Agency: El Ranchito Summer Camp
Location: Austin, TX
Job Description: Camp Description
El Ranchitos mission is to connect children with the natural world by providing an extraordinarily fun nature-immersion camping experience. Campers intimately experience the land, its plants and animals, its creeks, and the starry night sky. A primitive tent camp, where staff and campers sleep, makes experiencing the natural world fun and safe for the campers. The camp site is located on the Shield Ranch, just 20 miles southwest of Austin. El Ranchito is a project of the Shield Ranch Foundation in collaboration with El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission and Westcave Preserve.
Position Description
The camp director will direct and evaluate a residential nature immersion summer camp for underserved children entering 4th through 9th grades. The camp director will provide essential leadership to encourage conservation values on the part of staff and campers and will cultivate effective working relationships with and among staff, volunteers and camp participants. Responsibilities include:
Recruit, interview, and hire assistant camp director, counselors, and cook in consultation with supervisor.
Assist in development and review of camp programming and curriculum.
Assist in planning camp layout and setting up/taking down camp facilities at the Shield Ranch.
Fully review camp staff manual and curriculum manual no later than April 20 to be posted on El Ranchito website by May 1, 2010.
Develop basic staff training schedule and facilitate staff training.
Fully participate in 8 hours of Directors Training (one day).
Coordinate directorship in areas of overlap with Conservation Corps Camp Director.
Direct all activities during the camp program including curriculum delivery, food service, transportation, safety awareness, emergency response, camper health, and staff supervision.
Serve as a healthy role model, teacher, and guide providing insight, direction, nurture and support for campers.
Coordinate full evaluation of camp and prepare evaluation reports and recommendations for future camp sessions. Evaluations will include: individual staff performance reviews, camper and parent evaluations of camp, camper interview during camp, weekly staff evaluations of camp (individual and group), invited presenters evaluations, and Directors report per provided outline.
Approximately 6 weeks full time: May 29-July 8, 2010, including staff training and evaluation. (Additional salary hours needed to recruit/hire staff, recruit campers, review manuals, and prepare training schedule.) Must be in residence June 5-July 2 with scheduled time off.
Qualifications: Qualification Requirements
Experience in working with children in outdoor and organized residential camp settings
Demonstrated competence in youth camp administration and teaching or counseling
College degree with a concentration in education, natural resource protection, natural science or recreation
Spanish fluency strongly preferred
Experience with and knowledge of natural settings and wilderness activities
Willing to accept supervision, work independently, lead a team, and perform as part of a team
Willing to live in a tent camp setting without running water, air conditioning and use of electronics
Competent use of information technology
CPR and First Aid Certification (as part of training)
Completion of a sexual misconduct prevention course (as part of training)
Background check required. Any candidate with a felony conviction will be automatically disqualified.
No tobacco, drugs, alcohol or weapons are permitted at El Ranchito.
Salary: $6000 plus hourly wage for additional prepartion w
Last Date to apply: January 8, 2010
Website: www.elranchito.org
Contact: Connie Randolph
E-mail: employment@elranchito.org(Preferred)