Educator Development Program
The Educator Development Program (EDP) is a multi-week, paid program for educators seeking to increase their experience with outdoor teaching and risk management. The program encourages and aims to increase representation of those who have had historical and systemic barriers to the field of outdoor education and consequently the workforce.
Participants in the Educator Development Program share their knowledge, gain new perspectives and further develop their teaching strategies throughout the program, which incorporates observation, training, collaborative teaching, coaching and evaluation.
This program has allowed me to not only broaden my skills as an educator, but to connect on a deeper level with the subject that I am teaching. It taught me how to portray the passion that I have for environmental science, so that it becomes contagious and kids are able to retain that passion and make it their own.Ana Rodriguez
Overview
NatureBridge’s Educator Development Program (EDP) in Yosemite is a seven-week program for educators who are seeking to increase their experience with outdoor teaching and risk management. The core training sessions will take place at NatureBridge in Yosemite over the first four weeks; collaborative teaching will happen in both Yosemite and at our Golden Gate campus in Sausalito, CA. The WFR training will take place in one of a variety of locations, based on availability.
Six applicants will be selected to participate in the program which includes training, collaborative teaching, coaching and evaluation. Participants who meet performance expectations may be offered Environmental Science Educator positions at a NatureBridge campus.
Responsibilities
Educator Development Program (EDP) participants will:
- Actively participate in all training sessions
- Collaboratively plan and teach three- to five-day outdoor education programs incorporating the NatureBridge Core Educational Framework
- Co-lead night walks, reflective activities and campfires
- Debrief teaching experiences and observations with collaborating teachers/supervisors and use the knowledge gained to enhance teaching techniques
- Develop and maintain a safe learning environment for all participants at all times
- Plan, prepare and participate in a three-day backpacking trip with other participants and staff
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent experience
- Eligibility to work in the United States
- At least one year experience working with diverse ages and cultures in schools, camps, parks, community programs, etc.
- Sound decision making skills
- Effective communication, problem solving and interpersonal skills
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within your teaching and our community
- Willingness to be coached and openness to feedback
- Ability to hike three to seven miles a day carrying a twenty pound pack on varied terrain in all sorts of weather at a two miles per hour pace
- Willingness to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends
- Willingness to participate in and obtain Wilderness First Responder and CPR certification
Desirable Qualifications
- We are recruiting staff who can effectively connect with our student communities and are seeking individuals with experience and skills working with the following populations: racial and ethnic minority groups, English Language Learners, urban youth, low-income communities, immigrant communities, LGBTQ communities, people with special needs and other groups that may be underrepresented in the field of environmental education
- Involvement in community service projects, leadership, social and environmental justice
- Experience working with youth in environmental education, science education or residential outdoor education programs
- Ability to speak and teach in a language other than English relevant to our student populations such as Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese in California; Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Somali in Washington; Spanish, French, Amharic/Ethiopian and German in the Mid-Atlantic region
Compensation & Housing
Participants earn $80/day ($10 per time unit worked). Shared housing is provided throughout the course of the program.
Apply
Apply online by March 1, 2020 and be sure your application materials represent how you meet the qualifications listed in this job description.
To apply by email, submit a cover letter, resume, contact information for three references and an essay describing your life experiences that have inspired you to help connect youth to the natural world (essays should be a maximum of 1500 words).
Articulate in your cover letter the following:
- What draws you to the Educator Development Program? What do you hope to gain from the program? (300 words maximum)
- What skills, perspectives and knowledge will you share with other EDP participants and staff? (300 words maximum)
- What other personal or professional experiences make you a strong candidate for EDP? (300 words maximum)
- How many months experience do you have working with diverse ages and cultures in schools, camps, parks, community programs, etc.?
- With which schools, camps, organizations, agencies or situations did you gain this experience?
- With which student populations do you have the most experience working?
- Should you be offered an educator position after successful completion of EDP, at which NatureBridge campus would you most like to work? What draws you to teaching at your first-choice campus?
- Which NatureBridge campus would be your second choice? What draws you to teaching at your second-choice campus?
- Email application materials to klaizer@naturebridge.org
Application materials may alternatively be sent to NatureBridge-EDP, PO Box 487, Yosemite, CA 95389 or faxed to 209-379-9510, attention Kim Laizer-EDP.
Contact Us
Kim Laizer
Education Manager, Yosemite
209-372-9302 ext. 28
klaizer@naturebridge.org
Applications may also be mailed to:
Attn: Kim Laizer-EDP
PO Box 194
El Portal, CA 95318