seasonal jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities

Summer Nature/Outdoor Skills Camp Instructor (21 and older): $20-$23 per hour

Note: Must be available to teach all three Survival Camp sessions in Rockport July 15-August 2. Preference for candidates who can also teach both Woodland Seekers Camp sessions in Beverly August 5-16. Mondays through Fridays 9am-3pm.

Full instructors are over the age of 21. Applicants 18-21 will be considered as Assistant Instructors. We have volunteer positions for youth under 18. Pay: $20-$22 per hour for instructors 21 and older

Kestrel is looking to hire super awesome, very outdoorsy, nature loving, kid magnet summer instructors. We are not going to lie, this job is demanding, but also it is a lot of fun and and you will be outdoors in beautiful places all the time. We pay fairly and we're nice to each other and we get some fantastic little naturalist kids adventuring with us. There will be fire making and frog catching and playing and making up stories and building stuff. Kids get to decide how to spend a lot of their time, and the scheduling is all flexible, so if they're into something, one activity can last hours. We live with the rhythms of nature. Everything is 100% outdoors except in cases of storms. Instructors help design the plans, so you get to do the things you love.

The instructor will co-design and facilitate a variety of nature based camp sessions for children. Each camp session is small (20 max total campers and 2-3 staff). The camps are a mix of naturalist skills, outdoor survival skills, adventure, and play and imagination. You may also work with one of our local partners to design and deliver half day programs for their youth. Ages range from 4-15 depending on the week. Locations include Rockport public woods, Beverly public woods, and the campus of a private school in Manchester. Please look at our website to learn more about the camp before applying.

Qualifications:

* First Aid and CPR certification essential (you can acquire these after being hired), Lifeguard training and wilderness first aid preferred

* Experience working with groups of children in the outdoors

* Skills, knowledge, and experience in at least one of the following: Wilderness skills (wildlife tracking, primitive firecraft, wild edibles, compass navigation, shelters, knots, etc.), water skills (lifeguarding, open water swimming, etc.), naturalist skills (ability to find and identify at least one category of organisms such as reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, plants, trees, etc.) We are looking for staff who come with some of these skills and can teach them independently.

* Must be very high energy and very outdoorsy. We're looking for someone who voluntarily spends time in the wild on a regular basis and can convey their personal enthusiasm for all living things and for outdoor adventure to others.

* Willing to enthusiastically enjoy the natural world in all weather and traverse up to 3 miles a day carrying a backpack with supplies, over varying terrain

* Belief in childrens' natural capacity for learning and exploration, coupled with a willingness to set and enforce firm safety boundaries.

* Open to Kestrel's way of teaching. Kestrel Summer Adventures is not a traditional summer camp in that we don't play a lot of standard camp games or rotate between adult directed activities. We are a community spending our day outside with an organic flow of learning. We teach nature and outdoor skills at a high level, with imagination and joy. Our instructors are creative professionals who invent storylines for each week, conduct all meaningful activities in keeping with the storyline, and make up a lot of their own games. We pay close attention to each camper and make sure each has opportunities to connect with instructors and other campers, and to be recognized for their unique ideas and interests. While a lot of our games and adventures are somewhat silly, we're serious about natural science and about outdoor skills and safety. Our campers finish the summer knowing how to identify plants and animals, make fires without matches, build shelters that can withstand storms, and possessing the confidence of young explorers who know their stuff.

Summer Outreach Instructor (21 and older) $20-$23 per hour, 1-2 days a week throughout the summer

This instructor will work with our team to develop outreach programs and materials for our summer program partners. The instructor will be the sole Kestrel representative onsite at various natural wild places in the North Shore area, teaching groups of children along with their teachers. The content will include nature awareness skills, outdoor living skills, and wildlife ecology. The sites will be chosen by our team together with the partner groups. The instructor will use Kestrel teaching methods including child centered learning, attachment to place, creative movement, and good scientific inquiry to help children learn about and enjoy nature. We don’t do walks and talks or adult -directed programming; all our teaching is about children being guided in making their own discoveries, developing interests, having wonderful ideas, and building skills they can share. We’re looking for someone who, after coming up with a plan, can independently implement programming for our partners.

Qualifications:

* Experience working with groups of children in the outdoors and managing groups

* Skills, knowledge, and experience in at least one of the following: Wilderness skills (wildlife tracking, primitive firecraft, compass navigation, shelters, knots, etc.), naturalist skills (ability to find and identify at least one category of organisms such as reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, plants, trees, etc.) We are looking for staff who come with some of these skills and can teach them independently.

* Independent and creative: Willing to invent activities that foster a sense of connection to and understanding of our local wilds, and independently lead these activities.

* Belief in childrens' natural capacity for learning and exploration, coupled with a willingness to set and enforce firm safety boundaries.

* Open to Kestrel's way of teaching. Kestrel is a little different from other programs, in that we don't play a lot of traditional games or rotate between adult directed activities. Our instructors are creative professionals who invent curriculum for each week that centers kids and their own ideas and experiences.

