Day Camp Lead Wilderness Instructor

Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County•Ithaca, NY

13d•$19 - $20•Onsite

About The Position

The mission of Primitive Pursuits is to steward the health of our community by fostering life-long relationships with the natural world through exceptional mentoring and nature education. A Lead Wilderness Instructor facilitates the core aim of Primitive Pursuits; bringing groups of youth into natural areas, away from facilities and without modern gear, and engaging them in a fun way that sparks a deep, meaningful connection to the natural world, themselves, and each other. Lead Wilderness instructors set the tone for their instructor groups each week and ensure everyone on the team is actively contributing and leading activities as appropriate. The key role of a Lead Wilderness Instructor is to design and implement the flow of the week centered on instructing and assisting youth on outdoor and naturalist skills, including but not limited to: primitive technology, fire making, shelter construction, and procurement of food and water. Lead Wilderness Instructors act as mentors who share their naturalist skills and knowledge, promote stewardship, and build healthful relationships in the outdoor environment. Lead Wilderness Instructors may work with Growing Wild (3-5 yr olds) or Day Camp (5-16 yr olds).

Requirements

18 years of age or older
Must pass all required screenings for working at a NYS Summer Camp
Must have RTE First Aid OR WFR Certification, and CPR for Professional Rescuer or higher OR be able to attain it before the start of camp
Attend and assist in staff training June 22-26, 2026
Commit to working at least 5 weeks of the camp season June 29-September 4, 2026, in addition to staff training week
Driver’s license and/or ability to arrange transportation to various camp locations on time
Minimum 2 years’ experience as a naturalist/wilderness instructor OR camp counselor working with youth ages 6-16 in an undeveloped setting
Minimum 1 year experience in mentoring OR coaching staff members in problem solving, organization, and day-to-day coordination
Experience in planning daily and weekly wilderness survival/naturalist activities, projects, and games for youth ages 5-16
Experience instructing youth on primitive technologies and wilderness survival/naturalist skills
Able to work in a changing outdoor environment in all weather and tackle new problems each day
Ability to learn and convey skill sets efficiently
Demonstrate a high level of comfort and curiosity in the natural world
Developing skills in specialized areas pertaining to wilderness living, primitive or naturalist skills OR seeking to learn specialized skills pertaining to wilderness living and primitive or naturalist skills
Ability to inspire and relate positively with youth and teens
Previous experience with primitive technologies and wilderness survival or naturalist/outdoor skills
Uphold the 4 Values of camp: Belonging, Gratitude, Awareness, Getting Outside, in all interactions with campers, staff, families and parents and within programs, and activities
Other Duties as Assigned

Nice To Haves

Ability to thrive in rigorous outdoor physical education activities
Passionate about learning new material and practicing skills outside of work
Past experiences working with people of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds
Experience with Coyote mentoring

Responsibilities

Arrive to work on time and ready for the day ahead
Create and model an emotional, social, and physically safe environment in which campers and staff can thrive
Develop and implement dynamic, engaging, and thoughtful environmental immersion weekly program experiences in the context of wilderness survival, living skills, outdoor/naturalist skills and knowledge
Set a positive tone and facilitate planning sessions and provide support for co-instructors
Actively give, receive, and implement feedback with your instructor and summer leadership teams
Plan and lead daily and weekly activities and skills alongside your instructor team
Role-model passion, enthusiasm, and comfort around engaging with the elements of nature
Role-model appropriate footwear, clothing, and outdoor gear for the summer camp experience
Facilitate group energy and responding swiftly to group needs to effectively manage and engage each participant in a positive experience
Actively contribute to efforts of summer leadership team in planning, preparing, delivering, and evaluating each week and each day of programming
Represent the high caliber of the organization when speaking to parents, staff, and campers
Ability to speak to family members regarding camper behavior, conflicts, or situations
Deliver high-adventure experiences while keeping an unfailing eye on the safety of each activity and each participant and co-worker in accordance with risk management protocols
Work with ages between 3-16, day camp and potentially overnights too (one night)
Work at least one week of the Extended Day Program, if needed
Other duties as assigned