At Caldera, we believe in the power of creativity. Caldera is a catalyst for the transformation of underserved youth through innovative, year round art and environmental programs. Our Youth Program provides Oregon students with long-term mentoring, beginning in sixth grade and continuing into young adulthood. Our mentors and artists nurture individual creativity to ignite self-expression and transform the way young people engage in their lives, families, and communities. Each summer, we host three eight- to ten-day camp sessions, serving over 150 youth from Portland and Central Oregon at our Arts Center in Central Oregon near Sisters. 

Position Title:  Environmental Education Assistant

Supervisor: Camp Manager 

Compensation:

• Salary/Rate of Pay: $81/day, with 1% increase for each year of experience working at Camp Caldera (not to exceed 7%)
• Training Salary/Rate of Pay: $50/day
• Room and board provided during days with programming; room only during non-programming days (non-programing days are July 14th, July 26th-27th, and August 7th-8th. A light dinner will be provided on staff arrival days. Brunch is served on the last day of each session).

Location: This is a seasonal position at our Arts Center–31500 Blue Lake Drive, Sisters, OR 97756 (transportation not provided)

Must be available on the following dates and times to start each session:

• Arrive between 11:00 am-12:00 pm July 10 for Staff Training July 10-13
• Arrive between 1:00-2:00 pm July 15* for the Immersion 1 session July 16-25
• Arrive between 4:00-5:00 pm July 28* for the Immersion 2 session July 29-Aug 6
• Arrive between 4:00-5:00 pm Aug 9* for the Discovery session Aug 10-17

*Indicates Half day compensation 

Choose one or more sessions; placement is dependent on availability & scheduling

(must be available for all dates in session(s) chosen)

• Immersion: July 16-25                    Working with 11th-12th graders
• Immersion 2: July 29 – August 6   Working with 9th-10th graders
• Discovery: August 10-17               Working with 7th-8th graders

Sample Daily Schedule:

8:00-8:30 Breakfast

8:40-9:20 Community Circle

9:30-12:25 Assist in Classes OR Break

12:25  Kitchen Prep

12:30-1:20 Lunch

1:20-1:50 Staff Meeting

1:50-3:10 Lead Free Time Activity or Class Prep

3:10-6:20 Assist in Classes OR Break

6:30-7:30 Dinner

7:45-8:45 Capture the Flag or Other Evening Activity

8:45-9:45 Campfire

10:30-11:30 Night Duty (once per session)

Environmental Education at Caldera:

The goal of Caldera’s Environmental Education program is to inspire curiosity about nature and help students build lasting connections to the environment. We hope to increase student knowledge of the natural history of Caldera’s land in Central Oregon and to develop a sense of place through an emphasis on direct sensory exploration of the diverse habitats immediately surrounding camp. Campers may learn about trout habitats while wading barefoot in the creek, make observational sketches of forest regrowth with charcoal from wildfire-charred trees, and taste wild mint during a field lesson in ethnobotany. Many of them are experiencing just being kids in the outdoors for the first time in their lives. Beyond lessons taught in the context of class, Caldera uses common daily practices to model environmental responsibility. Campers weigh the amount of food that is thrown away at the end of each meal and graph the reduction of waste over the course of their stay at camp. Fruit and vegetable matter are separated for compost to nourish our vegetable garden. It is our hope that when complemented by discussion, hands-on activities like these help students draw connections between environmental lessons learned at camp and the far-reaching ecological impact of small choices they make everyday at home.

