Town of Florida, MA 01247
Christodora, a 126-year-old nonprofit, nonsectarian organization, based in NYC, seeks
Outdoor Educators (OEs) to work at its Manice Education Center (MEC) located in the heart of
the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts on a 200-acre wooded campus for the 2023
spring, summer, and/or fall seasons. Each spring and fall, MEC hosts two field trips per week for
NYC public middle schools, serving approximately 30 students during each trip; and each
summer, MEC offers a full season of environmental and expedition (backpacking and canoeing)
courses for NYC youth in grades 6-12 with approximately 40 campers in age-grouped sessions,
running approximately one to three weeks in length.
Enjoy living and working in a phenomenal setting for nature enthusiasts and outdoor
adventurers in a forested playground, sandwiched between multiple state forests, rivers, and
ponds. This role is especially applicable for guides, facilitators, teachers, learning specialists,
mentors, paraprofessionals, interpretive rangers, adventure guides, and youth development
specialists.
OEs in the Fall/Spring School Programs work as residential, recreational camp
counselors, facilitating three-day, school-chaperoned, science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM) field trips at and nearby MEC for our partner NYC public schools. Staff work closely in
a supportive atmosphere and teach small, mixed-gender groups of 12 youth in all types of
weather in forest, mountain, and pond settings during the spring and fall. The MEC staff lives in
similarly rustic housing as students from Monday through Thursday each week: large,
canvas-walled tents on top of large wooden platforms that can fit up to eight beds.
Join our Spring Team: April 15 – June 7, 2024
Join our Summer Team: June 10 – Aug 27, 2024
Join our Fall Team: Sept 4 – Nov 2, 2024
Spring/Fall Training Opportunities
Red Cross First Aid, CPR/AED, low-ropes challenge course facilitation through Project
Adventure, and Verbal Intervention through the Crisis Prevention Institute. Additionally, all
educators receive hands-on training and ongoing professional development in the delivery of an
active, outdoor, experientially driven curriculum, grounded in social-emotional development and
trauma-informed care
Summer Training Opportunities
Wilderness First Aid through SOLO Wilderness Medicine; Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguarding
(optional); low ropes challenge course facilitation through Project Adventure; Verbal
Intervention through Crisis Prevention Institute; and 1.5 day professional canoe training on flat
and whitewater. Additionally, all educators receive hands-on training and ongoing professional
development in the delivery of an active, outdoor, experientially driven curriculum, grounded in
social-emotional development and trauma-informed care
Responsibilities
● Facilitate low-ropes challenge course activities designed for teamwork,
communication, leadership skills, trust, and social-emotional outcomes
● Inspire curiosity about the natural world through discovery-based activities in a
variety of ecosystems
● Plan active and experiential lessons from MEC’s discovery-based curriculum
Introduce composting and gardening (including a small flock of chickens) to
students Lead nighttime hikes to see the stars and cultivate sensory awareness
● Work closely with other educators within activity groups to create meaningful,
problem-based, experiential, and active environmental science lessons
● Provide overnight supervision on a rotating schedule for up to six youth in
canvas-walled, cabin style tents on large wooden platforms
● Celebrate as a camp community with skits, music, and s’mores at our campfire program
(rain or shine) in a covered gazebo surrounded by forest
● Problem-solve unexpected student behavior through restorative circles
Qualifications
Required:
Adventurous spirit, willingness to learn, passion for the outdoors, and enjoy connecting with
youth from NYC
Background clearances and medical physical from a licensed medical professional required
BA/BS in related discipline, demonstrable professional experience, and/or previous Christodora
program experience
Preferred:
Experience in environmental education in a residential camp or outdoor setting Experience
working with middle-school groups from large cities in classroom or outdoor settings
Spanish/English bilingual a plus
Valid driver’s license
Compensation/Benefits
$575 weekly salary, room/board and meals at MEC during employment, and training
certifications listed above
Acknowledgement
The staff of the Manice Education Center acknowledges that, as outdoor professionals,
we continue to live and make a living on the unceded and ancestral lands of the indigenous
people who stewarded these lands for generations before the arrival of European settler
colonialism. These people and sovereign nations include the Mohican, Pocumtuc, Nipmuc, and
Wabanaki, though much of this history remains lost or stolen through the effects of European
settler colonialism. These nations are not currently represented in the board, directors, or
employees of Christodora, Inc., which owns and operates MEC, and MEC continues to benefit
from the oppressive history of colonialism and industrial agriculture that has forever altered the
ecosystems of the region. We recognize there will be implications for how Christodora must
alter its thoughts and decisions when educating youth on unceded lands, and we welcome
dialogue in this work, as this is only a small step toward repairing the generations of injustice
done to these people and nations.
Staff Vaccination Policy
To help maintain the health and safety of the Christodora community, all camper-facing
employees must be fully vaccinated and up-to-date against COVID-19, unless an exemption
applies.
To Apply…
Please email [email protected] with only “[Last Name]/MEC OE” as the
subject of the message with a resume and brief cover letter. Three professional references may
be requested following an initial phone interview.
Christodora is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to age, family status, income, ethnicity or race,
religious or spiritual practice, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national
origin, disability status, protected veteran status, indigenous heritage, and/or any other
characteristic protected by law.
Version 07/