Outdoor Schools, Forest Schools

Position: Forest School Facilitator
School: Nurture the Nature Forest School
Location: Scarborough, GTA, Ontario
Start date: September 20th, 2024.

Job description:

Nurture the Nature Forest School is a play-based, child-led learning program. We are outdoors in all weather and have a backup indoor location for severe weather only. We are seeking adventurous and enthusiastic educators/ facilitators to join us! Our school is for ages 3-12 and runs from 9am-3pm. Staff are expected to arrive at 8:30 and leave by 3:30 for time to debrief with staff.

We are currently seeking someone for Mondays and Tuesdays each week starting September 9th or earliest convienence.

More hours are available pending more registration.

Ideal Candidate:

This role requires a love for children and the outdoors. It requires creativity, a go with the flow mindset, collaboration with a team, good communication, and organizational skills. The ideal candidate is also environmentally conscious, empathetic, and approaches their work with a lens of inclusion and equity. You'll be great for this role if you are passionate about connecting children with nature, are motivated and have a love for learning and growing and embrace teamwork and challenges.

Position Responsibilities and Duties:

• Collaborate with the team to plan, prepare, co-create, and implement a dynamic Forest School program with seasonal activities and projects utilizing natural materials as much as possible
• Prepare and maintain learning areas, materials, and program equipment, including helping set up tarps.
• Ensure the safety of all children during forest play, hiking, climbing trees, using tools and at all other times during the program.
• Complete daily risk assessments to ensure safety and complete incident reports when needed.
• Demonstrate a willingness to try out or refine your skills - leading games, songs, telling stories.
• Support the holistic well-being of children and their families by meeting them where they are.
• Check in with families at the end of each program day to report progress, challenges, triumphs, etc. and to offer support as needed.
• Communicate with the lead on any materials needed for the program.
• Engage in planning and meetings outside of (paid) program hours for scheduled team meetings.
• Take photos that illustrate learning

Nurture the Nature Forest School is a new Forest School in Scarborough. We have Forest Kindergarten (Mondays and Wednesdays) 9:00am-3:00pm, School-Age Forest School (Tuesdays and Thursdays) 9:00am-3:00pm, and Forest Preschool (Half days Friday Mornings) 9:00am-12:00pm. Program facilitators are expected to arrive 30 minutes before the program start time and stay 30 minutes after program.

There are also occasionally team meetings for approximately 1 hour that will be paid time.

Required Qualifications/Experience:

• OCT/Child and Youth Worker, ECE, Outdoor Educator or equivelent experience
• Current First Aid/CPR (or able to complete prior to start date)
• Current criminal record check and vulnerable sector check
• Experience working outdoors
• Experience working with children (age 2-12 range)
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the job (including walking distances over uneven terrain, carrying a backpack, pulling a sled, bending, kneeling)
• Adequate energy level to meet the needs of the children and program
• Familiarity with the Forest School model
• Understanding of and appreciation for the benefits of risky place, loose parts play, inquiry based learned, play and place-based learning, emergent curriculum, and nature play
• Dedication to learning about Indigenous culture and creating community connections with Indigenous peoples

Preferred Qualifications/Experience:

• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)
• Forest and Nature School qualifications or experience
• Experience working with children outdoors
• Experience working on a team
• Familiarity of local Flora and Fauna, including plants and their identification (or willing to seek outside training/self-study)
• Willingness to learn and/or improve on outdoor skills

Please visit our website to learn more: http://www.nurturethenatureforestschool.com

To apply, please submit your resume to Brittany Gillingham at nurturethenature.forestschool@gmail.com

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