Child-led, play-based outdoor education

Mulitiple positions...

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(1) SITE COORDINATOR & LEAD EDUCATOR 26–27

Title: BIG BEAR PARK SITE COORDINATOR & LEAD EDUCATOR 26–27
Organization: Edmonton Forest School Society
Location: Big Bear Park, Edmonton, Alberta

Edmonton Forest School Society (EFSS) is seeking an organized, highly responsible, and self-motivated leader to step into the role of Big Bear Park Site Coordinator & Lead Educator for this upcoming school year.

LOCATION: 

Edmonton, AB — Primary program site at Big Bear Park (Shifts begin and end at the EFSS designated Storage Locker)

WAGES:

• Direct Field Teaching Hours: $22.30 – $24.30 / Hour + 6% Vacation Pay
• Administrative Site Coordination Hours: Fixed Monthly Stipend calculated at an hourly equivalent of $24.30 – $25.30 / Hour + 6% Vacation Pay

SCHEDULE:

Mondays & Wednesdays, 8:45am – 4:45pm (Encompassing back-to-back half-day programs for ages 3–4 and 4–6) plus ~3 hrs weekly site administration.

ABOUT US:

The Edmonton Forest School Society (EFSS) is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to child-led, play-based outdoor education. Our programs operate entirely outdoors in all weather conditions, cultivating a small, dedicated team where everyone's voice is valued, reflective practice is essential, and every individual contribution is important.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking an organized, highly responsible, and self-motivated leader to step into the role of Big Bear Park Site Coordinator & Lead Educator. This position carries the ultimate administrative, safety, pedagogical, and logistical responsibility for Big Bear programs.

The successful candidate will spend Mondays and Wednesdays co-facilitating forest school programs, while operating across the week as the primary anchor for administrative site coordination, peer mentorship, and emergency on-call monitoring.

HOURS, WORKING SESSIONS, & ADMINISTRATIVE BASELINE

Confirmed schedules are issued prior to the program start date. Paid time is split into two separate tracking structures:

• Direct Field Teaching Schedule (Mondays & Wednesdays): Back-to-back half-day programs for ages 3–4 and 4–6. Hours encompass direct field teaching shifts, on-site safety alignment blocks (completed physically on-site with your co-educator), and flexible off-site pedagogical planning blocks (which can be completed autonomously at home).
• Administrative Coordination Hours: Three hours allocated weekly for ongoing administrative site coordination, communication workflows, and leadership tasks.

CORE ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Site Administration & Coordination

• Administrative Ownership: Hold primary accountability for ensuring all Big Bear risk assessments, family records, incident reports, site inventory, and parent communications are completed.
• Workflow Escalation: Systematically track cohort-specific needs, safety trends, and operational details, acting as the direct reporting link to the Weekly Programs Director.
• Primary Family Relations: Serve as the first-line ground contact for family communications, navigating escalated parental concerns professionally to build community trust.
• Supply Maintenance: Maintain & procure site gear while adhering to site budget.
• Partnership Maintenance: Maintain site-specific partnerships, including coordination with storage lockers and emergency/extreme weather shelters at the Big Bear location.

2. Field Team Mentorship & Pedagogical Coaching

• On-the-Floor Training: Model forest school pedagogy and implement real-time instructional guidance and onboarding for big bear educators and substitutes.
• Review & Feedback Loops: Review and provide constructive feedback on co-educators' experience risk-benefit assessments, incident reports, and daily reporting logs to ensure alignment with EFSS quality standards.

4. Frontline Pedagogical Facilitation (Direct Field Hours)

• Land-Based Facilitation: Deliver child-led, play-based programming utilizing core forest school pedagogy, placing a distinct emphasis on connecting children deeply with the land.
• Essential Reflective Practice: Engage in active, daily reflective practice as a core requirement of the job—evaluating daily facilitation choices and team dynamics to continuously inform field practices
• Collaborative Documentation & Neurodivergent (ND) Support: Practice ongoing pedagogical documentation created with and for the learners under an intentional neurodivergent-affirming lens, engaging children to capture their own visible learning through the natural inquiry cycle.
• Co-Regulation Support: Maintain active personal emotional regulation to serve as a secure anchor for children navigating their own emotional regulation and risk-negotiation pathways.

5. Logistics, Infrastructure & Personal Vehicle Use

• Mandatory Supply Transportation: Maintain continuous access to a reliable personal vehicle structurally capable of safely housing, securing, and transporting heavy gear kits, supply bins, and shelters from our off-site storage locker directly to the Big Bear park boundaries.
• Outdoor Resilience: Care for your own body safely and independently outdoors for long hours in extreme, fluctuating Alberta weather conditions (+35°C to -35°C), including managing personal outdoor toileting needs.
• Winter Infrastructure Execution: Take hands-on responsibility for safely erecting winter ice-fishing tent and operating propane heating device in compliance with safety protocols.