Position overview: 

The Environmental Education Assistant supports the Environmental Educator to implement environmental curriculum and incorporate program goals into daily sessions, inspire curiosity about nature, and build connections to the environment. This position will help facilitate discussions about environmental justice with a population that has historically been marginalized in the environmental movement.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with Environmental Educator to ensure effective delivery of environmental instruction
• Help prep and organize materials, supplies, equipment, and classroom space
• Assist with evaluating Caldera’s youth and programs  
• Help organize and set up for final exhibition of student work
• Help document, archive, and organize student work
• Assist with setup and breakdown of classroom and teaching spaces
• Conduct daily composting/food waste procedures
• Alert supervisor to relevant camper issues 
• Other duties as assigned

General Responsibilities:

• Promote program understanding and involvement through Caldera’s goals and agreements, participation agreement, and responsibility process
• Actively participate in all aspects of camp life including: camper orientation, community meetings, evening activities, campfire, free time, etc.
• Model appropriate camper behavior at all times 
• Perform duties with consistency and integrity
• Set and respect personal boundaries while acting as mentors, guides, and allies to campers
• Oversee health and safety of charges in fire drills and emergency procedures
• Maintain cleanliness of living and common areas and help with clean-up at the end of each session

Qualifications:

• At least 2 years experience working with youth from underserved communities, and a background in environmental studies, through education or profession
• Knowledge of high desert and forest ecosystems or willingness to learn about them
• Ability to understand our racially diverse student population’s perspective, either through lived experience, previous qualifications, or work experience 
• Ability to navigate through potentially triggering and challenging conversations and situations while maintaining focus on the wellbeing of youth
• Familiarity with culturally responsive and anti-oppression frameworks and experience working with racially and ethnically diverse staff and youth
• Ability to set appropriate boundaries in a proactive and positive manner
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Willingness to work with a range of educators across different mediums
• Bilingual and/or bicultural skills highly preferred
• Wilderness First Responder certification preferred
• Must pass a background check. Caldera considers systemic injustices when investigating findings
• Willingness to live in a camp setting and work irregular and long hours. Additionally, you must have the ability to deal with limited cell service, internet connection and daily exposure to outdoor factors such as sun, heat, bugs, bats, snakes, etc.

Living Conditions

• Requires on-site living in shared, gendered staff quarters.
• Room and board provided during days with programming; room only during non-programming days
• A vegetarian option (that may include eggs and/or dairy) will be available for all meals. We do our best to accommodate other dietary restrictions; however, employees with special dietary needs should plan to bring food to supplement or replace provided meals. Please address specific needs with your supervisor.  
• Typical days are 12 hours in length, with sessions that make for up to 10 straight days of work without a full day off. 

Working Conditions 

• Must be physically able to move around 116 acres of camp property with varied terrain
• Must have visual, perceptual, and cognitive ability to recognize and respond quickly to health and safety concerns of students and appropriately re-direct any behavior that is misaligned with Caldera agreements
• Employee must carry out their duties regardless of inclement weather, which can include but is not limited to, heat, rain, wind, cold, and smoky or dusty conditions.
• Moments of quiet and non-activity are few and spread out
• Creating a cohesive staff environment round the clock can be challenging. It is crucial that staff see youth and adults through a strengths-based lens and prioritize creating the best possible youth experience at all times, despite what challenges may arise at the staff level
• Physical Demands (which can include bending, stooping, hiking, climbing and stretching) are: 5% Sitting, 45% Standing, 30% Walking, 20% Lifting/Carrying/Pushing/Pulling Pounds 5 -80 lbs.

Equity Statement

We recognize that Caldera communities face many societal inequities. We recognize the history and ongoing impacts of racism in our country, state, and institutions. We acknowledge that we will always have room to grow as an organization and as individuals in our understanding of racism and oppression.

We commit to continually examining our role in both perpetuating and combating institutional racism. We also commit to ongoing alignment of our policies and practices to advance racial equity, inclusion, and freedom of expression.

We commit to integrating equity and inclusion into all areas of our work to better serve our mission; when we do, we get closer to the world that we want for our youth. To ensure our own accountability, we will 1) seek deeper relationships with and feedback from our larger community; 2) use our Equity Plan to guide ongoing work; and 3) apply our Equity Lens to decision-making. We will also seek inspiration from artistic and cultural traditions.

Caldera is an equal opportunity employer encouraging applicants of all backgrounds and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We encourage people of color and Caldera community members to apply.