Youth Backcountry Instructor

Responsibilities

• With a co-instructor, lead four-day backpacking trips for up to 13 youth each week
• Facilitate program curriculum to participants by teaching basic backcountry skills, natural history, and stewardship ethics and leading character-building activities
• Manage the program’s outdoor gear stock
• Exercise sound judgment and decision-making to assess and mitigate hazards
• Effectively build rapport with participants, co-instructors, chaperones, and co-workers
• Role-model inclusive behavior and facilitate a positive group culture among diverse partner groups and youth
• Manage participants in emergencies and adhere to all risk management and emergency action policies and procedures
• Maintain high energy, a positive attitude, and attention to participants and chaperones
• Communicate program details and outcomes with parents and guardians
• Report on program outcomes after each YBCC trip
• Represent the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and Zephyr Point in a professional manner

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• 21 years old or older by June 5, 2023
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination
• Ability to pass a criminal background check, including Live Scan fingerprinting
• Experience working with youth ages 12-17
• Experience in a youth leadership role such as a mentor, camp counselor, coach, teacher, etc.
• Proficient soft skills necessary to support youth mental health and emotional challenges
• Strong decision-making skills, ability to work without direct supervision, and adaptability to changing, dynamic environments
• Ability to clearly, assertively, and effectively communicate orally
• Ability to manage self-care and energy in the backcountry in all conditions
• Experience recreating in the outdoors
• Passionate about environmental stewardship and connecting others to nature
• Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion values 

Required Certifications

Certifications must be obtained before the start of the position and valid through the employment end date. Some certification courses may be provided at Zephyr Point prior to the position start date.

• Wilderness First Aid certification or higher
• CPR
• Lifeguard

Preferred Qualifications

• Wilderness First Responder certification or higher
• CA Epinephrine Auto-Injector certification
• Youth Mental Health First Aid certification
• Leave No Trace Trainer certification or higher
• College degree or coursework in Outdoor Education or other related fields
• Basic knowledge of local ecology, geology, and natural and cultural history
• Backcountry skills, including stove use and water treatment
• Prior field experience leading outdoor programming
• Experience working with youth from underserved and underrepresented populations
• Fluency in Spanish
• Experience hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail

Required Physical Demands

• Ability to hike and camp in the backcountry for several days at a time at various elevations up to 10,000’ carrying up to 75 lbs.

Statement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

The YBCC Program is committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Tahoe’s natural spaces by serving fully-outfitted recreation experiences to youth from underserved and underrepresented communities. We believe that it’s important for these participants to see outdoor leaders who represent and can relate to their identities and backgrounds. We encourage candidates who identify as Latinx, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or with other communities historically excluded from outdoor spaces to apply.

Work Schedule:

The Youth Backcountry Instructor position is a 10-week position starting on June 5, 2023, and terminating on August 11, 2023. Due to the nature of the YBCC Program, the Youth Backcountry Instructor will have a nonstandard schedule with significant fieldwork for the duration of the position. Fieldwork weeks will typically include four full days with overnights in the backcountry followed by three to four days off.