•Position Closes 8/12/2026•Do you love working with kids and want to make a difference? Get paid to be a positive influence in children's lives! The Chico Area Recreation & Park District is hiring energetic, responsible, and fun individuals to join our team! Nature School is an outdoor-based, first learning experience for kids ages 3-5. This program has zero screen time and is predominantly held outdoors. Nature kids get to visit live animals at the Nature Center, go on nature walks daily and practice nature identification along the way. All units include play-based learning, healthy body movement like yoga and dancing, themed stories, songs, art projects, sensory exploration and sign language. Throughout the year, we work on social emotional skills including sharing, teamwork, expanding our emotional vocabularies and independent problem solving. As an Nature School Recreation Leader, you'll work as a group leader with students in grades 1-5, assisting with academics and leading structured activities in a safe, engaging environment. We work on age-appropriate school readiness skills including tracing names, cutting with scissors, rhyming, patterns, comprehension questions, raising our hands, as well as number and letter identification. Most importantly, we PLAY, we teach KINDNESS and we truly nurture a love of NATURE! Nature School runs Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm during the school year, and is located at CARD's Chico Creek Nature Center. We are looking for permanently placed Recreation Leaders who work a regular Monday-Friday schedule.

Key Responsibilities:

Independently supervise, manage, and support a group of children aged 3-5 Support the daily structure of the Nature School program Lead fun recreational and educational activities Be a positive role model and ensure a safe, inclusive environment

Who We're Looking For:

One year of experience working with preschool-aged children Reliable, responsible, energetic, and enthusiastic Strong group management skills Able to work a consistant on-site schedule Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM-1:30 PM.

Employment Dates:

We are currently recruiting for the upcoming school year, which runs from August 17th 2026 - June 4th 2027.

Schedule:

Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM-1:30 PM.

Work Location:

Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. 8th Street Chico, CA 95926

Pay & Benefits:

Seasonal, $16.90 - $17.00/hr Employees will recieve 40 hours of sick leave per year accrued at 2.8hrs per pay period. All unused hours are rolled over on January 1st up to a cap of 80 hours.

Job Type:

Part-time Pay:

$16.90 - $17.00 per hour Application Question(s): 1. What name do you prefer to go by? (You may share your pronouns if you wish.) 2. What is the best email address for us to use when communicating with you about this position? 3. Have you ever worked as an employee for CARD? 4. Have you ever worked as a vendor or contractor for CARD? 5. Do you have a family member who currently works for CARD? 6. Are you available to work Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM-1:30 PM? 7. What experience do you have working with children ages 3-5 in a nature-based setting?

Work Location:

In person