Wilderness Education Paid Internship

About the Fiver Children’s Foundation (fiver.org)

Through our one-of-a-kind ten-year commitment, Fiver provides experiences that challenge and build relationships that nurture so that youth from systemically under-resourced communities in New York can create their own positive futures.

Wilderness Education Intern Responsibilities

The Wilderness Education Internship is designed for early career educators seeking to explore justice and inclusion in the outdoors. In the Fiver program, LEAD campers (14-16 years old) are required to participate in a 4 day backpacking trip in the Catskill region of New York. This wilderness program co-occurs with our other summer camp programming. Through a three-stage process, interns gradually assume responsibility for wilderness education at camp:

Stage 1: Interns work with Fiver Staff and outdoor experts to learn about the theories of justice and inclusion that underpin the Fiver wilderness program. Interns will develop their own orientation towards the program.

Stage 2: Interns serve as an assistant to a Fiver staff on the first wilderness classes and trips of the summer. This stage focuses on teaching the intern how to navigate Fiver systems and curriculum delivery.

Stage 3: Interns take the lead on the Fiver wilderness program. They will make decisions about trip/class organization and curriculum delivery.

When not on backcountry excursions, the wilderness education intern will live at our beautiful 129 acre facility located in upstate New York for all four two-week camp sessions, and two weeks of training.  As a member of the Fiver team, the intern will assist in other camp related responsibilities while on camp as assigned by supervisors. 

Qualifications

●      2 years experience working with children/adolescents, camp experience preferred

●      Significant experience attending, planning and leading backcountry excursions

●      Must be a dynamic, energetic, patient, compassionate team-player

●      Current wilderness first responder certification (WFR) required: Fiver can assist hired interns in obtaining certification before camp.

●      Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age

●      Must have a strong interest in environmental education, outdoor education, or a related field

How to apply:

E-mail cover letter and resume to: tmackey@northland.edu