Description

TITLE: Seasonal Camp Director 

LOCATION: Weir River Farm 

PAYRATE 2024: $22/hour

Minimum Age: 21 years 

Start Date: May 15, 2024 

Who We Are: 

Weir River Farm Camp is for the animal and nature lover! Surrounded by acres of woodland habitat, the farm is home to cattle, sheep, goats and more! Campers are outdoors all week, including the barnyard interacting with and handling our animals. They learn how to care for the goats, sheep, and others. There’s much to do beyond the barnyard, too! Campers learn gardening skills by weeding and harvesting in the Children’s Garden. They explore the surrounding wooded habitats, seeking adventure. We also play games in the Field of Fun and do crafts and projects in the Barn classroom. Each day’s activities are designed to instill the importance of nature and agriculture in our daily lives. Supported by an extraordinary team of talented and compassionate Camp Educators, every day at Weir River Farm Camp is infused with a special sense of wonder, new friendships, and a whole lot of fun! 

Weir River Farm Camp is for ages 5–11 and runs Mondays–Fridays, 9AM–3PM, June 24–August 16. 

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

Who You Are: 

You are passionate about working with both children and young educators, connecting them to the natural world! You thrive outdoors, are happy around farm animals, and care deeply for the environment. You love supervising staff in a positive and encouraging manner, while multitasking many needs at once. You are comfortable supporting children who are experiencing a variety of challenges. You are highly organized and an excellent communicator. You are dynamic, bringing new ideas with enthusiasm, and flexible with a continuously shifting work environment. You are calm under pressure and can handle emergencies. You work extremely well independently while being a supportive leader to an incredible team! 

The Camp Director (CD) is essential for the success of this fun and engaging camp experience. The CD is responsible for directing and overseeing the daily activities of camp, encouraging staff, supporting campers’ needs, engaging in parent communications, and fostering a safe and fun camp environment. The CD leads the camp staff training, responds positively and productively to parent and staff feedback, and handles all camper behavioral challenges and medical needs. The CD takes the lead in building a strong camp community, empowering Camp Educators to contribute collaboratively to the daily schedule of their campers, while overseeing the development, scheduling, and implementation of camp activities. The CD is responsible for the inventory of supplies and the maintenance of the camp classroom. This is a seasonal role reporting to the South Shore Education Manager and requiring part-time commitment in the spring and full-time commitment during the summer.

A Day in the Life: 

The CD will provide daily support to Camp Educators by active listening and encouragement, often adapting to changing circumstances. This person supervises the camp staff, checking in regularly by providing guidance and troubleshooting challenges. The CD addresses and manages camper behavioral issues. The CD is the Health Care Supervisor responding to camper injuries and dispensing camper medications as necessary. This person communicates with parents regarding any camper concerns. The CD may be required to fill in for a Camp Educator directly supervising a group of campers (ages 5-11) and implementing camp programming.

Essential Functions: 

• Plan and facilitate training weeks for Camp Educators, including leading medical and behavioral camper scenarios 
• Supervise and support Camp Educators, fostering their growth and professional development 
• Ensure adherence to weekly and daily schedules
• Provide support and feedback that empower Camp Educators to collaboratively create and implement an intentional and fun camp experience
• Schedule and oversee breaks and observe camp staff in action for evaluation 
• Lead weekly camp staff meetings, including team building and morale-boosting fun 
• Regularly communicate with parents, regarding camper experience, at times having difficult conversations requiring sensitivity and empathy 
• Support campers with behavioral challenges, manage incidents, and maintain log 
• Support camper health and safety issues, and maintain log 
• Oversee daily drop-off and pick-up of campers 
• Take photos and send weekly wrap-up email to parents 
• Monitor supply inventory for restocking needs 
• Weekly check-ins with South Shore Education Manager 

Qualifications

What We Need From You:

Qualifications: 

• Full availability for camp staff training week and all weeks of camp (June 10–August 16) 
• Part-time availability in late May and early June for camp preparation and training 
• Completed or working towards a Bachelor's degree in education, science, psychology or other relevant course of study (degree or experience in education or child development preferred)
• A minimum of 1-3 years working in a camp, as a child therapist, a classroom teacher, environmental/informal educator, and/or childcare provider with children ages 5-10 
• Experience leading a team of individuals and fostering a supportive environment for growth and communication
• Experience leading and designing environmental education programs
• Highly organized with excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Strong ability to work independently, as well as effectively work as part of a group 
• Ability to take initiative and accomplish necessary tasks in a timely manner, and respond to sudden obstacles using sound judgement
• Must be outgoing and bring unbridled joy and enthusiasm to work
• Demonstrate inclusion of all, and an open-mindedness to learn through new experiences
• A special interest in place-based education, especially in a farm environment

Additional Requirements: 

• Minimum age 21 years old 
• Valid driver’s license and ability to successfully complete Trustees driver clearance
• Reliable transportation to and from work 
• A satisfactory criminal background check (CORI and SORI)
• Willingness and ability to work outside in variable weather conditions with children 
• Ability to lift 40 pounds
• The following certifications are required and may be obtained after hire:
  • American Camp Association Camp Director course, or equivalent 
  • American Red Cross CPR Certificate, or equivalent
  • American Red Cross Standard First Aid Certificate, or equivalent

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.