Field Instructor
Apply NowGet a seasonal job at High Trails Outdoor Education Center, a coed nature instruction program for local schools located in Florissant, Colorado, on our 6,000+ acre ranch. Teach, guide, and work with students in a respectful community.
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Field Instructor Job Qualifications
We are always interested in connecting with potential Field Instructors aspiring for jobs in education — especially outdoor educators! Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the year due to the seasonality of this position.
What Are We Looking For?
- Passion for the natural world and the outdoors
- Ability to communicate with students, adults, and other staff members
- Flexibility and adaptability to a variety of schedules and tasks
- Desire to learn and teach new things
- Commitment to being a contributing member of the educational community
- A degree from an accredited university preferred
- Strong work ethic required
- Ability to work long rewarding hours
Job Benefits
- $75-$85 per day, depending on experience
- Housing is provided, with included utilities, WiFi, and laundry
- Eligibility for professional deals on outdoor gear
- 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked
- All employees are eligible to contribute to a self-funded 403(b) Colorado-approved retirement account
Job Responsibilities
The Field Instructor position at High Trails Outdoor Education Center is a demanding and rewarding seasonal work experience that includes responsibilities in three main areas: The Discovery Group, Cabin Life, and Morning & Evening Programs.
This job description is not intended to include all tasks that might need to be performed, but to give the overview of the primary and most common responsibilities.
The Discovery Group
In each 2.5-6.5-hour outdoor Discovery Group session, High Trails instructors will plan and implement educational lessons as they lead a group of approximately 20 students on an activity-based learning experience, focusing on the natural environment and the history and science of various groups of people who lived before us. These sessions are chosen by each school based on particular curricular goals, and one teacher and four high school counselors accompany and assist the instructor during each lesson. Role-playing, group initiatives, experiential learning, and scientific experimentation form the framework of our program. Attention to preparation, flexibility, and excitement for learning are all qualities that are necessary to lead and teach students in the outdoor classroom.
Cabin Life
Each instructor is assigned to lead and facilitate cabin life for students during their stay at High Trails. Cabins are comprised of two cabins-sides, each with 8-10 students and 2 high school counselors, and are gender-specific. One or two teachers also live in a separate room in the cabin, and are involved with the cabin group throughout the day. High Trails instructors lead their cabin groups on morning hikes prior to breakfast, and spend time with the students in the cabin in the evenings to close out the day. While in the cabin, instructors will build community within the group and stay available to help with whatever issues arise.
Morning & Evening Programs
During the week, instructors will lead an Evening Program after dinner each night. At the Interbarn, instructors, with the help of high school counselors, teach students about a variety of topics utilizing our hands-on interpretive learning stations. The Folk Dance, filled with fun, costumes, and story-dances, is a chance for students to enjoy themselves at the end of the day. Dances are taught and led by the High Trails Staff, and provide a chance to showcase creativity and hilarity.
Outdoor Education & Your Career
High Trails Outdoor Education staff members walk away from their season with valuable teaching experience. From group management, to lesson planning, to differentiation, to responsive discipline, our staff members practice and hone many traditional classroom teacher skills. HTOEC staff members are also more apt to be flexible, mentally agile and ready to modify lesson plans based on weather, student engagement and pace of the group. Instructors have the autonomy to make independent decisions in the field, while also having the support and guidance of experienced educators. It is a fantastic job for anyone who wants to teach or who is planning to work with other human beings in the future.
“My journey at the High Trails Outdoor Education Center has left an indelible mark on my path. It has reinforced my belief in the profound impact that nature can have on personal growth and well-being. The patience and empathy required to guide sixth graders through their own discoveries have honed my leadership skills and deepened my ability to connect with others.”
Internships
We are happy to work directly with you and your university/college to help fulfill your internship requirements. Many universities want students to have internship opportunities that help develop critical thinking and problem solving skills; leadership, collaborative and interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; and the chance to cultivate creativity and flexibility in the workplace. These are all workplace skills and professional tools one can gain through a season at HTOEC.
