Location: Spruce Knob Mountain Center, Circleville, WV
Length of Employment: August 29, 2022 – October 31, 2022
Supervisor: Course Director

Overview: Experience Learning is seeking outdoor professionals to lead high-quality, adventure-based, outdoor education programs in backcountry environments throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Position Overview:

Based at the remote Spruce Knob Mountain Center in West Virginia, Field Instructors lead students on Wilderness Learning courses (both field and residential based), helping people become confident, competent individuals with a clear vision of their responsibilities and potential for improving the human condition and the natural world.

Our courses typically serve students in 5^th-12^thgrade. Courses can include 1-2 day dorm based courses, 1-2 day off-site courses in local communities (visiting WV public schools), 4-8 day field courses (Private schools from the Mid-Atlantic region) both in the nearby national forest, as well as variety of off-site courses in wild spaces throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including the Appalachian Trail.

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, stewardship projects, 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.

Our ideal candidate will be able to:

• 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 1-8 day residential and field-based programs in challenging settings that include hiking, backpacking, camp craft, orienteering, caving, stream ecology, forest ecology, geology, rock climbing, canoeing, stewardship projects, outdoor cooking, and survival skills
• Facilitate discussions and initiatives around leadership, communication, environmental stewardship, teamwork, 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 with little supervision
• 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 life experience
• Current Wilderness First Responder Certification (Preferred)
  • WFR certification offered on site 15-24 August 2022
• Minimum of Wilderness First Aid & CPR/AED certification (Required)
• Valid driver’s license
• COVID vaccination required (+booster if six months since last shot)
• 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
• Ability to live in shared space with other instructors and practice positive self-care.
• 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:

• Daily compensation rate: $65.00-$105 a day based on the merit-based scale. On average our instructors begin at $75-$85/day
  • See the Merit Based Pay tab to see what pay range you might fall into!
• Shared housing provided
• 1 day of health leave per month worked
• Access to pro deals
• Opportunities for organizational advancement

Location:  Circleville, WV
Length of Employment: Mid March – Mid November
Deadline: We hire on a rolling basis – apply now!
Supervisor: Managing Director

Overview: Experience Learning is seeking a Course Director to plan and implement wilderness-based school courses at our 2 campuses in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.  

Position Overview:

Based at the remote Spruce Knob Mountain Center, Course Directors manage the direct implementation of wilderness-based field courses. These programs help people become confident, competent individuals with a clear vision of their responsibilities and potential for improving the human condition and the natural world. You will spend your first season (around 6 weeks) with us an instructor, learning the ins and outs of the organization. Then your second season your will begin shadowing other Course Directors as you transition into the Course Director role.

Our courses typically serve students in 5th-12th grade, from schools throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Courses include 1-2 day residential programs on one of our campuses, 1-2 day field courses in local communities, 4-8 day field courses in the nearby national forest, and a variety of off-site courses in wild spaces throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including the Appalachian Trail. 

For more information about our programs, please visit www.experience-learning.org/learn

Our ideal candidate will be able to:

• During your first season, serve as an instructor on wilderness-based field courses in order to thoroughly understand program flow
• Work with the Program Manager to plan course schedules, menus, expectations, and logistics within budget
• Supervise a team of 4-6 Field Instructors
• Provide Field Instructors with necessary curriculum, development opportunities, and feedback
• Lead pre-course briefings and post-course debriefings with Instructors
• Manage all program logistics during course duration, including response to emergent and non-emergent course needs, program materials, and resource needs
• Complete all course related paperwork in a timely and efficient manner
• Step in for sick/injured Instructors, cooks, and on-call staff as needed
• Assist with training Field Instructors
• Create and strengthen relationships with area schools through positive and professional interactions

Requirements:

• BA/BS in relevant field
• 1-2 years of field experience in experiential education, outdoor recreation, environmental education, summer camp, classroom teaching, or related field 
• 1 year of experience managing programs and supervising staff
• Current Wilderness First Responder and CPR 
• Effective communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
• Experience working in the outdoors, especially in inclement weather
• Desire to protect, conserve, and promote mountain ecosystems
• Valid driver’s license
• COVID vaccination required
• 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:

• Starting daily compensation rate: $88 – $115/day based on the merit-based pay scale
  – See the Merit Based Pay tab to see what pay range you might fall in!
• Shared housing provided
• 1 day of health leave per month worked
• Access to pro deals
• Opportunities for organizational advancement

Our merit-based pay system compensates field instructors for the skills and certifications that provide the best background for teaching in our programs. Work through the table to determine how many points you qualify for. Then put those points into the matrix at the top to figure out an estimated pay range.