Seasonal Camp Educator - Castle Hill

TITLE: Seasonal Camp Educator (Counselor) 

LOCATION: The Crane Estate, Ipswich, MA 

PAYRATE 2024: 16.50/hour 

Minimum Age: 18 years 

Start Date: June 10, 2024 

Who We Are: 

SummerQuest Camp is an outdoor adventure camp whose goal is to get children outside, encourage them to develop essential skills while inspiring in each child a personal connection to nature. Joining The Trustees is not just a job; it is a commitment to inviting the next generation of stewards to learn from the spectacular properties we protect, and enjoy these distinctive places along with us. 

SummerQuest at The Crane Estate is for campers aged 5–14 and runs June 24–August 23, Mondays–Fridays, 9AM–3PM. 

For more information about our camp, please visit Trustees Camps. 

Who You Are: 

You are passionate about working with young people and are committed to helping them cultivate a sense of place through dynamic learning experiences. You relish spending time outdoors and care deeply for the environment. You thrive in a team-based workplace, have a strong work ethic, are flexible, think on your feet, and consistently seek out new learning opportunities. Your friendly, cooperative nature and commitment to excellence in your work are evident. 

A Day in the Life: 

• The Camp Educator (or CE) is a seasonal role with a full-time schedule of 35-40 hours per week, 8:00AM–4:00PM   

• CEs oversee the direct supervision, group management, and safekeeping of up to 10 campers. 

• Encourage positive camper behavior and employ behavior management strategies shared during training. 

• Contribute collaboratively to developing camp activities and have the creative freedom to direct the experience of the campers in their group.   

• Encourage campers to investigate the Crane Estate’s unique characteristics with a focus on environmental education and experiential learning, including leading campers in daily songs and games, leading hikes and investigations throughout the estate, exploring and teaching campers based on the weekly themes.  

• Communicating often and effectively with fellow Camp Educators and leadership staff to plan and deliver camp programming.  

• Complete daily chores before and after the camp day. 

• Manage photo and video content related to campers so that leadership staff can communicate with camp families.  

What We Need From You: 

Qualifications: 

• The ideal candidate is pursuing a degree or career in education, science, humanities, conservation/stewardship, or outdoor/environmental fields.  

• A commitment to the physical and emotional well-being of campers 

• Experience working as a camp counselor, classroom teacher, informal educator, and/or childcare provider with children ages 5-14, environmental education (EE) experience preferred 

• A particular interest in outdoor education, especially in a coastal environment  

• A positive attitude, willingness to be flexible, and a commitment to achieving goals  

• High regard for teamwork and collegiality 

• The physical and mental wherewithal to teach outdoors, sometimes under challenging weather and other conditions 

Additional Requirements: 

• Minimum age is 18 years old by the start of camp 

• Full availability for staff training weeks and all weeks of camp (June 10–August 23)    

• Ability to lift 40 pounds 

• CPR and Basic First Aid certifications and/or willingness to obtain these and other certifications 

• Lifeguard certification or willingness to obtain one highly desired but not required 

• A satisfactory criminal background check (CORI and SORI) 

Please upload a resume summarizing your education and work history and a cover letter telling us about your interest in working with children in nature in this position. 

The Trustees: 

The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) enjoy and care for more than 120 special places - roughly 47,000 acres - all around Massachusetts.  We are the oldest land conservation organization in the U.S. and the largest in the state. The centerpiece of the Trustees mission is to protect places of ecological, scenic, and historic importance. Since 1891, The Trustees has been on the ground in communities across Massachusetts, working to protect special places, providing loving care of our reservations, building creative new programs to engage people, and sharing our expertise with neighbors and partners. Our seasonal staff plays an integral role in ensuring that our summer visitors enjoy our extraordinary places and programs. 

About Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity at The Trustees 

Our commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity (DBIE) is deeply grounded in our mission to protect and share Massachusetts’ iconic places for everyone, forever. Together, we carry forth this belief by seeking to create inclusive spaces of belonging for Trustees staff, members, volunteers, and communities across the organization and our properties. We acknowledge that creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome will be a learning journey for the organization and for all of us as individuals.  

Equal Opportunity Employer 

The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status including, but not limited to, age, race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, nation of origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at the core of our mission.   

For more information on The Trustees, please visit our website.