Nature schools, Forest schools, Outdoor schools

Position: Summer Day Camp Instructor/Nature Mentor
Organization: Soaring Eagle Nature School
Location: Lower Mainland, BC

Soaring Eagle Nature School is seeking Instructors/Nature Mentors to join our team to offer unique summer day camps and programs for kids in the beautiful forests and beaches of the Lower Mainland. (Mostly Vancouver & North Vancouver.) This is an opportunity to share your gifts with youth through nature-based mentoring, passion-based learning, and the opportunity to spend your days outdoors.

Soaring Eagle Nature School is seeking Instructors/Nature Mentors for Summer 2025. These positions may have the opportunity to extend into the 2025-26 school year (Sept - June) and beyond. Please indicate if you are interested in Summer Camp only, or in Summer Camp AND potentially the following school year's programs, beginning in September.

Our mission at Soaring Eagle Nature School is to empower program participants to discover and share their unique gifts through meaningful connections with the natural world. We honour the individual natural cycles of each of our students, taking inspiration from their excitement and curiosities to guide their personalized connection with the earth, themselves, and others.

Soaring Eagle Nature School is looking for instructors who are passionate about working with children in a caring and supportive way, and incorporating the natural world into fun-filled days. Soaring Eagle Nature School is known for a playful approach, and a ratio of 8 kids for every 1 instructor means the opportunity to mentor kids closely. We are looking for committed and resourceful individuals to become a part of our team of Summer Camp instructors/nature mentors. There is also the possibility of continuing as an Instructor for year-long programs starting in the fall.

You will gain skills and experience from paid training sessions and experience within a dedicated team working with amazing kids in beautiful parks.

Responsibilities would include and are not limited to:

• Full-time Instructor for summer day camps working with kids aged 4 - 12.
• There is a potential possibility of these positions continuing into the following school year from Sept 2025 - June 2026 according to a mutually agreed-upon schedule (1-4 days/week)
• Development and implementation of age-specific nature-connected programming for youth (aged 4-12). Kids are grouped in 4-6 year old groups and 6-12 year old groups. Please specify your expertise with either of those age groups.
• Passion and knowledge about some of the following: survival skills, wildlife tracking and animal ID, edible and medicinal plants, navigation, forest ecology, knife safety skills, etc. Being an expert on these topics already is great, but you can also study while you work and grow your knowledge.
• Running programs rain or shine

The ideal candidate will demonstrate familiarity and understanding of the following:

• Desire to use your gifts to help guide people into a closer connection with the natural world
• Naturalist skills and a desire to keep learning these skills
• Experience working with children and youth aged 4-12
• Excellent group facilitation skills
• Understanding and practice of effective, clear and compassionate communication skills
• Comfort in handling student and family affairs in a competent, open and professional way
• Creative and crafty with a love of making cool things with your hands out of natural materials
• Exercise a healthy sense of humour

Qualifications:

• Minimum 2 years experience in nature-based mentoring with children
• Standard First Aid & CPR C (will be required by date of hire)
• Clear Criminal Record Check (will be required by date of hire)

Bonus points! The following are preferred but are not required. Please send in your application even if these don’t apply to you:

• Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in education or an environmental degree
• Child Development Expertise
• Access to a vehicle as camps take place throughout Metro Vancouver
• Wilderness First Aid
• Graduate of the Immersion Program at the Wilderness Awareness School, Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness (RDNA) Program, or similar programs

Dates:

Summer Camp staff training is June 23-27. Hours are full time in the summer, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday. (1 week off Aug 4-8) Last day of Camp is August 29.

If applying to continue in the fall, this position is a range of 16-30 hours per week. Hours will fluctuate based on availability and experience.

Compensation:

• Starting wage is $28 per hour
• 1 week paid training
• Training & professional development sessions throughout the year for year-long program staff
• Health & Dental benefits through Chambers of Commerce ( 100% of Monthly premium covered) for staff working in year-long programs
• Discount for educational workshops and outdoor gear for long term staff
• Paid bi-weekly

To Apply:

Please send your resume, Contact info for 3 professional references, and a letter of interest.

Email to: katie@soaringeaglenatureschool.org

Applications are due right away. The review of applications will be ongoing until the positions are filled.

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

Thank you for your interest and please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

No phone calls please.

We recognize the importance of employment equity and workplace diversity and encourage applicants who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, all genders, and LGBT2Q+ folks to apply.