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Lead Summer Instructor – Adventure Risk Challenge
Yosemite National Park or Lake Tahoe, California
Position Description:
Bring your full self and be a part of an intentional, experienced, and passionate team! This is a full-time seasonal outdoor Lead Instructor position based in either Yosemite National Park or Lake Tahoe. Instructors will work in teams to deliver 33-day or 11-day wilderness experiences (4-8 day backpacking trips, rock climbing, &/or whitewater rafting) interwoven with intensive literacy & leadership components at an outdoor basecamp (English & science classes, writing workshops, & facilitated community conversations). Lead Instructors will attend our 10-day paid All Staff Training but should come to us with the skills & experience to lead a well rounded team. The Lead Instructor position is ideal for candidates who have professional outdoor education experience & thrive in dynamic environments.
Lead Instructor Responsibilities:
- Create a safe, open, and inclusive culture for students & staff and work in a highly collaborative environment
- Oversee all aspects of running an ARC summer course, including:
- Supervision: observe lessons taught by Instructors, provide feedback and coaching, provide formal and informal feedback, oversee management of student issues
- Teaching/curriculum: oversee academic and backcountry curricula, be prepared to teach any lesson, ensure high quality curriculum integration and implementation
- Course logistics: manage expeditions & basecamps including on- and off-trail backpacking, gear and food organization, rigorous daily schedules, meal preparation, transportation, and more
- Risk Management: ensure all risk management protocol and guidelines are followed by staff team and student group and manage incidents that may arise
Our Ideal Candidate:
- Has strong interpersonal skills & can connect effectively with high school aged youth & community members
- Has self-awareness to responsibly facilitate conversations about identity, including race & gender, in demographically mixed groups
- Has professional experience backpacking and leading wilderness expeditions
- Has experience teaching curriculum
- Has experience managing risks outdoors
- Has a commitment to social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Has strong organizational skills & attention to detail
- Is flexible & adaptable under changing circumstances
- Is able to work well in a team & independently
- Has bilingual proficiency in Spanish & English (preferred but not required)
- Has Wilderness First Responder & CPR certifications (required; can be obtained after hiring before work begins)
