Outdoor Education Program Specialist; Teacher

Title: Outdoor Education Program Specialist (Teacher), New Country Day Camp

Division – Department: 14th Street Y – Youth Programs – New Country Day Camp

Job Classification (FLSA): Non-Union – PT/FT (Part-time during pre-camp orientation in June, and full-time during camp program in June – August)

Daily Rate: $200

Supervisor: NCDC Program Manager

Date: April 2026

New Country Day Camp is an open-tent community that celebrates and sustains joyful, outdoor summer experiences where all can thrive. We maintain a proud legacy as a Jewish camp, comprised of a multicultural community, representing and celebrating the heartbeat of NYC. We build meaningful connections with ourselves, each other, and the natural world around us through innovative programming that is rooted in Jewish tradition and guided by universal values.

New Country Day Camp is a 7-week, outdoor summer camp for campers in kindergarten-8th grade. NCDC operates M-F, 8am-5pm, and provides transportation for staff and campers to and from our campgrounds on Staten Island via multiple locations throughout Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. NCDC is a neurodiverse camp community, and all staff members are responsible for supporting neurodivergent and neurotypical campers and staff to have successful summers.

The Outdoor Education Program Specialist is responsible for creating and implementing high-quality outdoor programming for New Country Day Camp. Campers in this program hike through our beautiful hiking trails, make crafts out of found natural materials, and learn how to navigate the natural world around them. This role is also responsible for completing some pre‑camp work to prepare the garden for the campers’ arrival.

Program Specialists are passionate about teaching their area of expertise in an informal, outdoor, educational setting. They teach multiple groups of K – 8th grade campers daily, for 30 – 60‑minute program blocks each.

• Direct client group:
  Campers ages 4 – 13
• Directly supervises:
  Instructional team of Camp Counselors
• Directly supervised by:
  Programs Manager
• Collaborates with:
  Fellow Program Specialists and Program Coordinator
• Mentors: 1 or 2 Counselors-in-Training (14 – 15‑year‑old staff), who assist in programming

• Incorporate NCDC values and seasonal themes rooted in Jewish sensibilities into programming.
• Independently develop lesson plans, differentiated by age group and offering adaptations for a variety of needs and abilities. Submit lesson plans to supervisor by an agreed upon deadline for feedback.
• Execute 30 – 40‑minute sessions for groups of up to 30 campers at a time, grouped by age and including varying needs and abilities.
• Develop and execute week‑long, progressive, and comprehensive units for elective time. Elective sessions are 50 – 60 minutes long and include 10 – 40 campers at a time. Campers in elective units are in 4th – 6th grades and have a variety of needs and abilities.
• Assist in creating and implementing activities for kindergarteners and 1st graders for their independent playtime.
• Participate in and lead portions of weekly Shabbat celebrations.
• Be actively involved in the development and implementation of NCDC Maccabi Games (color war).
• Develop rainy day programming pre‑camp and execute programming as needed over the summer.

• Supervise campers and staff on a camp bus, riding the bus to and from camp, interacting with caregivers at drop‑off and pick‑up, conducting camper check‑in and check‑out on camp’s attendance database.
• Be responsible for overall cleanliness and organization of program spaces and supplies.
• Work with Operations Manager and Program Coordinator to order supplies for program units, as well as maintaining an organized inventory and balanced budget.
• Assist campers and counselors in pool changing rooms, lunch service, and other non‑program spaces as assigned.
• Exhibit and maintain strong time management capabilities.
• Actively participate in NCDC’s sustainability and waste management efforts.
• Submit weekly elective programming written/photo content to Communications team for shareable family content.
• Communicate/consult as…