Outdoor Program Instructor

Outdoor Program Instructor

We regularly hire Outdoor Program Instructors and conduct interviews with candidates throughout the year.

Competitive Compensation Package: $115 to $118
* per day (DOE)
* Specific certifications can increase pay by $1/day, up to $120/day.

Plus, off-site staff housing and workday meals are provided

Full-Time seasonal position; start date is early-February and season runs through mid-November 2026; opportunity to renew your contract for the following season

Location:

Sierra Nevada Journeys Outdoor Education Camp, Portola, California

Sierra Nevada Journeys is seeking 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 sessions, 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 rest upon the foundation of hands-on science and collaborative problem solving, with a focus on critical thinking, exploration, and environmental stewardship. Instructors are responsible for leading and educating a group of 12-to-15 students throughout their program, including facilitating large group activities, leading meals, and evening programs.

All lessons are written according to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and we train our employees using 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 session, 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 find themselves in a summer camp leadership position such as head lifeguard, camp helper, staff mentor, or cabin leader.

During community partner camps, instructors deliver programming using Sierra Nevada Journeys' challenge course, as well as 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 sessions.

Instructors are directly responsible for ensuring that attending schools, community groups, and participants' educational outcomes are met.

OPI's 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 or in place of our Challenge Course Manager. The Ropes Lead role within the Outdoor Program Instructor role will report to the Challenge Course Manager regarding all Challenge Course SOP's and facilitation style.

• 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 Journeys outdoor school curriculum and teaching methods. Teaching principles of conservation and sustainability, fostering a 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…