Outdoor Educator at Christodora: Nature, Learning, Leadership
Florida, MA 01247
About the Job
Manice Education Center
Outdoor Educator
Town of Florida, MA 01247
Do you have an adventurous spirit, a love for the outdoors, and a passion for inspiring youth? Join the Manice Education Center (MEC), a 200-acre outdoor education facility in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains, where your skills and enthusiasm will create lasting memories for NYC students while advancing your career in environmental education.
About Us: Christodora, a 126-year-old nonprofit, nonsectarian organization based in NYC, is seeking Outdoor Educators (OEs) for the spring, summer, and fall 2025 seasons at our Manice Education Center. Located in Western Massachusetts, MEC serves as a transformative space for NYC youth in grades (6–12), offering: weekly field trips for NYC public middle schools in our Spring and Fall seasons, serving approximately (30-40) students during each trip; and a full Summer season of environmental and expedition (backpacking and canoeing) programs for NYC youth in grades (6-12), serving 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, nestled between multiple state forests, rivers, and ponds.
Spring/Fall Outdoor Educators facilitate 3-day STEM-focused field trips for NYC public middle schools, leading small groups in outdoor discovery-based lessons in forest, mountain, and pond ecosystems. Work as residential camp counselors, supervise students in rustic tent housing, and engage in low-ropes challenge course activities designed to build teamwork and leadership skills. Staff live on-site during programs (Monday–Thursday) and enjoy lakeside cabin housing during off time.
DATES:
April 14 – June 6, 2025 (Spring)
Sept 3 – Oct 31, 2025 (Fall)
Spring/Fall Training & Certification Opportunities:
-Red Cross First Aid
-CPR/AED
-Low-ropes challenge course facilitation through Project Adventure
-Leave No Trace
-NYS Mandated Reporter
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 (SEL) and trauma-informed care.
Summer Outdoor Educators work full time through (4) consecutive (1-3) week age-grouped sessions combining environmental education, team-building activities, and remote multi-day wilderness backpacking or canoeing excursions for middle and high school students. Facilitate hands-on lessons, SEL-based activities, and overnight supervision in rustic tent housing. Between sessions, enjoy downtime and planning in a lakeside staff cabin.
DATES:
June 9 – Aug 25, 2025
Summer Training Opportunities
-Wilderness First Aid through SOLO Wilderness Medicine
-Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguarding
-CPR/AED
-Low ropes challenge course facilitation through Project Adventure
-Leave No Trace
-NYS Mandated Reporter
-1.5 day professional canoe training on both 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 (SEL) and trauma-informed care.
Qualifications
Required
-Adventurous spirit, enthusiasm for outdoor education and connecting with NYC youth.
-Ability to work in a residential camp setting in all weather conditions.
-Completion of background checks and a medical clearance.
-BA/BS in related discipline,Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional and/or Christodora program experience.
Preferred:
-Experience in environmental education or working with diverse youth is a plus but not required—we’re here to train and support you!
-Spanish/English bilingual a plus
-Valid driver’s license
-Willingness to pursue lifeguard certification and demonstrated comfort or experience with paddle sports
What makes you a great fit?
We’re looking for individuals with grit and resilience who can adapt to challenges in resource-limited environments, inspire youth through innovative, discovery-based lessons that foster curiosity about the natural world, and bring a positive outlook to outdoor excursions in all types of weather. Successful candidates will work collaboratively as part of a supportive and passionate team, demonstrate restorative practices to address student behavior, and create meaningful experiences that build teamwork, leadership, and social-emotional skills
Compensation/Benefits
$575 weekly salary paid in biweekly intervals, room/board and meals at MEC during employment, and training certifications listed above
Email your resume and a brief cover letter sharing your enthusiasm for outdoor education to employment@christodora.org or The Director at
mec.director@chistodora.org
with the subject line “[Last Name]/MEC OE.” References may be requested after an initial phone interview.
Our Commitment to Equity
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.
Land 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.