Summer Nature Connection Mentor

Wilderness Kids Club divides staff responsibility up by student age. Each Mentor will be paired with a more-experienced Lead Mentor and together will be responsible for planning and facilitating one of two age groups, along with the MITs and Volunteers present that day. Each age group consists of up to 16 six-to-eight-year olds (called Junco Camp) or nine-to-twelve-year-olds (called Cedar Camp).

The season begins with 4 days of staff training and program planning, then 9 weeks of camp. Staff should plan to arrive at 8:00am, and depart when clean-up and debrief is done for the day, typically around 4:30pm. Camp programs are held Monday through Thursday, with Friday being a maintenance, planning and prep day. There will be a period of unpaid break midway through the summer, July 18-26th 2022.

Camp is held at a privately-owned forest site, with nature-based games, creek wading, berry picking, firemaking, fishing, and shelter building as just a few of the popular activities.

Staff are ultimately responsible for providing their own lodging, transportation, and food. If access to lodging, transportation or food are issues of concern, please talk with us ahead of time and we can work together to design solutions. Our community and organization network is available for resources to help with supporting our staff's needs.

Job qualifications:

• Familiarity with outdoor group leadership, especially of children and youth. Some examples of possible relevant experience are:
• Camp counselor
• Wilderness therapy guide
• School Garden teacher
• Mentor in Training, Counselor-In-Training, or other camp counselor assistant
• After school program leader or volunteer
• Backcountry expedition guide experience
• Other relevant life experience that shows your ability to compassionately lead multiple people in a dynamic and unpredictable natural environment
• Some familiarity with mentoring of children and youth either in a personal or professional capacity
• Mature approach to communications, timeliness, and follow through
• Solution-based thinking and flexible, community-oriented mindset
• Current certification in first aid and CPR required (online certification is OK); Wilderness First Responder preferred
• Physical qualifications: 
• Play actively with participants,
• lift and carry up to 50lbs for short periods of time, 
• walk for extended periods over uneven, unpaved outdoor terrain while carrying a day pack, 
• hear verbal communication and speak clear instructions, 
• see well enough to keep track of participants in varied natural environments

Preferred Experience, but not required:

• Familiarity with any of the following is a plus.
• Nature-based arts and crafts or ancestral arts such as hide tanning, basketry, flint knapping, ceramics, fiber arts, etc
• Naturalist skills such as tracking, nature interpretation, botanizing, birding, or wild food and medicine wildcrafting
• Wilderness living or survival skills such as making fire with few resources, orienting without map and compass, or making survival shelters
• 8 Shields Nature Connection Mentoring skills

Responsibilities:

• Work about 40 hours each week camp is in session, 9 weeks total plus a 4 day training.
• Meet with the staff team before and after camp program time, and at an agreed-upon time on Fridays, for planning, preparation of materials, debriefing and training.
• Work with a team of mentors showing respect and accountability to all; mentors, campers, camp families and the larger community. Consistent displays of integrity, timeliness, deep listening, and clear communication.
• Mentor youth in nature awareness and wilderness skills using the 8 Shields Mentoring model (training provided). 
• Inspire youth and adults to explore their unique gifts and guide self-development through their connection with nature, themselves and others.
• Camp staff will work closely with each other as peers and with Ravenwood’s Leadership Team to meet the stated objectives. 

Benefits:

• Receive experience in shared wilderness skills, routines of nature connection, culture building, and sensory awareness
• Work with highly creative people to cultivate a powerful learning culture for youth and adults alike
• Professional training, mentoring, support and feedback for personal growth as an 8 Shields Mentor
• Strong community support and opportunities to build meaningful relationships with local leaders, parents, elders, and children.

Compensation:

• $14-$17 per hour DOE 
• Pay occurs in the first week of the following month.

Duration:

Staff training begins June 13th, camp runs from June 20th to August 19th with July 18-26th off.

How to apply:

Submit a letter of interest via email with resume and three references to Jay Bresee, Jay@ravenwoodolc.org. Selected candidates will be asked to schedule a personal interview (Zoom, telephone, or similar connection options are possible) at a mutually agreeable time.