Outdoor Education Instructor

Job Details

Level: Experienced

Job Location:

Chadwick School - Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

Position Type:
Seasonal

Education Level: High School

Salary Range: $20.00 - $20.00 Hourly

Travel Percentage:
Up to 25%

Job Shift: Any

Job Category:
Education / Outdoor Education Instructor, Grades 7-12

Chadwick Outdoor Education (COE) instructors facilitate outdoor experiences for students, helping them to reach their full potential, learn the importance of personal responsibility, practice decision making and hone their leadership abilities. Instructors will teach skills such as camp craft, navigation, expedition behavior, hygiene, self‑care, hazard awareness, risk management, group processing, communication, proper use of equipment/clothing, and minimum impact ethics. Instructors will share passions for the natural world and address cultural history topics in each course area.

The curriculum progression is structured around 7th and 8th grade base camping experiences, building toward 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade backpacking courses. Most courses are 5 days long, with 2–3 days of instructor preparation before students arrive. The 12th grade course is a three‑week long backcountry expedition course. Three courses run in the fall and three in the spring.

Instructors are hired on a temporary, part‑time agreement basis.

• Live by Chadwick’s Core Values and Core Competencies and act as a role model for students.
• Live comfortably in the outdoor environments where courses are located, and be capable of caring for oneself and students regardless of conditions.
• Understand COE risk management policies and procedures.
• Recognize and manage the major hazards and risks inherent in the specific course environment, taking appropriate action for unfamiliar risks.
• Identify and address appropriate and inappropriate student behavior, managing student‑to‑student, instructor‑to‑student, and instructor‑to‑instructor relationships, including giving feedback and handling conflict and stress.
• Create space for emotional, physical, and social safety for all group members.
• Complete course paperwork in a timely, organized fashion.
• Participate in course orientation and training, and in end‑of‑course debriefs with co‑instructors and the COE leadership team.
• Drive and transport students and equipment to trip locations, and direct setting up locations with students.
• Read and understand the COE instructor manual and the Chadwick Diversity statement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Some college required;
  Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and CPR certification.
• Several years of post‑college professional experience leading students in reputable outdoor education programs and schools.
• Teaching experience (classroom or outdoor).
• Appropriate course‑area backcountry wilderness experience, both personal and professional.
• Experience leading students ranging from grades 7–12.
• Clean driving record, current driver’s license, and minimum age 25 to drive school vehicles.
• High competence as an outdoor leader, patient and inspiring teacher, and skilled outdoor enthusiast with prudent judgment.
• Technical skills necessary to travel in the course areas and teach skills to students; strong risk‑management skills applicable to institutional settings.
• Positive environmental role model with sound knowledge of the natural history of the course‑area environments.

• Lifting, carrying, and moving up to 50–70 lbs.
• Walking and being outdoors for extended periods on a regular basis; the school occupies 45 acres of land and trips are in wilderness locations.
• Vision requirements include good close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• May use telephone, computer, copier, and other office equipment during the day.
• Employees may be exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time, including warm, hot, or cold temperatures.
• Workspace noise level is moderate.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. TB assessment and Livescan background check required. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, and responsibilities that are required of the position.