Summer Nature Camp Educator

Middlebury Area Land Trust 
Summer Nature Camp Educator  

Hours: Full time (40 hours/week), seasonal starting June 19, 2023 and ending August 25, 2023 
Compensation: $13.25-$15.25/hour DOE, First Aid Certification paid for by MALT 
Location: Middlebury, VT and surrounding areas (Lincoln, VT; Salisbury, VT) 

The Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) is an Addison County based non-profit. We are a small, local land trust with over 30 years of conservation success. MALT has built strong connections with the community by creating and protecting unparalleled access to recreation opportunities on over 3,500 acres of conserved lands.  MALT has grown to provide nature education and connection to nearly 300 annual youth program participants and an estimated 10,000 unique users of our 30-mile trail network. 

MALT offers summer day camps for youth age 4-13.  Camps last one week, and take place in outdoor settings in and around Middlebury, VT. MALT experiences emphasize nature-play, social-emotional development, and helping young people develop joy for the outdoors. We play games, engage in arts-and-crafts, explore mud pits and rivers, and so much more. Visit www.maltvt.org/camps-1 to learn more about these programs. 

The Summer Nature Camp Educator will be an integral member of MALT’s small and dedicated teaching team. They will:  

• Connect youth with MALT’s lands and trails; 

• Facilitate nine weeks of outdoor summer day camps; camp runs from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, daily; educators arrive at 8:30 AM and our day wraps up by 4:30 PM; 

• Collaborate with MALT’s passionate, experienced, creative, and sometimes muddy team of educators to provide safe nature-based experiences in an outdoor setting; 

• Teach children ages 4 to 13; 

• Serve as lead educator for 1-2 weeks of summer camp; the lead educator is responsible for planning, gathering materials, providing structure for camp, and delegating support tasks to other staff; 

• Manage risk in the outdoors, including teaching youth about risk management and opportunities to be challenged and inspired in the outdoors; 

• As part of the teaching team, maintain clean, safe, and quality education program materials, and assist in any administrative functions that support MALT’s summer camps; 

• Work at a local, community-oriented organization; 

• Collect and share photos for MALT media. 

Required Qualifications 

• Experience working with elementary-age children in any setting (child care facility, paraeducator, camps, etc.); 

• Knowledge of any of the following: wildlife, wilderness skills, story-telling, nature connection practices, forest and/or water ecology, geography, and anything/everything outdoors or creative; 

• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate with people of all ages and backgrounds, especially parents and caregivers of campers; 

• Ability to spend a full 8 hours actively moving over rough terrain and in all weather conditions, carrying loads of up to 30 lbs., while modeling joy for the outdoors for campers; 

• A valid driver’s license and access to a personal vehicle is required. Applicant must pass a federal background check if offered the position. Applicant must be at least 18 years old. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• One or more seasons (~3 months) of experience developing, coordinating, and teaching nature-based education to students age 4-13 in an outdoor setting; 

• Intuitive, determined, and quick learner who thrives in a team setting; 

• Familiarity with the ecology and natural resources of Vermont and the Champlain Valley; 

• A deep, personal value of land conservation, outdoor recreation, and nature-based education with youth. 

To Apply: Send resume and contact info for three professional references to Education Manager Simon Schreier (simon@maltvt.org). A cover letter is not required. 

MALT is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applications. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with review beginning immediately – the position is open until filled. Final deadline is 8:00 am on Friday, March 3, 2023.