Lead Program Instructor

Job Title: Lead Program Instructor

Employment Class: Seasonal Full-Time, Exempt

Dates of Employment: August 14, 2023 - November 17th, 2023

Expected Schedule: 5 days per week during the school year

Number of Positions Available: 3

Housing Available: Yes 

Compensation: $800 per week base rate, $880 per week for Spanish speakers

At Keystone Science School, we believe that the power of inspiring curiosity and critical thinking, through the lens of science, changes lives and strengthens communities. 

Located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Keystone Science School’s historic campus serves as base camp for our diverse suite of inquiry-based learning programs. We combine hands-on science education with outdoor adventure to create engaging experiences for our students. At KSS, we change lives, we bring fun and laughter to everything we do, we care about each other and those we serve, we strive for excellence, we offer competitive compensation and generous benefits, and we are committed to serving students from diverse backgrounds. We’re proud to be Summit County’s #1 Best Non-Profit and #2 Best Place to Work (2019)! Visit KeystoneScienceSchool.org to learn more!

Job Summary

Lead Program Instructors will be team leaders and facilitate overnight outdoor education field trips during the school year. 

During the school year the Lead Program Instructor is responsible for teaching the wide variety of curricula options offered by KSS. Program Instructors will lead groups of up to 13 students in outdoor education programs including environmental science and team building curriculum. Program Instructors are responsible for lesson planning and organizing curriculum for each program. They are also responsible for the facilitation of meals, evening programs, possible off site/camping based programs, and the completion of manual labor tasks on a rotating basis. Lead Program Instructors will be the liaison between instructors and schools during their trip, mentoring program instructors, and other leadership duties.  Schedule is typically 5 days per week and includes some nights and weekends.

Main areas of focus:

• 50% Teaching

• 20% Lesson planning and curriculum organization

• 25% Support staff duties (e.g. facilitation of meals, evening programs, and completion of manual labor tasks)

• 5% Mentor and train instructors

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead Instructor duties include, but are not limited to: 

  • Give feedback to and mentor seasonal instructors

  • Lead programs and be the liaison between instructors and lead teacher

  • Develop curriculum in collaboration with program manager, coordinator, and instructors

  • Plan and implement logistics of programming 

• Manage and teach a group of up to 13 K-12 students on their own

• Plan, prepare, and teach appropriate environmental education curricula

• Facilitate team building, leadership, and social emotional learning activities

• Program facilitation includes ‘support staff’ duties such as teaching evening programs, campus cleaning, meal set-up and clean-up and on-call responsibilities

• Attend and help facilitate all staff meetings and trainings as assigned

• Prepare and lead trainings for all instructors

• Possibly stay in dorms with students for one or two specific weekend programs (ex. Girls in STEM, H2O outdoors)

• Possibly lead camping or cabin based programs during “off site” programs at various locations around Colorado. 

• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – Minimum Requirements

• Experience in a professional leadership role

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including days, nights, and weekends

• Have an interest in, respect for, and ability to work with students with diverse backgrounds

• Ability to create an inclusive learning environment for students with a wide range of learning abilities

• Proven ability to creatively develop science and education curricula and lesson plans

• Ability to be creative, adaptable, and flexible while managing children in a variety of situations

• Strong work ethic 

• Motivation to contribute positively to the KSS at-large community

• Multi-task efficiently while managing a high-volume workload in a fast-paced, changing environment

• Customer service skills, with the ability to be creative and think 'outside the box'

• Supervise and maintain high standards of health and safety, and follow risk management policies in all activities

• Facilitate and provide support for a wide variety of KSS programs and activities

• Abide by and uphold the policies and procedures set forth by KSS

Qualifications

Required Education, Experience, and Certifications

• Bachelor's or Associate's degree or 2 years of college training + 6 months of teaching experience

• Minimum of 1 year of experience teaching students in an outdoor or classroom setting

• Current Wilderness First Aid (WFA) with CPR certifications minimum

• Age 20+ with a minimum of 4 years driving experience, excellent driving record, and a valid driver's license

• Must be able to successfully pass a comprehensive background check

Preferred Skills

• Ability to communicate verbally and teach in Spanish

• Wilderness First Responder Certification

• Experience in overnight backcountry trips

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in a related field such recreation, education, or a subject in the human services field

• Proficiency with Google Drive, Slack, and ability to learn new software systems quickly

• Previous employment experience at Keystone Science School

Compensation

Salary base rate is $800 per week and $880 per week for Spanish speakers plus:

• 75% employer-paid medical and dental premiums for the employee and dependents;

• 100% employer-paid short- and long-term disability, $50,000 life insurance policy with matching AD&D benefit;

• 1st year instructors will be allocated 4 PTO days, 2nd year instructors will be allocated 6 PTO days, and 3rd+ year instructors will be allocated 8 PTO days. Up to 96 paid sick hours, and some federal holidays paid, prorated based on hours worked;

• 401K retirement savings plan with a 3% employer match contribution;

• Discounts for family members on KSS programs

• Access to outdoor industry pro deals and a discounted ski pass.

Accommodations

Housing is provided at no additional cost. A housing cleaning/damage fee may be collected. Food during programming will be provided. 

Travel Expectations 

In many situations, KSS will provide transportation to satellite programming locations. However, staff may be asked to use personal vehicles to travel within Summit County. Any travel mileage outside Summit County may be reimbursed.

Physical Demands of this Position 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or hold objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. The employee often stands for up to 10 hours per day, but may be required to stand longer in emergency situations. The employee must be able to lift and carry at least 40 pounds for an extended duration. The employee is frequently required to travel for extended periods over rugged terrain. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. 

Work Environment 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This position requires the employee to work in close contact with their teammates and children. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but varies seasonally due to programs and staffing on campus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee often works outside and drives vehicles in various weather conditions.