2025 Camp Environmental Educator

At Caldera we believe in the power of creativity. Our mission is to inspire and support youth from underserved rural and urban communities by awakening the potential of their creative voice. We do this through a unique fusion of art environment and mentorship. Our Youth Program provides students from Portland and Central Oregon with longterm relationships with caring adults which nurtures individual creativity beginning in sixth grade and continuing into young adulthood.

As part of Calderas summer learning team you will gain leadership communication and collaboration skills and unparalleled resiliency while building meaningful relationships with young learners and adults. Youll have daily opportunities to expand your own creativity and sense of adventure upheld in a supportive community full of networking opportunities. During your time off youll be centrally located in Oregons playground for play in the Cascade Mountains sampling local flavor or simply relaxing on Calderas 116 acres of aweinspiring property.

Position Title: Environmental Educator

Supervisor: Adventure Team Supervisor

Compensation:

• Salary/Rate of Pay: $154/day with 1 increase for each year of experience working at Camp Caldera (not to exceed 7; plus one planning day added to first check upon curriculum submission
• Training Salary/Rate of Pay: $5075/day
• Room and board provided during days with programming; room only during nonprogramming days. A light dinner will be provided on staff arrival days. Brunch is served on the last day of each session.

Location: This is a seasonal position at our Arts Center 31500 Blue Lake Drive Sisters OR 97756 (transportation not provided).

Choose one or more sessions; placement is dependent on availability & scheduling (must be available for all dates in session(s) chosen). Must be available for training dates and on the following dates and times to start each session:

• PORTLAND Staff Training June 2326
• SISTERS Staff Training July 12
• Arrive between 1:002:00 pm July 6* for the Immersion 1 (High School) session July 716
• Arrive between 4:005:00 pm July 19* for the immersion 2 (High School) session July 2028
• Arrive between 4:005:00 pm July 31* for the Discovery 1 (Middle School) session Aug 18
• Arrive between 4:005:00 pm Aug 11* for the Discovery 2 (Middle School) session Aug 1219

*Indicates Half day compensation

Sample Daily Schedule:

8:008:30 Breakfast

8:409:20 Community Circle

9:3012:25 Teach Classes OR Break

12:25 Kitchen Prep

12:301:20 Lunch

1:201:50 Staff Meeting

1:503:10 Lead Free Time Activity or Class Prep

3:106:20 Teach Classes OR Break

6:307:30 Dinner

7:458:45 Capture the Flag or Other Evening Activity

8:459:45 Campfire

10:3011:30 Night Duty (once per session)

Environmental Education at Caldera:

The goal of Calderas Environmental Education program is to inspire curiosity about nature and help students build lasting connections to the environment. We hope to increase student knowledge of the natural history of Calderas land in Central Oregon and to develop a sense of place through an emphasis on direct sensory exploration of the diverse habitats immediately surrounding camp. Campers may learn about trout habitats while wading barefoot in the creek make observational sketches of forest regrowth with charcoal from wildfirecharred trees and taste wild mint during a field lesson in ethnobotany. Many of them are experiencing just being young people in the outdoors for the first time in their lives. Beyond lessons taught in the context of class Caldera uses common daily practices to model environmental responsibility. Campers weigh the amount of food that is thrown away at the end of each meal and graph the reduction of waste over the course of their stay at camp. Fruit and vegetable matter are separated for compost to nourish our vegetable garden. It is our hope that when complemented by discussion handson activities like these help students draw connections between environmental lessons learned at camp and the farreaching ecological impact of small choices they make everyday at home.

Position overview:

The Environmental Educator is responsible for designing and facilitating environmental curriculum for middle and/or high school campers. They provide a positive learning environment and deliver engaging lessons that reach a diverse population incorporate program goals into daily sessions inspire curiosity about nature and build connections to the natural world. This position will facilitate discussions about environmental justice with a population that has historically been marginalized in the environmental movement.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Submit initial lesson plans adjust based on feedback and complete detailed final plans prior to staff training
• Provide supply lists and other requested information by designated deadlines
• Partner with the Environmental Education Assistant to adjust curriculum organize supplies and oversee youth during classes
• Collaborate with Assistants and Advocates around student needs to ensure smooth delivery of instruction
• Maintain clean organized classroom and shared supply spaces
• Set and respect appropriate boundaries inside and outside of the class and encourage appropriate risktaking
• Plan set up and take down exhibition of student work
• Document archive and organize student work and transfer work and files as instructed by supervisor
• Manage setup and breakdown of compost stations teaching space and other areas as assigned
• Alert supervisor to relevant camper issues
• Other duties as assigned

