Employment Opportunities
To be an Outdoor Educator is to make a difference in the lives of children and in the future of our world. Of course, to make that difference requires a major commitment of both time and energy. To say that this is not a job, but a lifestyle would be quite accurate. The following should answer most of the questions that you, a candidate for a position in our school camping program, might have. E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you need further clarification or have any additional questions.
To apply: send a cover letter and resume to Amy Cherry, OEC, 10160 South M-37 Highway, Dowling, MI 49050. E-mail is encouraged, fax is also fine at 269-721-1071.
INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS: New staff primarily work with the residential camp programs: BCPS fifth grade (science theme), BCPS sixth grade Adventure Camp, and out of district camps. We hire Instructor/Counselors (I/C) for fall (Sept.-Dec.) and spring (March- early June) positions.
SALARY: New full-time Instructor/Counselors receive $80/day plus housing. Occasionally, staff members instruct team building or recreational activities with weekend conference groups and are compensated at $20/hour.
HOUSING: Full-time staff receive a personal cabin, 20 x 24 foot. Our staff sleep in their own personal cabin every night except for every third to fifth week when working as the dormitory supervisor. The Cabin is heated and comes with a small bed and mattress, otherwise unfurnished. No plumbing. A central bathhouse is available and includes free laundry facilities. Cabins can handle a small refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, etc. Fuel and electricity are provided. I/C’s must have a personal phone line installed or have a cell phone that functions on our site. During resident camp, staff eat two meals per day with students. Kitchenette is available in main lodge for staff use.
EXPECTATIONS: We expect a fall and spring commitment for the full-time positions. Recognize that many great summer camp jobs start before we finish but we are your primary employer. We expect staff to be safe, responsible, and mature. We encourage staff to develop professionally while employed by the OEC. We strive for open communication within a community of professional outdoor educators.
TYPICAL DAY/WEEK: We serve four or five classroom groups each week. Two staff are assigned to each classroom for the week and deliver all the program activities. One I/C works morning and afternoon, the other I/C works afternoon and evening. Meals are at 8, 12, and 5:30. Students in dorms at 8:30 with lights out at 9-9:30 and up at 7 AM. Dormitory supervision is rotated about every 3-5 weeks. When I/C is on as dormitory supervisor responsibilities include, setting tone on Monday AM and meeting with teachers, rest hour daily 4-5:30, evening program, and put-to bed. Off at 8:30 AM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday until rest hour at 4. Friday PM staff meeting required. Dormitory supervision is rotated and shared, that is every 3-5 weeks you do one week of dorm duty. Typically students arrive by 9:30 AM on Monday and leave by 1:30 PM on Friday. Weekends in general are free time with limited expectations to assist with program instruction for weekend groups with compensation at $20/hour.
QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelors degree in one of the following or a related area: elementary, environmental, outdoor, adventure, experiential education; natural science, environmental interpretation, recreation or leisure management. Quality experiences working with youth, resident camping, instructing, teaching, and / or facilitating strongly preferred. Experience facilitating high ropes course and group initiatives a plus.
REQUIREMENTS: Drug screen, criminal background check and TB test required, at your own cost, prior to employment. Must be tuberculosis free. Staff need to be physically and mentally capable of working comfortably 30 or more feet above the ground.
LOCATION: The Outdoor Education Center is owned and operated by the Battle Creek Public Schools. We are located in Barry County in SW Michigan. Dowling is a small crossroad, rural, agricultural community on highway M-37, halfway between the city of Battle Creek and Hastings. The Center has 175 acres situated on Clear Lake, one mile south of Dowling.
CLIMATE: SW Michigan is “solar challenged” at times. We have long winters with all the forms of precipitations one can imagine. Snowfall amounts vary year to year but usually offer enough for a couple months worth of cross-country skiing. We are just outside of the “lake-effect” snow belt, so many of the deep snow storms just miss us. Summers can be quite humid. Spring and Fall are usually pleasant and beautiful! We do work outdoors with our students in rain, snow, sleet, heat, humidity, wind, and sunshine!
PROGRAMS: New I/C’s will only work with the 5th and 6th grade school camp programs. 5th and 6th grade camps are almost exclusively Monday – Friday experiences unless there is a holiday in the week. As we move into marketing our new high ropes course and team building activities to weekend groups there will be some expectation for weekend work at $20/hour.
The OEC has several day programs for BCPS students in grades 1, 3, and 4. First graders participate in a half-day Farm Animal Program in the spring. There is a 3-4-5 grade program with a science theme. Third and fourth graders have 26 opportunities to participate in the Farm/Garden Program. They plant, cultivate, and harvest over 50 different, organically grown crops. In fifth grade, students culminate the experience with a week of resident camping. Third graders also visit the Pioneer Log Cabin and work with Ma and Pa Merrill for a day, living the history of 1838. Sixth grade students participate in a week of residential camping with a focus on team building. We use both a high ropes course and a series of team building activities. We work with students from other school systems for over 20 weeks of the year and they select from four program themes with a wide range of activities to develop a program to fit their needs. Themes are: team building, natural history, lifetime leisure activities, and ecological concepts.
PETS: No dogs, cats discouraged but possible within our guidelines.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The Director and Supervising Instructor/Counselor comprise a management team that makes hiring and policy decisions. The Supervising I/C is primarily responsible for the day to day operation of resident camp and has direct contact with staff. All Senior I/C’s are expected to mentor I/C’s.
