ARCC Gap Semester Instructor

Program Description

ARCC Programs is the leading provider of Adventure, Community Service, International Travel, and Wilderness Travel programs for teenagers and young adults in the United States. ARCC Gap Semester programs offer an educational and cultural bridge between high school and college. The ARCC Gap Semester programs are an opportunity to live, work, learn and explore in some of the greatest classrooms on earth. ARCC Gap Semesters have a rich educational fabric complementing each location. Going beyond the weekend visit, we take the time to plant our feet in each location, becoming part of the community at large. Eating, sleeping, and living amongst our host communities, we are welcomed in as friends. Working in partnership with area leaders and organizations, we participate in meaningful projects while collaborating with community members to achieve a common goal. Lending our hands to coral reef restoration work, building clean water filters, planting saplings, or working alongside local NGOs, our hard work supplements our education organized around ARCC Gap’s Global Themes: Literacy and Education, Public Health, the Movement of Peoples, Environment and Conservation, Indigenous Rights and Histories, and Social Justice topics. Students come away from their gap semester not only with memories that will last them a lifetime but also with skills and experience that will be invaluable in their future educational goals.

Job Description

ARCC is looking for instructors who are enthusiastic about working with students aged 17-20 and who have strong experience working with groups. ARCC Instructors provide an academic framework and structure relevant to their location, as well as teach the curriculum designed for each location and global theme. In addition, instructors focus on fostering constructive group dynamics, implementing ARCC’s leadership progression, facilitating games, activities, and initiatives, overseeing outfitted activities, and ensuring that each person in the group is able to safely achieve goals consistent with their abilities. Two instructors will guide a group of up to fourteen students through rigorous domestic and international settings while facilitating an educational curriculum. These semesters are both mentally and physically challenging for instructors and participants, with many unexpected obstacles and issues.

ARCC seeks instructors who will be a positive influence on the participants, supporting them throughout the semester and creating a fun, safe, and supportive environment in which they can thrive. Our instructors are not supervising each student 24 hours a day for the semester, but rather helping them develop their own comfort in each regional location, setting them up to achieve positive development in a safe environment.

Responsibilities:

• Travel logistics (including border crossings, money exchanges, etc.)
• Food buying and food management for group
• Management of group budget
• Organization of hands-on projects
• Facilitation of educational curriculum
• Troubleshooting cultural differences
• Being available to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to create and foster educational experiences
• Management of group safety
• Communication and updates with ARCC office

Qualifications:

• Current certification in Wilderness First Responder (WFR, EMT, or WEMT)
• CPR and AED certification, or able to obtain before the start of your employment
• Excellent health and physical condition and fully COVID-19 vaccinated.
• Prior experience leading programs for ARCC Programs (preferred)
• Basic proficiency in a relevant foreign language for Southeast Asia, Western Mediterranean, East Africa, and the Pacific Islands (preferred, but not required)
• High intermediate to advanced fluency in Spanish (required for Central America and South America)
• Must be at least 23 years old at the time of the start of the program
• Experience traveling in the developing world (international programs)
• Experience guiding in the outdoors, including camping and cooking skills (domestic programs)
• Experience leading groups (preferably ages 17-20)
• Demonstrated experience working with a co-leader
• Demonstrated experience facilitating educational curriculum at a high school level
• Experience leading volunteer groups
• Experience hosting discussion, debates, lectures, mediation, or town council-style meetings focused on controversial issues
• Professional, fun, motivated, and enthusiastic individuals who are flexible and creative
• Available for Staff Training

How to Apply

To apply, please complete the online application. You will be prompted to create an account to complete the online application. Upon completion of the application, you will be asked to upload your resume and a cover letter. You will also be given the opportunity to submit your references’ email addresses. Your resume, cover letter, and three references are required for a complete application.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.