Job Description

Do you love exploring the outdoors? Are you passionate about mentoring children and connecting them with nature? Piedmont Wildlife Center is currently seeking seasonal part-time Outdoor Afterschool Counselors for our Orange and Durham County locations !

About Our Organization: Piedmont Wildlife Center is a Durham-based non-profit organization that encourages conservation and inspires people to build lifelong connections with nature through immersive outdoor education, citizen science, and wildlife stewardship. We pursue this mission through afterschool, homeschool, and year-round camp programming in the great outdoors. Piedmont also offers conservation-focused field trips and outreach programs with our Ambassador Animals.

Land Context: Our camps operate out of Leigh Farm Park in Durham County and Blackwood Farm Park in Orange County. Both parks are remnants of 19th-century plantations and are on land that was once part of the shared territory of Saponi, Tuscarora, Occaneechi, Cheraw, Eno, Shakori, Catawba, and Lumbee nations. The city and county parks departments have preserved multiple historic structures in our locations. In addition, we operate camps at Umstead State Park in Wake County, which was once a segregated park and indigenous territory. We must discuss this history with our staff and campers, amplify the stories of the Indigenous and enslaved peoples who cared for the land, and continue learning about and examining the parks’ legacy.

Position Summary: Outdoor Afterschool Counselors will work with the program coordinators to plan activities for outdoor afterschool programs with themes ranging from swamp ecology to advanced shelter-building. Counselors will implement program plans and are responsible for safely leading a group of 15- 20 campers through outdoor educational activities while monitoring the group’s needs and adapting plans to help all campers successfully engage in our programming. Whether experienced in education, environmental science, or outdoor recreation, counselors should be passionate about sharing their unique skills with campers, helping them develop their connection to nature, and inspiring them to protect the natural world. 

With this position, there may be opportunities to work in other seasonal programs, such as our  Homeschool programs, full-day Wild for a Day camp, and week-long intersession camps, if interested and  available. 

Primary Responsibilities:

Implement daily Environmental Education, focus on nature connection activity plans from the camp group coordinator, and gather associated materials. Communicate with co-counselors, program coordinators, and parents about program outcomes and camper behavior.

Counselors 

• Manage the overall flow of the day and coordinate larger group decisions 
• Point person for emergencies and enforcement of safety policies.
• Offer more individualized support to help engage all campers

Qualifications for all Counselors:

• Excited and comfortable playing outside in all weather conditions, including rain and heat.
• Childcare and/or education experience.
• Leadership experience.
• Experience with stories, environmental education, and inquiry-based teaching methods.
• Flexibility with changes in programming and scheduling.
• Basic experience with Google Suite.
• At least 18 years of age.
• We encourage counselors to have first aid certification, but it is not required.
• Manage the overall flow of the day and coordinate larger group decisions 
• Point person for emergencies and enforcement of safety policies.
• Offer more individualized support to help engage all campers

Qualifications for Bilingual Counselors 

• Able to speak fluent Spanish. 
• Manage the overall flow of the day and coordinate larger group decisions 
• Point person for emergencies and enforcement of safety policies.
• Offer more individualized support to help engage all campers
• Excited and comfortable playing outside in all weather conditions, including rain and heat.
• Childcare and/or education experience.
• Leadership experience.
• Experience with stories, environmental education, and inquiry-based teaching methods.
• Flexibility with changes in programming and scheduling.
• Basic experience with Google Suite.
• At least 18 years of age.
• We encourage counselors to have first aid certification, but it is not required.

Unique Considerations:

• Ability to hike at least 2 miles comfortably.
• Comfortable exploring muddy areas.
• Knowledge of local ecology or tracking and survival skills.
• Reliable transportation to Durham and/or Orange County locations.
• Relevant outdoor certifications such as Wilderness First Aid/Responder, Certified Interpretive Guide, Leave No Trace Master Educator, and/or NC Environmental Educator are highly encouraged but not required.

Afterschool programming schedule for this position:

Three to four days a week, approximately 2:30-5:30 p.m. for elementary schools in Orange County; 2:30- 5:30 p.m. for elementary schools in Durham, and 3:30- 5:15 p.m. for middle Schools in Orange County. 

Other program opportunities (for additional shifts):

Single-day camps on some teacher work days, approximately 7:15 am-3:30 pm.

Week-long intersession camps, approximately 7:15 am-3:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Homeschool camp on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:45 am-3:45 pm.

Pay : 

• Bilingual Counselors earn $15 - $16/hr based on relevant experience and current certifications.
• Counselors earn $14 - $15/hr based on relevant experience and current certifications.

Non-discrimination policy: Piedmont Wildlife Center does not discriminate in employment or recruitment of board members, staff, volunteers, or provision of services on the basis of sex, creed, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.

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