Located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, Berkshire Outdoor Center operates a year-round outdoor education program. Our operation serves around 12,000 youth and adults from around New England and beyond, the majority being from Boston and New York City areas. Typical groups include schools, youth groups, community organizations, corporate groups and other retreats and conferences. We also run Family Camps and Women's Wellness Weekends.

Typically, staff work as teambuilding leaders, low ropes facilitators, belayers on our high ropes and Alpine Tower, naturalists/ecology instructors and a host of other duties, such as dishes, sweeping and mopping and cleaning.  Our instructors also manage some adventure recreation activities, such as canoeing, kayaking and archery.

Additionally, PIs are responsible for leading large group activities, evening programs and supervised check-in, check-out, arrival and departure procedures. Additionally, PIs perform routine cleaning and dish duties. Occasionally, PIs are responsible for overnight supervision of guests and/or as hosts of groups, but are paid for this assignment.

• Lead activities in the areas of outdoor education & leadership development, teambuilding, recreation & adventure.
• Lead large group activities, evening programs.
• Work conference & retreat groups.
• Work with youth and adults.

Further Responsibilities

• Work effectively with children and adults in a variety of settings & programs & seasons, including:
  
  • Teambuilding & Low Ropes, High Ropes, Climbing Tower, Alpine Tower
  • Science & Nature/Ecology & Environmental Education & Hiking
  • Waterfront & Boating
• Winter Sports - Cross-country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Skating
• Manage activities with the highest standards of safety
• Function as an effective team member; be flexible with schedule changes and customer needs
• Serve as a senior mentor (and role model) to new Program Instructors
• Serve as a host/liaison to a group, which may include serving as the on-call personnel on a rotating or stand alone basis
• Participate in routine cleaning of buildings and dishwashing duties
• Assist in training other staff in areas of expertise
• Keep inventories of BCCYMCA stock and equipment
• Participate in trainings, meetings and other professional development opportunities
• Be alert to new program opportunities & be responsive to evaluations, participate in curriculum review & development

• Be highly motivated to work in a variety of roles, particularly in the outdoors
  
• Be able to teach outdoor education skills to a diverse age range in a variety of environments
  
• Have the desire to work with children, youth, teens and adults of all backgrounds
  
• Be prepared to work in a wide variety of areas - including Outdoor Education, Environmental Education, Adventure & Recreation, Group & Conference Retreats
  
• Be flexible with scheduling and fulfilling additional duties

Additional Advantages*:

• Experience working with children in an outdoor education setting
• Teambuilding & low ropes experience
• High ropes/climbing tower belay experience
• Science & ecology teaching experience
• Environmental education teaching experience - including leading forest hikes
• Waterfront, boating, canoeing, kayaking instructional experience
• Lifeguarding, CPR, First Aid
• Winter sports experience - Cross-Country Skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating

*Additional Advantages can be trained by us (and we pay you for the training) if the candidate does not possess each of them, providing they are highly motivated and physically capable.