Job Opportunity

Position: Forest School facilitator / Coyote Mentor
Organization: Apple Star Learning
Location: North Vancouver, BC

Apple Star Learning is seeking a skilled outdoor facilitator / coyote mentor who is a strong leader, dynamic and engaging, and passionate about working with children in an outdoor, emergent learning environment for our weekly Thursday Coyote School program.

Our popular coyote (forest) school weekly program and camps run for children ages 5-12 in North Vancouver.

We pride ourselves in honouring attachemnt needs, and creating a vibrant mentoring space for multi-age students in ways that other forest schools do not.

We are looking for a strong, lead mentor / facilitator who:

• Has a minimum of 3 years Forest School teaching experience
• Our ideal candidate is trained in Coyote Mentoring, 8 Shields, or Kamana Naturalist Training Program or similar
• Is skilled in earth arts, hand-skills, survival living
• Has excellent social-emotional skills, the ability to observe and support children day-to-day and over the long term. Is skilled at welcoming children into the group and giving them space when needed.
• Is a strong leader and confident working with co-mentors and children to gather the group, make plans, identify hazards and assess risks.
• Is aware and inclusive of children’s diverse experiences, interests, learning styles and ways of being.
• Has experience working with children ages 5-12, ideally in multi-aged, neurodiverse groups.
• Is passionate about and skilled in some or all of the following: plants, wildlife, ecology, earth arts, tracking, bird language, story telling and music, and you’re committed to expanding your skills.
• Is happy to work outdoors in all weather and are fit and able enough to carry some heavy supplies, put up tarps in the rain.
• Is certified in first aid, and you has a clear criminal record check.

Bonus points if you are experienced in alternative pedagogies like: home learning, unschooling, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Montessori.

Extra Bonus points if you have experience using NVC, compassionate communication, understand attachment needs, and an eco-centric map of human development.

Hours: Thursday Coyote School runs 9:30-3:15 pm Sept to June. Possibility to mentor at Winter, Spring and Summer Camps as well.

Pay based on experience and qualifications $22-$31. Staff are paid teaching time, plus 30 min before for mentor check in, and 15 min after class for parent-teacher contact time and 2 hr monthly meetings. Additional prep time will be negotiated based on role and responsibility.

Our North Van location is, and any future locations will be transit-accessible.

Apple Star Learning Learning is inclusive of diversity in values, background, learning styles, gender and race.

Deadline for application: Ongoing.

Email applestarlearning@gmail.com with CV and cover letter.

Please mention you saw this at rcen.ca or goodwork.ca.

---

Why Coyote? More about Apple Star Learning

Apple Star Learning ‘Coyote School’, Adventure and other learning pods are almost entirely focussed outdoors and inspired by the 8 Shields of Nature Connection and Coyote Mentoring. Like many other Forest Schools they nourish resilience, compassion and belonging through immersion in nature, democratic, inquiry-based learning, free-play, games, activities and crafts.

There is a wee sneaky difference though, Coyote, a trickster, story-teller, and walker of edges, coaxes children to their own edges, observing carefully, asking good questions, inviting each child deeper into their unique curiosities. A Coyote Mentor is always alert and ready to change directions, sniff out a surprising find, leap into play, or slow right down. Skilled and passionate mentors committed to their own ongoing deep nature connection guide students towards social-emotional, ecological literacy, and above all, a strong sense of self and community.

In the 8 Shields, we believe each child comes filled with their own gifts and skills to be drawn out and nurtured, rather than an empty cup to be filled. Coyote mentors also follow the 8 ‘shields’ or directions, which help us track the rhythm of the seasons, the stages of growth and development of the student, even the flow of the day. The goal is to hold space for a child to truly be accepted, and come to belong, confident in their own processing and learning style, so that they can offer their gifts to the group.

Perhaps even more importantly, we aim to help hone each student’s unique capacities and therefore, their sense of place and purpose.