General Responsibilities:

• Serve as mandatory reporter working with Youth Impact Manager to report instances or suspicion of child abuse. Caldera has a zero tolerance policy around child abuse and any negligence will result in immediate dismissal
• Promote program understanding and involvement through Calderas goals and agreements participation agreement and responsibility process
• Actively participate in all aspects of camp life including: camper orientation community meetings evening activities campfire free time etc.
• Model appropriate camper behavior at all times
• Perform duties with consistency and integrity
• Set and respect personal boundaries while acting as mentors guides and allies to campers
• Oversee health and safety of charges in fire drills and emergency procedures
• Maintain cleanliness of living and common areas and help with cleanup at the end of each session

Qualifications:

• Two years of experience teaching youth from underserved communities and a background in the environmental studies through education or profession
• Knowledge of high desert and forest ecosystems or willingness to learn about them
• Familiarity with culturally responsive and antioppression frameworks and experience working with racially and ethnically diverse staff and youth
• Familiarity with socialemotional learning and strong classroom management skills
• Strong communication with youth and adults and experience facilitating groups of varying skill levels
• Ability to design sequential lesson plans around environmental concepts that build creativity and youth voice
• Ability to understand our racially diverse student populations perspective either through lived experience previous qualifications or work experience
• Ability to navigate through potentially triggering and challenging conversations and situations while maintaining focus on the wellbeing of youth
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Ability to set appropriate boundaries in a proactive and positive manner
• Bilingual and/or bicultural skills highly preferred
• Must pass a background check. Caldera considers systemic injustices when investigating findings
• Willingness to live in a camp setting and work irregular and long hours. Additionally you must have the ability to deal with limited cell and internet service and daily exposure to outdoor factors such as sun heat bugs bats snakes etc.

Living Conditions:

• Requires onsite living in shared staff quarters.
• A vegetarian option (that may include eggs and/or dairy) will be available for all meals. We do our best to accommodate other dietary restrictions; however employees with special dietary needs should plan to bring food to supplement or replace provided meals. Please address specific needs with your supervisor.
• Typical days are 10 hours in length with sessions that make for up to 10 straight days of work
• Alcohol and are not permitted on campus even in personal living quarters.

Working Conditions:

• Must be physically able to move around 116 acres of camp property with varied terrain
• Must have visual perceptual and cognitive ability to recognize and respond quickly to health and safety concerns of students and appropriately redirect any behavior that is misaligned with Caldera agreements
• Employee must carry out their duties regardless of inclement weather which can include but is not limited to heat rain wind cold and smoky or dusty conditions.
• Moments of quiet and nonactivity are few and spread out
• Creating a cohesive staff environment round the clock can be challenging. It is crucial that staff see youth and adults through a strengthsbased lens and prioritize creating the best possible youth experience at all times despite what challenges may arise at the staff level
• Physical Demands (which can include bending stooping hiking climbing and stretching) are: 5 Sitting 45 Standing 30 Walking 25 Lifting/Carrying/Pushing/Pulling Pounds 5 80 lbs.

To Apply:

Complete the application and questions and provide a reference ideally from each of the following categories: a youth serving organization a family member and one other professional reference. Please also submit a sample lesson plan.

Equity & Inclusion

We recognize that Caldera communities face many societal inequities. We recognize the history and ongoing impacts of racism in our country state and institutions. We acknowledge that we will always have room to grow as an organization and as individuals in our understanding of racism and oppression.

We commit to continually examining our role in both perpetuating and combating institutional racism. We also commit to ongoing alignment of our policies and practices to advance racial equity inclusion and freedom of expression.

We commit to integrating equity and inclusion into all areas of our work to better serve our mission; when we do we get closer to the world that we want for our youth. To ensure our own accountability we will 1 seek deeper relationships with and feedback from our larger community; 2 use our Equity Plan to guide ongoing work; and 3 apply our Equity Lens to decisionmaking. We will also seek inspiration from artistic and cultural traditions.

Caldera is an equal opportunity employer encouraging applicants of all backgrounds and does not discriminate on the basis of race color religion (creed) gender expression age national origin (ancestry) disability marital status sexual orientation or military status in any of its activities or operations.

We encourage people of color and Caldera community members to apply.