Outdoor School Guide

Outdoor School Guide

As an outdoor guide, your classroom will be the forests, creeks, and waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s most beloved and largest state park and the ancestral home of the Kalapuya and Molalla Tribes. Working with mainly 5th/6th graders over the course of a 3-day, 2-night program, you’ll teach inquiry-based lessons developed with guidance from Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, The Avarna Group equity consultants, and The BEETLES Project. By the end of their time with you, students will strengthen their relationships with nature, the land, and each other - understanding that these relationships exist within an interconnected system.

Position type: Full time, salaried, seasonal

Season: April 3--June 8, 2023 *possible extension to October 13, 2023

Location: Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, Oregon (60 miles from Portland, Oregon)

Compensation: $3,300 average monthly salary (about $150/day); 3 days PTO

Perks: Meals provided while working/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

Your spring season will be a combination of training, pre- and post-classroom visits, and multi-day outdoor school. You’ll join a team of guides who all bring their own expertise, passion, and fun to Opal Creek Outdoor School. Through teaching, collaboration, and idea sharing, you’ll play a key role in shaping the outdoor school experience for students and guides 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.

● 1+ seasons/school years teaching experience, formal or informal

● 1+ seasons working with youth

● Strong group leadership and management skills 

● Strong communication skills

● Previous experience with equity, inclusion, and cultural relevance, and integrating 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

We are committed to having an applicant pool that reflects the diversity of the students we work with, and we highly encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to apply.

How to Apply & Timeline

Please submit an application by visiting the employment page of our website. The application includes a series of questions and asks you to upload a detailed resume in PDF format. Be sure to include any relevant experience and certifications, both professional and personal experience.

Priority will be given to applications received by February 24, 2023. There are two rounds of interviews for this position in total during the end of February and early March. We anticipate hiring seven guides, and the start date is April 3, 2023.

Please contact hiring@opalcreek.org with any questions and to request any accommodations needed during this hiring process. We’ll do our best to respond to all queries and to keep all applicants up to date on how the process unfolds.