Please email our or call us at +1 719-748-3341 to discuss your internship requirements.
Email the StaffFAQs
We provide an 8-10 day staff training. During this time we develop the staff community, explore the property, and learn teaching techniques and strategies.
Yes. We will send a suggested packing list, but you will primarily need outdoor professional gear that you are will comfortable teaching in various weather conditions in the outdoors.
Yes! It doesn’t get much better than leading students on early morning sunrise hikes, helping them make their first s’more, watching a sense of wonder be sparked, being surrounded by others who are just as passionate about sharing experiences in the outdoors, and making an impact that will last a lifetime on children and high school students.
Some benefits beyond the paycheck include:
- Being part of a purpose/mission driven 501(c)(3) Not-for-profit Organization
- Support and professional development through coaching and mentoring
- Many skills used and practiced are foundational skills many employers look for in internship or field experiences
- Resumé assistance, career coaching, and letters of recommendation
- Ongoing personal and professional growth and development
- Certifications for your current or future job
- Opportunities for leadership positions and organizational growth
- Focused attention on developing a community of wellness, including mental health supports and Employee Assistance Programs
The skills that you list on your resumé after teaching for a season will stand out to any employer and we are happy to help you articulate them. We also write incredible letters of recommendation!
Every day looks a little different, depending on the type of program a school has chosen, but here is a sample:
7:00 Early morning hike with students
8:30 Breakfast at the Lodge
9:30 - 12:00 Teach a thematic discovery group (outdoor class) such as homesteaders or prospectors
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Help sweep the Lodge and wipe tables
1:30 - 2:00 Prep for the next group
2:00 - 5:30 Afternoon Discovery Group
6:00 Dinner
6:45 Help sweep the lodge and wipe tables
7:15 - 8:30 Evening Program (e.g., Night Hike/Interbarn/Cookout)
8:30 - 9:15 Cabin time with students (s’mores and stories)
9:15 Staff meeting
The town of Florissant is located 10 minutes from our facilities. The closest town of size is Woodland Park, which is a 30-minute drive east on Highway 24. Several grocery stores, restaurants, health food stores, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and a movie theater are located there.
Many of our field instructors drive to High Trails or are dropped off by friends or family. We are happy to pick you up from the airport or bus station, however.
Outdoor Ed staff are housed in several different cabins with other staff. You will have a private room but shared housing. Instructors do not live with the students, though there are times that you may be asked to spend the night in cabin to help support supervision with a teacher from a school to meet required ratios.
Yes! Eating well is very important for everyone at HTOEC. Meals are served three times a day, and snacks are always available in the Lodge. Staff members also have additional access to the kitchen for storing some personal food and for late night snacking. There are no cooks scheduled on the weekends, but staff will still have access to the kitchen to make their own meals. Outdoor Ed staff often take turns cooking dinner for each other on Sunday nights as a fun community activity.
Yes. Field instructors are paid a daily rate on a monthly basis.
Yes! The typical work week is Monday to Friday afternoon with occasional required weekend work. However, you will have most weekends off from Friday around 4:00 to Sunday Night Dinner.
The staff have time-off together and often take advantage of all that Colorado has to offer, including a weekend of camping to climb a 14er, a trip to the hot springs, rock climbing, relaxing around camp, going to a concert at Red Rocks, or a Rockies baseball game.
Telephone: There is a staff phone that may be used at specific times, for short periods of time.
Cell phone: There is cell phone service at HTOEC, but you may not use your phone in public areas of HTOEC while students are onsite and you are working.
**Computer: There is a staff computer located in the High Trails office and we have wireless internet. We ask that you use your computer at specifically designated times and locations only — and never in front of students.
Our spring season runs from mid-March to mid-May, and the fall season runs from the end of August to the beginning of November. The dates vary slightly each year. We expect full commitments to the season.
No. Seasonal staff are not allowed to bring their pets on property.