Outdoor Education Instructor / Summer Camp Counsellor

Outdoor Education Instructor

Do you want a fun and rewarding outdoor job working with kids in Greater Victoria BC this summer? Get outside with WEA and teach kids valuable life skills on our Day & Overnight outdoor adventure camp programs. Every day is different and exciting with activities like canoeing, fire-building, survival skills, archery, swimming, nature exploration, forest ecology, hiking, extended day hiking, wilderness navigation, fishing, canoeing & more. If this sounds like your dream job, we’d like to hear from you!

Western Educational Adventures (WEA) runs outdoor adventure camps for kids on Vancouver Island, primarily in the Greater Victoria area. Our goal is to teach children valuable life skills and give them an appreciation of nature through exciting outdoor adventures. WEA is looking for Outdoor Education Instructors/Camp Counsellors to help facilitate our adventure day camp programs as well as our Overnight & Journey camp program. Program dates include on-call, spring break and summer camp. We ask you to take a moment to thoroughly review this job description and our website before applying.

Renumeration

$141-$216/day depending on certification and experience.

Program Dates

WEA is looking for outdoor staff to work one or more of the following programs:

• Spring Break – Last 2 weeks of March
• Summer Camps – June to September
• Year-Round On-Call – various day & multi-day programs, pro-d days, school groups, etc.

Hours

Approximate hours are listed below for most of our main summer programs. Other duties and hours may be required, this is only a guide to give you an idea of what you may be doing. Please contact us if you have any questions or need clarification.

Classic & Adventure X Day Camps

• Monday-Thursdays Meet at 07:30 near Quadra/Mackenzie
• Arrive back near Quadra Mackenzie at 16:40-17:00
• Fridays Meet at 07:30 near Quadra/Mackenzie
• Arrive back near Quadra Mackenzie at 18:15-19:00

Breaks are available throughout the day

Wild Paws Day Camps

Staff start at 07:45 and finish at 17:00, Monday to Friday at one of the following locations:

• Elk/Beaver Lake Park
• Thetis Lake Park
• Sooke Area

Considerations:

• The exact location will vary each week depending on which program staff are assigned to.
• Breaks are available throughout the day.
• Staff may be asked to work one of our other camps from time to time. They would be required to work as per the hours of the other applicable positions.

Overnight Camps & Hike Journeys

6-day overnight camps and journey programs run Sunday at 09:00 to Friday at 17:00

Expectations

WEA staff are expected to:

• Be skilled and passionate about working with children, being outside and teaching others.
• Display WEA’s values and beliefs while operating within scope of training and WEA’s standards and policies.
• Demonstrate solid risk management ability and be able to problem solve.
• Maintain a high standard of professionalism, including time management and communication.
• Demonstrate respect and value for the natural environment through ideologies like nature identification, no-trace camping, etc.

Responsibilities

This contract requires you to be able to perform various functions and duties, some of which are listed below:

• Facilitate various outdoor activities such as forest games, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, archery, hiking, wilderness navigation, orienteering, geocaching, fishing, etc.
• Facilitate unstructured exploration time in the wilderness
• Provide first aid as necessary
• Supervise participants on partial day, full day and multi-day programs in wilderness and institutional settings as well as during transit
• Clean and prep facilities, program supplies, vehicles, etc.
• Attend required training sessions
• Provide constructive feedback for supervisors, other staff, and programs
• Complete other tasks as directed by a supervisor or manager

Minimum qualifications:

• Standard First Aid & CPR-C certification
• At least 2 months experience working with children
• Clear criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening

Desired qualifications:

• 40 hr Wilderness First Aid certification
• Class 4 Unrestricted drivers license
• At least 3 years experience working with children in the outdoor industry
• Clear criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening
• Food Safe Level 1
• National Lifeguard certification
• Class 2 drivers license
• At least 1 year of supervision within the outdoor industry
• 80 hr. Wilderness First Aid
• Canoe or kayak certifications
• PMBIA Level 1 MTB Insturctor certification

Application Instructions

For your application to be considered, please send us the following:

• Online Application form (found here: https://westernadventures.ca/western-educational-adventures-careers.htm)
• Resume
• *Copies of all relevant certifications and documents required above
• A minimum of 3 references (2-3 employer and max 1 personal reference that is not related to you).

*Please note that we will still consider your application if you do not currently hold the required minimum qualifications if you are willing to obtain these prior to commencing work with WEA. In your application we ask that you provide us with a timeline for when you will have these certifications.

To apply, click the “Apply” button and complete the instructions outlined on our application software. The application button can be found here: https://westernadventures.ca/western-educational-adventures-careers.htm

Let us know if you have any further questions and thank you for your interest in working for WEA!

Job Types: Full-time, Casual, Seasonal
Contract length: 3 months

Salary: $141.00-$216.00 per day

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• On call

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

Work Location: In person

Expected start date: 2023-06-01