Employment Opportunities

Wilderness Field Instructor Fall & Spring Seasons

Location: Circleville, WV

Dates of Employment: Spring Season (Late March – Late May), Fall Season (Late August – Mid November)

Deadline: We hire on a rolling basis, apply early to ensure your spot!

Supervisor: Course Director

Overview: Experience Learning is seeking outdoor professionals to lead high-quality, adventure-based experiential education courses in a remote and challenging setting. Field Instructors help students gain confidence, experience, and appreciation for mountains through lessons and activities such as hiking, backpacking, camp craft, orienteering, caving, stream ecology, forest ecology, geology, rock climbing, canoeing, outdoor cooking, and survival skills. In addition, Field Instructors tailor courses to meet the thematic goals of each school served, leading students in discussions and initiatives around leadership, communication, environmental stewardship, teamwork, and creative problem-solving.

Organizational Background: Experience Learning, formerly The Mountain Institute’s Appalachian Program, has a forty-year record of delivering practical and tangible solutions for mountain regions in the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Appalachians. Seasonal Field Instructors are based at the Spruce Knob Mountain Center in West Virginia. Their primary responsibility will be facilitating beyond the classroom wilderness learning programs including four – eight day long field courses in the national forest, single and multi-day onsite residential courses, and *off-site field-based courses at various wild locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. The mission of these courses is to help people become confident, competent individuals with a clear vision of their responsibilities and potential for improving the human condition and the natural world.

*The spring season offers more opportunities for instructors to lead offsite trips compared to the fall season.

Responsibilities:

Maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for students and guests.
Prepare and deliver hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based lessons in a remote outdoor setting for both day and evening programs.
Lead 1-5 day field based and residential programs in challenging settings that include hiking, backpacking, camp craft, orienteering, caving, stream ecology, forest ecology, geology, rock climbing, canoeing, outdoor cooking, and survival skills.
Facilitate discussions and initiatives around leadership, communication, environmental stewardship, team work, creative problem-solving, and other subjects.
Implement and model excellent risk management strategies and administer first aid as needed.
Teach and lead groups in the outdoors, in varying weather conditions, and on uneven terrain.
Prepare facilities and gear before trips and clean facilities and gear at the end of trips.
Prepare and cook meals for visiting educational and rental groups under supervision of Kitchen Manager.
Maintain a professional demeanor while interacting with groups and guests.
Assist with facility upkeep as needed, including basic carpentry, repairs, vehicle maintenance, and general troubleshooting.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Current Wilderness First Responder Certification (Preferred)
Minimum of Wilderness First Aid & CPR/AED certification (Required)

*WFA certification offered onsite 28/29 March 2020, WFR certification offered onsite 19-27 August 2020

Effective communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
Positive attitude, determination, and unassailable work ethic
Teaching experience, either formal or informal
Ability to confidently lead groups in a remote outdoor setting
Desire to teach and work with young people from varying social and economic backgrounds
Curiosity about the natural world and willingness to learn academic natural science lessons
Experience working in the outdoors, especially in inclement weather
Desire to protect, conserve, and promote mountain ecosystems
Ability to live in shared space with other instructors and practice positive self-care.
Valid driver’s license
Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and some weekends
Desire to live in a remote place with an outstanding community of outdoor professionals and to work hard to make positive change in our world.

Benefits:

Pay commensurate with applicable experience, starting compensation rate: $62.00/day for 3 month seasonal instructors
Social Security match (7.65% of gross salary)
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
1 day of health leave per month worked
Temporary or seasonal employees with a contract of more than 130 days will accrue 1 day per month and up to a maximum of 5 days of paid time off.
Access to company pro deals
Opportunities for organizational advancement

Experience Learning is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Resident Field Instructor

Location: Circleville, WV

Length of Employment: End of March – Mid November

Deadline: We hire on a rolling basis — apply early!

Supervisor: Course Director

Overview: The ideal Resident Field Instructor is a Jack or Jill-of-all-Trades with a strong work ethic and keen judgment. Their primary responsibility is to lead high quality education and adventure based experiential education courses in remote and challenging settings. They will also assist with program and rental support in an “on-call” role and with the upkeep of a 400 acre facility that includes multiple buildings, a fleet of vehicles, farm animals, fields, and woodlands.

Organizational Background: Experience Learning, formerly The Mountain Institute’s Appalachian Program, has a forty-year record of delivering practical and tangible solutions for mountain regions in the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Appalachians. Seasonal Field Instructors are based at the Spruce Knob Mountain Center in West Virginia. Their primary responsibility will be facilitating beyond the classroom wilderness learning programs including four-eight day long field courses in the national forest, single and multi-day onsite residential courses, and off-site field-based courses at various wild locations in the Mid-Atlantic States. The mission of these courses is to help people become confident, competent individuals with a clear vision of their responsibilities and potential for improving the human condition and the natural world.

Responsibilities:

Education (75%)

Teach and lead groups in the outdoors, in varying weather conditions, and on uneven terrain
Lead 1-8 day residential and field based programs in challenging settings that include hiking, canoeing, stewardship activities, orienteering, caving, backpacking, and climbing components
Maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for students and guests
Prepare and deliver hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based lessons in a remote outdoor setting for both day and evening programs
Facilitate team and community building activities within groups
Implement and model excellent risk management strategies and administer first aid
as needed
Prepare facilities and gear before trips and clean facilities and gear at the end of trips

Program/Rental Support (25%)

Prepare and cook meals for visiting schools and rental groups under the supervision of the Kitchen Manager.
Be on the rotating “on-call” schedule (during on-call weeks, Resident Instructors serve as the primary liaison for schools, events, and other facility guests)
Maintain a professional demeanor while interacting with groups and guests
Assist with facility upkeep as needed, including basic carpentry, repairs, road and vehicle maintenance, animal husbandry, landscaping, and general troubleshooting

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Current Wilderness First Responder (preferred)
Wilderness First Aid and CPR certifications required
- (WFA certification is available on-site 28/29 March 2020, WFR offered onsite 19-27 August 2020)
Effective communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
Ability to change gears between varied tasks
Teaching experience, either formal or informal
Ability to confidently lead groups in a remote outdoor setting
Desire to teach and work with young people from varying social and economic backgrounds
Working knowledge of the natural sciences
Experience working in the outdoors, especially in inclement weather
Desire to be an ambassador for Experience Learning and mountain ecosystems in general
Valid driver’s license
Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and some weekends
Positive attitude and unassailable work ethic
Desire to live in a remote place with an outstanding community of outdoor professionals and to work hard to make positive change in our world

Benefits provided:

Pay commensurate with applicable experience, starting compensation rate: $72.00/day for 8 month resident instructors
Social Security match (7.65% of gross salary)
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
1 day of health leave per month worked
Temporary or seasonal employees with a contract of more than 130 days will accrue 1 day per month and up to a maximum of 5 days of paid time off.
Access to company pro deals
Opportunities for organizational advancement

Experience Learning is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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