Overview
High School Leader Coordinator Opportunity
Position type: Full time, salaried, seasonal
Season: March 1–October 31, 2023
Location: Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, Oregon (60 miles from Portland, Oregon)
Compensation: $3,700 average monthly salary; 8 days PTO
Perks: Meals provided while working outdoor school/Basic housing on site/Staff housing in greater Portland/Salem area for subsidized rate (optional)
Program: Opal Creek Outdoor School
Work schedule: Mondays-Fridays (no overnight), averaging 8 hrs/day including evenings
In this new role, you’ll develop and run a new high school leader (HSL) program for our 5th/6th grade overnight outdoor school program. Our classroom is Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s most beloved and largest state park and the ancestral home of the Kalapuya and Molalla Tribes. Over the course of five days and with your support, HSLs will work collaboratively with guides and one another, building strong student relationships. Through co-teaching culturally and social-emotionally aware outdoor environmental curriculum they will gain confidence, grow resilience, and gain tangible experience that could kickstart a career in the environmental field.
Prior to each season, you’ll recruit high school-aged youth, develop curriculum, and create and facilitate in-class training. During outdoor school, you’ll be the primary mentor and support for the volunteer high school leaders. Opal Creek Outdoor School is in a new phase; in launching this program you’ll play a major role in shaping the outdoor school experience for students and staff for years to come!
Qualifications, Skills, and Experience
A successful candidate will possess these minimum qualifications. We are less interested in the titles you’ve held and more interested in what you’ve actually done and who you are.
● Previous experience working with high school leaders/counselors in training in an outdoor education setting
● 2+ years teaching experience, formal or informal
● 1+ years working with youth
● Strong group leadership and management skills
● Strong communication skills, written and verbal
● Strong organizational skills & attention to detail
● Previous experience leading trainings
● Previous experience integrating equity, inclusion, and cultural relevance into youth programming
● COVID-19 vaccine (by time of employment)
● Able to lead groups on hikes up to 3 miles
● Able to pass a criminal background check
About Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center
Our mission is to provide transformative wilderness experiences that grow a community of environmental advocates. All of our work is based around one simple idea: people will protect what they care about, and they will care about what they know. Through our outdoor school and backpacking expedition programs, we bring youth and adults face-to-face with the outdoor places that make Oregon great—pristine mountain streams, uncut vistas, and old-growth forests.
