, teambuilding, challenge course/climbing wall, and outdoor skills. Group management and team building skills are an important part of this position, and make up to 70% of what we do.
Position Description:
The Field Teacher position at Bryant Pond 4-H Center’s Lakeside Classroom is roughly based on a five-day work week starting Monday morning and ending before 6:00 pm on Friday. Field Teachers may be asked to work occasional weekends on a rotating basis for specialty programs and will be compensated for extra days. Most weeks will consist of two or three overnight or day programs. The Director on Duty and Medic are on-call after evening meds each night. This job demands a great deal of energy, flexibility, and commitment; field teachers often plan and prepare lessons outside of the regular workday.
Program staff at Bryant Pond 4-H Center work and live in a very close community and are expected to contribute to the community through sharing in chores and maintaining a commitment to a positive and collegial work environment. Those living on campus are expected to keep up with the chores associated with shared living spaces including the bathrooms and kitchen. While programs are in session, all food will be prepared and provided by our kitchen staff (please inquire about food needs). While off duty, staff members are welcome to use the kitchen facilities to prepare personal food or eat leftovers out of the staff refrigerator.
Although the main responsibility of a Field Teacher is to work directly with participants teaching lessons, work in other areas may be required. Staff may be asked to help with facility upkeep and maintenance, office work, building projects, gardening, outreach, and lesson planning. Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center is dedicated to providing support and high-quality training to its Field Teachers. Staff training happens three times within a seven-month season. Training consists of in-depth teambuilding, low/high challenge course, and climbing wall facilitation skills, concepts of ecology, engineering lessons, outdoor skills such as canoeing, hiking, shooting sports, and survival. We also cover Bryant Pond’s policies, procedures, mission, and vision. Lifeguard, Maine State Trip Leader, 4-H Shooting Sports, and Wilderness First Aid Training are available for staff in some seasons at free or discounted rates.
Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center is located in Bryant Pond, Maine, and is a short drive to the beautiful White Mountain National Forest and the Rangeley Lakes area. The local area provides many opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts including rock climbing, backpacking, hunting and fishing, canoeing, and a large winter ski and sport industry. Portland, Maine’s largest city is only an hour’s drive with live music, great food, and shopping.
Responsibilities:
- Care for the health, safety, and well being of all campers/students/chaperones
- Manage risk associated with experiential learning opportunities
- Teach and lead groups of 8-15 students independently once comfortable with lessons and schedule for the day and overnight groups
- Contribute ideas for the continual development of programs and to strengthen our teaching team
- Help in all aspects of the program including; teaching, program design/scheduling, general camp chores, cleaning, and kitchen duties to support the campus community
- Foster and role model interpersonal relationships that reflect courtesy, civility, and mutual respect
- Full-time work with rotating night time and weekend responsibilities
Salary and Benefits:
Field Teachers are salaried employees and are paid on a biweekly basis. The starting salary begins at $500/week. Director on Duty roles are available to returning staff (more responsibility/increased salary). Benefits include housing (rustic cabins with woodstove), food, laundry, Internet access, and backcountry equipment usage. Bryant Pond can be used as a college internship site in any season. Unfortunately, Field Staff are not permitted to have pets on the University of Maine Bryant Pond campus.
The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu .
The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.
- Degree in environmental science, education, adventure education, childcare, or a willingness to learn and self-teach new skills
- First Aid and CPR training, WFA/WFR is preferred.
- Commitment to working long days with participants in a hands-on and high energy setting
- Experience educating and managing children, kindergarten-12th grade in an outdoor setting as well as the confidence to lead adult groups
- Experience facilitating teambuilding initiatives, as well as low and high challenge course activities
- Understanding of basic ecological concepts and a general love of the outdoors
- A commitment to sustainability
- Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions while managing the needs of all participants
- Willingness to be flexible and adapt your energy to the needs of the program and participants
- Ability to hike 5-8 miles with a 40lb pack, teach canoeing skills, and comfortably lift 50+ lbs
- Commitment to working collectively as a part of a hard-working, supportive, and positive team
- Demonstrates a professional appearance and attitude
- Interest that includes: Initiative Games/Challenges, High Ropes Courses, Archery, Wilderness Survival Skills, Fishing, Hiking, Canoeing, Hunting, Backpack/Canoe Expeditions, Indoor Rock Climbing, Forest Ecology, Geology, Gardening and Farm Animals, Engineering, and Science in general.
If you are a student, please send all application materials (see below) to [email protected] .
If you are not a student, materials must be submitted via "Apply For Position" below. You will need to create a profile and application; upload:
1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position
2.) a resume/curriculum vitae
3.) contact information for three professional references
You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
Search Timeline is as follows:
Review of applications to begin: February 5, 2024
Interviews to begin no earlier than: February 12, 2024
Tentative start date: April 22, 2024
For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Mary Proulx at [email protected] or 207-665-2068.
The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening and post offer physical.
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).
Other
Cover Letter, References, Resume/CV