Nature Camp Counselor: Call of the Wild Camps

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Open Positions: Apply for consideration for Spring 2024 or Summer 2024.

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Do you love working with children? Do you love the outdoors, nature, and hiking? Are you a word lover with a passion for children's books, reading, and writing? How about combining your passions into one fun camp counselor job? At Inspire Behavioral Learning, LLC, we are looking for a Nature Camp Counselor to work in seasonal nature camps for kids in grades K-5 in the East Bay! We seek an enthusiastic, energetic, dynamic and creative camp leader to join us in creating and implementing educational programs outdoors for fall break camp, winter break camps, spring break camp, and summer camps. Nature Camp Counselors lead children in outdoor Call of the Wild Camps in Oakland and Berkeley. Our nature camps are for kids to hike, read, write, explore, learn, and play in forests of the East Bay!

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Our ideal camp counselor is a communicative and collaborative team player bursting with creative ideas to share in team meetings and to implement with children in weekly camps. Our ideal outdoor camp counselor is fun, adaptable, friendly, outgoing, energetic, and eager to inspire and engage children in learning by doing. Strong nature camp counselors have experience in early childhood education, elementary school education, special education, outdoor education, environmental education, literacy education, outdoor recreation, and related fields.

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WHO WE ARE: We believe that to inspire learning is to inspire action! We believe in experiential education and lifelong learning. Inspire Behavioral Learning's mission is to empower people to live happier, more independent and fulfilling lives by achieving their health and educational goals. Outdoor educators in Call of the Wild Camps provide a fun, safe alternative to screen addiction; inspire nature connection and curiosity; and foster healthy, positive relationships with flora and fauna in our natural environments.

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WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE:

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• We value diversity and include children with disabilities and typically developing children alike in our programs.

• We value the integrity of the whole person and are dedicated to a well-rounded blend of head, heart, and body -- being constant learners, kind and caring, and focused on learning by doing.

• We incorporate emergent curriculum and principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), the science of learning that focuses on observable interaction between the learner and environment.

• We are a small company focused on quality over quantity. Each employee is valued as a whole person and a unique individual, which is the same respect we give to each student. We use 360 degree feedback, in which everyone's observations matter.

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ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

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• Complete training online and in East Bay park camp locations, such as Tilden Regional Park, Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, and Joaquin Miller Park (initial training is the week before the first session of each camp season)

• Punctually and reliably attend scheduled work hours, including training, staff meetings, and camp session dates

• Attend outdoor nature camps, rain or shine, each scheduled day for the season you are hired to work

• Safely lead hikes in parks of the East Bay for K-5th graders in small groups

• Maintain a 4:1 or 5:1 student: staff ratio

• Lead outdoor language arts activities for children with nature and wilderness themes, including circle time with story time and singing, literary show-and-tell, skits, nature journaling, mapmaking, creative writing, and authoring and illustrating books

• Apply English Language Arts Common Core State Standards to science, such as topics in biology, ecology, zoology, life science, environmental science, outdoor education, stewardship, conservation, preservation, etc., integrating naturalistic observation, group discussion, games, and relevant children's books and writing activities

• Engage children in outdoor activities that blend recreation and education, such as nature-themed hide and seek and chase games, crafting and playing forest "I Spy" games and scavenger hunts

• Facilitate nature-themed arts and crafts with children

• Engage children with a fun teaching style and high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity

• Supervise and facilitate children's rest breaks, snack and lunch breaks, and physical play breaks

• Provide naturalistic executive function teaching across diverse activities

• Implement teaching and behavior management based on principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), including prompting, positive reinforcement, and contingencies of reinforcement based on student preferences and choices

• Facilitate emergent curriculum and child-centered, student-centered, naturalistic, incidental, and play-based teaching and learning opportunities

• Create both structured and naturalistic learning opportunities

• Keep work materials neat, organized, and in good working condition

• Record accurate, objective incident reports

• Follow all health and safety requirements

• Make sure campers follow safety rules and leave no trace principles

• Actively contribute and participate in staff training and meetings

• Proactively communicate camp questions and concerns with the camp director and supervisor

• Follow directions and implement feedback from supervisors

• Interact with students and staff in a kind, caring, respectful, positive, and professional manner

