Outdoor Education Instructor Overview

We are seeking passionate and enthusiastic individuals to provide the very best outdoor education experience to the students of Colorado! With the Rampart Range of the Rockies as your setting, you will have the opportunity to lead 5th & 6th grade students in an expansive range of engaging curriculum and activities, mentor our High School Leads to become strong leaders, and grow professionally and personally in a dynamic working environment. We are looking for the best of the best to deliver academic content in a memorable fashion, positively lead young people, bring new ideas to continue developing the program, and be a part of a community that fosters growth. If this sounds appealing to you, then the mountains are calling…

Location

Stone Canyon is located in Larkspur, CO - 40 miles south of Denver & 30 miles north of Colorado Springs).

Monument, approximately 15 minutes away, has most amenities available.

Who We Work With and When

A majority of our students are 5th-6th grade, while some are as young as 4th grade or as old as 8th.

We run two programs a week, Monday-Wednesday and Wednesday-Friday.

On average, groups are typically 50-60 students, but no larger than 100.

High School Leads

Our program also utilizes High School Leaders (HSL) who are 10-12th grade volunteers.

  • Depending on school size, 5-14 HSLs are on site to support.

  • They assist you, the instructor, during day activities and evening programs.

  • They will sit at tables with students during meals.

  • They are assigned to bunk rooms within our student cabin spaces to support students (i.e. running showers, making sure students are getting ready for bed, playing games, doing debriefs and reading stories).

 

Responsibilities

While there are a number of daily expectations the instructor role can broken down into two main responsibilities: Field Instructor and Cabin Supervisor.

Field Instructor

You will be expected to lead groups of 10-16 students through a variety of 90-minute activities throughout the day, and one 75-minute program in the evening

  • You may work with one or multiple activity groups throughout the day

  • Activities & classes include: 

    • Science (e.g. Aerodynamics, Fire Ecology, Wonders of Weather, Freshwater Biology, etc)

    • Outdoor Education (e.g. Outdoor Skills, Orienteering, Animal Survivor, Art and Nature, etc)

    • Leadership (e.g. Team Building, Balloon Rescue, etc.)

    • Adventure (Archery, High Ropes, Zipline)

    • Night Activities (Barn Dance, Nature at Night, Campfire)

  • Instructors are trained in ALL class modules

Cabin Supervisor

For each school program, there will be two instructors responsible for supervising each of our two student cabins.

  • There are multiple bunk rooms in each of our two cabins

    • HSL volunteers are assigned to each room

  • Instructors will stay in a separate room from the students and HSLs

  • Instructors are responsible for supporting larger behaviors, including homesickness, checking in with HSLs, and overall supervision of the cabin.

  • Instructors are expected to have cabin responsibilities 50% of the time

    • One school program per week: Monday-Wednesday OR Wednesday-Friday

    • When scheduled to be in cabin, instructors will have one 3-hour off block per day

Meal Time Expectations

During meals instructors will have some responsibilities that include, but are not limited to:

  • Ensuring chaos does not ensue during meal times

  • Keeping an eye on kids that are not eating

    • If not, work with the kitchen staff to get them something they will eat

  • Give instructions and oversee kids during cleanup

  • Rotate through providing a short talk on food sustainability (we provide you with this info)

A Week in the Life

Below is an overview of what a week looks like at Stone Canyon.

  • When fully staffed, you will be off one night a week starting at 5:15pm.

    • Starts a couple weeks into the season.

  • When you out-of-cabin and scheduled to facilitate an evening program you will have a 90-minute block off during the day.

 

Compensation

Training

  • Two weeks paid training

  • Trained on all classes and curriculum, including our adventure activities such as High Ropes

  • Professional Development training

    • Behavior Management

    • Professionalism

    • Giving and Receiving Feedback

    • And more…

Housing

  • Two staff houses on-site, both walking distance to the main Base Camp building (3-7 minutes)

  • Shared room with 1-2 roommates, depending on the room size

  • Shared bathrooms

  • Houses are fully furnished and kitchens are stocked with appliances, dishes, and cookware.

  • School district WiFi

 

Meals

Meals are provided during programming (Monday breakfast through Friday lunch)

  • Leftovers are available through the weekend and during the week, if needed.

We are able to accommodate most dietary needs. Just let our kitchen staff know and they will work with you to better understand your needs and provide suitable options.

Salary

$98/day, 5 days a week ($490)

  • Staff are paid for their time worked, on the 20th of the following month. All work performed in August will be paid out on SEP 20 and so forth. New employee advances are an option, if requested

  • PERA

    • As a district (government) employee you are enrolled into PERA (11%) automatically, in lieu of Social Security (7%).

    • After employment, you can cash out your money as a taxable event.