Lead Camp Educator - Nature-Based Summer Camp (2 Weeks, July)

Lead Camp Educator - Nature-Based Summer Camp (2 Weeks, July) Youth Outdoor Workshops Richmond, VA Job Details Temporary | Contract $19 - $22 an hour 23 hours ago Qualifications School experience Youth programs teaching experience Outdoor work Environmental education Working with students Teaching experience with young children Working with youth Camp Full Job Description Youth Outdoor Workshops is a Montessori-inspired outdoor education program for K-3 students based in Richmond, VA. We run school-year afterschool programs at local elementary schools and a six-week nature camp at Forest Hill Park each summer. Our camp weeks are built around real field experiences - creek ecology, land art, wild ceramics, forest observation, and hands-on building. Kids get muddy, ask hard questions, and leave knowing more about the natural world than when they arrived. We're looking for a lead educator to run these two specific weeks this

July:

Wild Discoveries (July 20-24) and Creek Exploration (July 27-31). Both are Outdoor Explorers weeks, meaning ecology, discovery, and hands-on investigation are at the center of everything.

What the role looks like:

You'll lead a group of K-3 students through full days of nature-based programming at Forest Hill Park. That means running morning activities, managing transitions, keeping the group safe near water, adapting when the heat index sends you indoors, and keeping the energy and curiosity alive all week. What we're looking for: You have genuine, broad field naturalist skills. When a kid holds up an unknown beetle or spots something moving in the shallows, you know what it is. You're comfortable across plants, birds, insects, herps, and aquatic life. You don't need a formal degree in ecology, but you need to have actually spent time outside developing this knowledge. You've led groups of kids before and you're good at it. You can manage a full day with young children, handle the unexpected calmly, and hold the group together without needing constant backup. We're specifically looking for someone with enough experience and maturity to lead independently. You'll have help, but this is not an assistant role. You're a good fit for YOW's approach if you believe kids learn best through real hands-on learning, you're not bothered by mud or mess, and you think a six-year-old who spots a red-spotted newt and wants to spend twenty minutes with it is having a perfect camp experience.

Minimum qualifications:

Prior experience running a camp or classroom (not assistant or support roles) Strong generalist naturalist skills: plants, birds, insects, herps, and aquatic life Experience working with K-3 or similar age groups Comfort near and in water; able to supervise creek activities safely Must be available for at least on of the following full weeks: July 20-24 and July 27-31, 8:45am-3:15pm

Preferred:

Background in environmental education, ecology, biology, or related field Experience with nature-based or outdoor education programs specifically Familiarity with Central Virginia natural areas and species To apply: Send a resume and a brief note about your naturalist background and camp experience to . We'd love to hear about a specific moment from your time outdoors with kids - the kind of thing that made you want to keep doing this work.

Pay:

$19.00 - $22.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person