THE TIME-OFF-IN-LIEU (TOIL) OVERTIME PROTOCOL

If ground-level field operational emergencies cause coordination hours to exceed your assigned weekly administrative baseline, extra hours shall be banked as "straight-time" Time-Off-In-Lieu (1 hour worked = 1 hour banked time). Banked hours must be taken as scheduled paid time off during low-intensity program blocks or during the winter shutdown, ensuring the bank hits zero (0) by end of June.

MONTHLY COMMITMENTS

• Parent Communications: Compile and complete meaningful pedagogical documentation at least once a month to share with families, providing caregivers clear visibility into what their child is learning and any site logistics.
• Staff Meeting: Attend and help lead mandatory monthly all-staff meetings.

• Startup & Orientation Mandates (Late August – September 10):
  • Late August Onboarding: Dedicated paid time during the final week of August alongside the EFSS leadership team.
  • Full-Staff Training: Attend mandatory comprehensive staff training and site setups from September 1 to September 4.
  • Family Orientation: Facilitate and lead personalized family orientation sessions for your Big Bear cohorts from September 8 to September 10.
• Fall Rhythms (Transitions & Foundations): Support new learners and staff transitioning into the program by co-creating routines and group boundaries. Model play on the forest floor, invest in intensive mentorship for new staff, and complete a formal professional self-reflection at the conclusion of this block.
• Winter Rhythms (Resilience & Cold Care): Build staff and children's skills to feel successful in deep cold. Communicate gear updates with staff and families, inspire big-body play for internal warmth, and monitor extremities for signs of cold exposure harm. Engage in a winter mid-point check-in.
• Spring Rhythms (Wrap-Up & Celebration): Plan and execute year-end community celebrations involving staff & families for each program, ensure personalized year-end forest school certificates are made for every individual child in programs, and complete a comprehensive year-end professional self-reflection

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood Education, or experience commensurate with those.
• Clear Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening dated within the last 6 months.
• Valid/Current Standard First Aid & CPR (Wilderness First Aid is a strong asset).
• Proven ability to work independently, taking proactive initiative within tight non-profit budgetary parameters.
• Valid driver's license and a reliable personal vehicle capable of hauling large program equipment bins.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Forest Practitioner Certification.
• Proven experience in a supervisory, team leadership, or program coordinator capacity. Demonstrated ability to provide peer coaching, navigate workplace interpersonal dynamics, deliver constructive feedback, and manage group logisitics or emergency communications under pressure.
• Documented experience supporting learners with exceptionalities and/or neurodivergence in an outdoor setting.

TO APPLY

If you are excited about practicing deep reflective teaching, managing site logistics, leading field teams, and anchoring a regular fixed-term program, please send your resume and a cover letter outlining your site management or leadership experience to programs@edmontonforestschool.com .

Position is open until filled. Review of applications begins immediately.

 

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(2) FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATORS 26–27

Edmonton Forest School Society (EFSS) is looking for passionate, self-motivated, nature-loving practitioners to join our field team for the upcoming school year.

LOCATION:

Edmonton, AB (Gold Bar or Big Bear Park)

WAGES:

• Tier 1 (Forest School Educator): $22.30 / Hour + 6% Vacation Pay
• Tier 2 (Program Coordinator & Educator): $22.30-24.30 / Hour + 6% Vacation Pay

POSITIONS:

Part-Time and Full-Time tracks available under two contract structures:

• Regular Fixed Term: September 2026 through June 2027
• Temporary Leave Coverage: 2 Days/Week (Features early-return notice flexibility tied to a permanent staff member's medical clearance)

ABOUT US:

The Edmonton Forest School Society (EFSS) is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to child-led, play-based outdoor education. Our programs operate entirely outdoors in all weather conditions, cultivating a small, dedicated team where everyone's voice is valued, reflective practice is essential, and every individual contribution is important.

THE OPPORTUNITIES:

We are looking for passionate, self-motivated, nature-loving practitioners to join our field team for the upcoming school year. This hiring cycle introduces a clear, two-tiered field staff matrix. Applicants will be assessed for placement in one of the following two classifications based on experience and leadership capacity:

TIER 1: Forest School Educator

Focuses on deep pedagogical delivery on the forest floor, dynamic real-time risk management, co-facilitation, and building meaningful family relationships.

TIER 2: Lead Program Coordinator & Educator

Carries all frontline responsibilities of Tier 1, while holding the strategic administrative "mental load" for their assigned program cohort, overseeing parent communication logs, delivering real-time peer mentorship, and serving as the first line of ground support for family escalations.

