Outdoor Program Instructor

Outdoor Program Instructor 

Full Time: Seasonal Position February – November 2025 

Competitive Compensation Package: $112.20-$117.20 per day (DOE) plus Room & Board  

Sierra Nevada Journeys' Outdoor Education Camp, Portola, California 

Sierra Nevada Journeys seeks Outdoor Program Instructors with experience delivering culturally relevant camp-based programs for schools and community partners, serving youth from under-resourced communities. This is a ten-month seasonal position with varying roles and responsibilities.  

During the spring and fall seasons, the primary responsibility of instructors is delivering one-to-five-day outdoor science education programs primarily serving 5th and 6th-grade students from elementary and middle schools. All lessons are based on hands-on science and collaborative problem-solving, focusing on critical thinking, exploration, and environmental stewardship. Instructors lead and educate 12-to-15 students throughout their program, including facilitating extensive group activities and leading meals and evening programs. All lessons are written according to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and we train our employees using the University of California at Berkeley's BEETLES (Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning & Expertise Sharing) teaching techniques and pedagogy. Sierra Nevada Journeys programs see several thousand participants each year. 

  During the summer, Sierra Nevada Journeys delivers both overnight summer camp and community partner programs, including camps for people with disabilities and camps for teen leadership development. During our week-long summer camps, Instructors facilitate activities such as the challenge course, swimming, kayaking, and leadership programs. Instructors may be in a summer camp leadership position as head lifeguard, camp helper, staff mentor, or cabin leader. During community partner camps, instructors deliver programming using Sierra Nevada Journeys' challenge course and delving into social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies to facilitate leadership experiences and develop collaborative critical thinking skills. Instructors also assist organizations that serve people with disabilities by adapting traditional outdoor and camp activities to provide an enriching experience for their participants. Many of our community partners also bring participants to camp on the weekends in the spring and fall seasons. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that attending schools, community groups, and participants' educational outcomes are met.  

OPIs may have the opportunity to be trained in our Ropes Lead role. The Ropes Lead will be trained to have the skills to oversee and mitigate risk on the course in tandem with or in place of our Challenge Course Manager. In the Outdoor Program Instructor role, the Ropes Lead will report to the Challenge Course Manager regarding all Challenge Course sops and facilitation styles.

  AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY 

• Training Attendance: Attend all staff trainings delivered by the Program Management team. 

• Education Instruction: Facilitate high-quality outdoor science education and challenge course programs (day and evening) with proficiency in all Sierra Nevada Journey's outdoor school curriculum and teaching methods. Teaching conservation and sustainability principles fosters respect for nature among participants. 

• Camp Facilitation: Safely facilitate outdoor recreation activities, including archery and kayaking. Lead meals and engage participants before meals. 

• Challenge Course Facilitation: Safely facilitate the challenge course to achieve collaborative, social, emotional, and problem-solving goals.  

• Assessment and Evaluation: Deliver, organize, and grade student assessments and related paperwork—support evaluation collection from participants at the end of the program. Participate in debriefs after each program. 

• Collaboration and Initiative: Effectively deliver programs while working with chaperones, teachers, community group staff members, and other instructors as needed. Identify areas where other team members may need an extra hand and step in to support them.  

• Equipment Management: Clean, restock, and inventory program supplies, including educational materials, challenge course supplies, and camp program areas. 

• Programmatic Support: Work on assigned projects, including, but not limited to, creating necessary paper materials for schools, camp improvement projects, and revamping curriculum as needed. Travel and support the facilitation of other programs within SNJ as required. 

• Professional Development: Continuing to develop personal skills and knowledge in outdoor education, leadership, and safety practices. 

• Program Improvement: Observe, identify, and do what is needed to move Sierra Nevada Journeys forward in a way that best represents who we are as an organization. 

 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Leadership experience or experience working with youth. 

• Experience delivering culturally relevant camp-based programs for schools or community partners serving youth from under-resourced communities.  

• Enthusiasm for working with students and making a difference through education. 

• Ability to work irregular hours and days, including nights and weekends. 

• Ability to live and work positively in a communal shared environment with other staff members. 

• Ability to take initiative, work independently, and maintain a positive attitude. 

• Willingness to be 30 feet off the ground on challenge course high elements. 

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and hike over varying terrain and distances up to seven miles. 

• Current CPR and First Aid certification or willingness to obtain certification before the start date (at your own expense) 

• Ability to pass a background check. 

• As a condition of employment, all employees must attest in writing that they have up-to-date immunizations against the diseases required for public school attendance in the State where they work. 

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Fluency in Spanish or another second language 

• Experience in science instruction – either in a formal outdoor setting or in a classroom setting 

• Experience working with students from communities of BIPOC. 

• Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder Certification 

• Current lifeguard certification or willingness to obtain certification before the start date. 

 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

• Competitive Compensation Package: $112.20 - $117.20 per day (DOE) plus off-site staff housing and meals while at camp (California meals stipend provided when meals are not offered on days worked)  

• Three days paid time off per year and five sick days per year (ten-month seasonal position) 

• Phone use reimbursement at $5 per paycheck. 

• Employees will earn $1 per day extra for each certification

1. Waterfront lifeguard/pool lifeguard 

2. Experience in science instruction – either in a formal outdoor setting or in a classroom setting 

3. Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder Certification 

• Optional 403(b) retirement plan and up to a 4% match by Sierra Nevada Journeys 

• Bilingual fluency in Spanish - differential of an additional 3% added to hourly rate/annual salary. 

• Discounts on all SNJ camp programs of 50% for children/kin 

 EMPLOYMENT HIGHLIGHTS 

• Home base for living, working, exploring, and recreating in the beautiful Sierra Valley 

• Employment with an innovative company focused on improving outdoor education delivery. 

• Professional development geared toward outdoor education leadership or classroom teaching goals.