Summer Camp Assistant Instructor (18 and older) $16-$19 per hour

Responsibilities

Lead nature and community building games and activities, all in line with our story theme of each week
Supervise campers at all times, conducting frequent head counts
Enforce safety and community rules, firmly and kindly, in a non- punitive manner
Commit to Kestrel’s model of building close relationships with nature, exploring on and off trail, building and making things, and nurturing campers’ sense of autonomy, wonder, and creative freedom.
Be part of a camp community that values inclusion of all, celebrating of differences, caring for one another and the natural world, and a blend of individual freedom and collaboration.
Engage with and assist campers who are practicing group or independent activities, such as shelter building, wood gathering, nature journaling, identifying plants and animals, etc.
Role model interest and skill in identifying plants and animals, practicing wilderness skills, safely handling small animals, etc.
Role model not guessing or making assumptions, but rather, observing, noticing, describing, and using resources to learn accurate information about plants and animals.
Demonstrate interest in campers; their interests, ideas, and creations
Keep equipment and supplies organized daily, and help to bring our wagonload of gear back and forth from our drop off point to forest sites

Qualifications

Strong interest in the natural world and outdoor exploration
Comfortable outdoors in all summer weather, including rain and heat
Naturalist and/or outdoor skills knowledge (knowledge of local plants and animals, ability to start fires without matches, build storm-proof shelters, use a compass and map to navigate, wild edibles experience, cord making, wildlife tracking, etc.) You need not have all of these skills but should come with proficiency in some of them
Not afraid of bugs, predators, or mud
Able to hike up to three miles each day, carrying up to 35 pounds of gear or pulling a full wagon
Kindness and patience with younger children
A willingness to and interest in embracing a place- based, child- centered model of teaching.
A friendly, playful, flexible, and fun attitude
Self -directed as needed; able to complete tasks when not directly supervised
Willingness to support and accept all children, regardless of gender identity, learning style, energy level, or challenging behaviors
Communicative and collaborative with other staff
Current first aid and CPR certificates, wilderness first aid preferred, lifeguarding preferred
Current on childhood vaccines as well as vaccinated against covid

Summer Camp Volunteer (Ages 14 and older) (one week minimum commitment)

Responsibilities

Help instructors lead games and activities, especially at the beginning and end of the day
Engage with campers who are practicing group or independent activities, such as shelter building, wood gathering, nature journaling, identifying plants and animals, etc.
Role model interest and skill in identifying plants and animals, practicing wilderness skills, safely handing small animals, etc.
Keep equipment and supplies organized and help to bring our wagonload of gear back and forth from our drop off point to forest sites
Give gentle and kind rule reminders to campers as needed

Qualifications

Strong interest in the natural world and outdoor exploration
Comfortable outdoors in all summer weather, including rain and heat
Not afraid of bugs, predators, or mud
Able to hike up to three miles each day
Kindness and patience with younger children
Interest in children’s ideas
A playful and fun attitude
Willingness to support and accept all children, regardless of gender identity, learning style, energy level, or challenging behaviors
Willingness to role model and reinforce a camp culture that is welcoming and safe; always following camp rules yourself and demonstrating respect for campers and staff alike
Ideally, you should have a naturalist or outdoor skill or two that you’re able to share with others
Current on childhood vaccines as well as vaccinated against covid

Program Support Intern/Volunteer (3 month minimum commitment)

Assist the program instructors in preparing for and delivering wildlife science and outdoor skills education programs for children in preschool through high school.

Responsibilities

Assist instructor staff in preparing for childrens’ programs; assembling and packing materials, planning lessons, etc.
Create and maintain program teaching materials, such as games, custom designed data sheets, and maps
Assist program staff in disinfecting field gear after use to protect the health and safety of wetland organisms
Keep natural history library and other supplies organized
Assist instructors with field teaching of programs; interact with learners as they conduct observations in nature and complete project work: asking them questions, noticing their work, encouraging them, and reminding them of instructions.
Assist in the planning and implementation of our annual Student Work Showcase in June

Qualifications

Lots of experience being outdoors in nature in all weather
A love of wildlife, including small creepy crawly life and predators, too
An interest in children and in inquiry -based outdoor science education
Strong interest in learning more about the natural world and willingness to challenge own and other’s misconceptions
Interest in science and a scientific way of thinking; experience using observational evidence and information from reliable sources to answer questions and inform practices
Reliable and independent; will follow through on assigned tasks even when not closely supervised
Imaginative and/or organized, ideally both
Current on childhood vaccines as well as vaccinated against covid

Non Profit Development Intern (6 month minimum commitment) Unpaid

Assist the Program Director and Board of Directors in growing the organization and its funding sources.

Responsibilities

Research grant opportunities and track grants and grant reporting
Develop and maintain marketing materials including brochures, table displays, branded clothing, stickers, etc. with the help of marketing consultants
Work with board members and staff to help plan and implement fundraising events
Maintain and update website and social media presence
Maintain donor database

Qualifications

Coursework in non profit development /marketing

Experience in grant writing, marketing, or development projects for mission - based work
An understanding of the non profit landscape and of how very small non profits budget and operate
Proficiency with Mac, Google Drive applications, and social media platforms
Independent and collaborative; able to map out and adhere to a plan of action for each goal
Highly organized with an excellent track record of following through on tasks
A personal commitment to Kestrel’s mission and work

For All Positions:

You must be vaccinated against covid and able to provide records of all your vaccinations.

To Apply: Email a resume and cover letter, detailing why you are interested in Kestrel specifically, and how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

About Kestrel: Kestrel Educational Adventures is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based out of Beverly, Massachusetts (current office is in Magnolia village, Gloucester, with the majority of programming in or near Beverly.) We offer place-based natural science adventures for schools, family groups, and the general public. Our participants learn through direct experiences in the local natural world, guided by qualified instructors with flexible plans. We believe in building a better and more sustainable world through excellent, student – centered natural science education. Our program instructors guide children in developing their abilities to make and share original discoveries and understand complex natural systems, or sometimes just to find nature connection nearby. We believe that everyone should develop their own values through experience, and that this is the most powerful route to sustainability and conservation action. We teach everyone that they should wander, explore, touch, imagine, and live in the natural world. Because of our small size, we do not have any any staff housing facilities. Also as a result of our small size, our staff all are involved in making big decisions and shaping Kestrel.