POSITION AVAILABILITY BLOCKS:

Applicants are invited to indicate their alignment with either full-time, part-time, or casual tracks:

• Full Time:
• Monday - Friday 9:00am–4:30pm (Gold Bar Park)
• Half Day (Back to Back) + Full Day Programs for Ages 3-4, 4-6, and 6-12.
• Part Time Tracks:
• Mondays & Wednesdays 8:45am-4:45pm (Big Bear Park)
• Half Day (Back to Back) Programs for Ages 3-4 and 4-6.
• Casual / On-Call Substitute

HOURS & SCHEDULING REALITIES:

Confirmed schedules will be issued closer to the program start date. Your paid hours will encompass assigned field shifts, on-site safety alignment blocks, and pedagogical planning blocks.

• Mandatory On-Site Safety Admin: Risk assessments, equipment upkeep, and essential family communications must be completed on-site alongside your co-educator.
• Flexible Off-Site Planning: Paid time allocated for pedagogical documentation and planning can be administered flexibly from home.

CORE DAILY FIELD RESPONSIBILITIES (ALL TIERS):

• Pedagogical Facilitation: Collaborate in a small team to deliver child-led, play-based programming that connects children aged 3–12 deeply with the land.
• Essential Reflective Practice: Engage in active, daily reflective practice as a core requirement of the job—evaluating daily facilitation choices and team dynamics to continuously inform field practices.
• Family Engagement & Relations: Actively cultivate welcoming connections with parents and caregivers face-to-face during daily drop-off and pick-up windows to share pedagogical insights and build community trust.

• Collaborative Documentation & Neurodivergent (ND) Support: Practice ongoing pedagogical documentation created with and for the learners under a neurodivergent-affirming lens, engaging children to capture their own visible learning through the natural inquiry cycle.
• Co-Regulation Support: Maintain active personal emotional regulation to serve as a grounded anchor for children navigating their own emotional regulation and risk-benefit choices.
• Dynamic Risk Navigation: Complete morning site risk assessments and confidently navigate changing weather, land-use, and field hazards.
• Physical Resilience & Self-Care: Care for your own body safely and independently outdoors for long hours in extreme, fluctuating Alberta weather conditions (+35 to -35!) including outdoor toileting.
• Winter Infrastructure Execution: At Kinsmen/Big Bear sites, take hands-on responsibility for safely erecting winter ice-fishing tent and operating propane heating device.
• Logistics, Heavy Lifting & Personal Vehicle Use: Maintain continuous access to a reliable personal vehicle to load, store, and transport heavy gear kits and supply bins from our off-site storage locker/shed directly to park boundaries. Must be able to haul supplies over uneven, slippery, wet, or snowy terrain. (Kinsmen/Big Bear shifts begin and end at the Storage Locker)

MONTHLY COMMITMENTS:

• Documentation for Parents: Compile and complete pedagogical documentation at least once a month to share with families, providing caregivers clear visibility into what their child is learning.
• Staff Meeting: Attend and participate in mandatory monthly all-staff meetings, timing to be confirmed based on staff schedules.

THE SEASONAL RHYTHMS:

• Fall (Transitions & Foundations): Attend mandatory staff training & prep from Sep 1-4, and facilitate family orientation for your programs Sep 8-10). Support learners transitioning into the program by co-creating new group expectations and boundary safety. Model play on the forest floor to build relationship skills and independent unstructured play. Complete a formal professional self-reflection at the conclusion of this block.
• Winter (Resilience & Cold Care): Build children's skills to feel successful in deep cold weather. Communicate gear needs with families, model big-body play to maintain internal warmth, and continuously monitor extremities for any signs of cold exposure harm. Participate in a formal winter mid-point check-in to mutually share growth goal feedback with the organization.
• Spring (Wrap-Up & Celebration): Plan and execute year-end community celebrations involving families, and design a personalized year-end forest school certificate for every individual child in your cohort. Complete a comprehensive year-end professional self-reflection.
• Supplemental Requirements: Attend mandatory seasonal Professional Development (PD) and Administration days, and maintain a flexible posture to take on occasional evening or weekend special event shifts as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood Education, or experience commensurate with those.
• Clear Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (dated within the last 6 months).
• Valid/Current Standard First Aid & CPR
• Proven ability to work independently, taking proactive initiative within tight non-profit budgetary parameters.
• Valid driver's license and a reliable personal vehicle capable of hauling large program equipment bins.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Forest Practitioner Certification.
• Documented experience supporting learners with exceptionalities and/or neurodivergence in an outdoor setting.

TO APPLY:

If you are excited about working with children outdoors in all weather conditions, practicing deep reflective teaching, and supporting the mission of EFSS, please send your resume and your specific availability to programs@edmontonforestschool.com

Positions are open until filled. Please clearly indicate if you have a preference for the Regular Fixed Term track or the 2-Day/Week Temporary Leave Coverage track in your application letter.

 

Job Posting here: https://canva.link/cxdqawtfbdkp68g

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