• Represent Call of the Wild Camps in a positive and professional manner with customers, staff, and park visitors

• Perform other duties as assigned

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

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Education:

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• Provide proof of your high school diploma or higher degree

• Provide your academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are permitted); must be in good standing

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Certification and Safety Requirements:

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• Provide proof of unexpired CPR and First Aid certification 

• Provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination

• Pass a DOJ and FBI background check

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Experience:

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• Minimum of one year experience as a camp counselor, outdoor educator, recreation leader, or teacher for outdoor education camps, outdoor recreational camps, nature camps, science camps, STEM camps, STEAM camps, literacy camps, after school programs, or equivalent experience

• Minimum of one year experience working with elementary school age K-5th graders

• Experience hiking trails of moderate difficulty on hilly and uneven terrain up to approximately 6 miles a day 

• Experience working with culturally, linguistically, and developmentally diverse children

• Experience working with students with widely diverse abilities, such as giftedness, typically developing children, children with disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia, speech and language delays), and English Language Learners (ELL)

• Experience taking initiative leading groups of children

• Experience leading extracurricular enrichment activities for children

• Experience implementing effective and appropriate behavior management for elementary school age children

• Experience with child development and age-appropriate, grade-appropriate, developmentally appropriate activities

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Skills:

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• Ability to hike trails of moderate difficulty on hilly and uneven terrain up to approximately 6 miles a day five days a week for multiple consecutive weeks

• Ability to carry a loaded hiking backpack weighing up to 20% of your body weight for the duration of each camp day

• Fun and engaging teaching style with high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity

• Kind, caring, compassionate, and patient with learners of all skill levels

• Demonstrate care for children and a desire to help the whole child learn and grow in enjoyable ways, in addition to language arts and/or biology subject-matter competence

• Command of American English phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics

• Eagerness and openness to continually learn and develop your skill set, no matter how minimal or extensive your experience

• Excellent ability to break concepts down into simple and easy steps

• Excellent time-management and organizational skills

• Outstanding oral and written communication skills

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Punctuality and reliable attendance

• Demonstrable love of nature and the outdoors, eco-conscious, and health-conscious

• Demonstrable love of language arts and literacy teaching

• Enthusiastic about making education relevant to children's lives

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Other Requirements:

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• Provide proof of a valid California driver license

• Possess your own reliable transportation for commuting to and from regional and city parks in the East Bay in Oakland and Berkeley

• Submit a relevant cover letter specific to the position and company 

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PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

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• Familiarity with Tilden Regional Park, Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, and Joaquin Miller Park

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PERKS AND BENEFITS:

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• Have fun teaching and inspiring kids in the great outdoors!

• Employees get paid training; paid rest breaks; off-duty lunch breaks; and retirement plan if working at least 30 days

• Supportive and friendly environment with coaching and mentorship

• Become part of a company that truly cares about both the employee’s and student’s happiness and success!

 

LOCATIONS: Bay Area parks. Fall, winter, and spring: Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Summer: Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley, Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, and Rancho San Antonio County Park in Cupertino.

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​SCHEDULE: 8:25 AM-4:35 PM; Fall Camp November 20-22; Winter Camp Dec 26-29 and Jan 2-5; Spring Camp Apr 1-5; and Summer Camp Jun 10-Aug 9.

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CLASSIFICATION: Non-exempt employee; full time; temporary, seasonal work.

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COMPENSATION: $19.00/hr - $22.00/hr DOE

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JOB TITLE: Camp Counselor may be variously known as or similar to camp leader, camp teacher, camp instructor, outdoor educator, youth leader, youth group leader, program leader, lead counselor, lead camp counselor, elementary program leader, outdoor camp counselor, forest camp counselor, summer camp counselor, spring camp counselor, winter camp counselor, fall camp counselor, hiking camp counselor, science camp counselor, writing camp counselor, reading camp counselor, academic camp counselor, K-5 camp counselor, nature instructor, naturalist, nature camp counselor

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APPLY: Click the button below, providing your resume and a cover letter specifying why you might be a great fit for the Nature Camp Counselor and Inspire Behavioral Learning®! We look forward to connecting with you!