Individual Placement - SCA Educator at Central Region Parks

Student Conservation Association•Town of De Witt, NY

10d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is part of the education and Friends of Recreation, Conservation, and Environmental Stewardship (FORCES) teams that provide public programs, school field trips, summer programs, internships, and stewardship projects. While additionally collaborating with Ladders to the Outdoors, these programs are designed to help get people, especially youth, from urban and rural communities into our parks for recreational and educational programming. These programs work closely with school districts, corporate partners, and local youth organizations to offer outdoor programming and recreational activities to connect youth with State Parks, outdoor recreation and nature, and foster a lifelong love of the outdoors. The Student Conservation Association New York State Parks Corps program is a seven-month residential program focusing on trail construction, environmental education, cultural interpretation, volunteer coordination, event planning, administrative assistance, invasive species removal, and more! The program is a partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The New York State Parks Corps program aims to give those early in their career first-hand experience while also providing valuable service to New York State. Members live with one to five other members in a state park or DEC property and are supervised day-to-day by OPRHP or DEC staff. The SCA New York State Parks Corps is an AmeriCorps program. This AmeriCorps role directly supports our Agency’s mission by offering the safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities, as well as taking an active stewardship role towards our natural, historic, and cultural resources. This program/position (1) connects people from all communities and backgrounds to state parks and historic sites through high-quality, inclusive, and engaging recreational and educational programs and workforce development initiatives and (2) reaches new and underserved visitors, while breaking down barriers to access and creating life-long connections to the outdoors including nurturing the next generation of park stewards, volunteers, and employees. This position focuses heavily on education for young people, especially urban and rural youth. A main message for all our programs is stewardship of our natural, historic, and cultural resources.

Requirements

Must be 21 years old
A valid NYS Driver’s license and personal vehicle
Highly motivated, dependable, hard-working, and a team player.
Strong communication and public speaking skills
Able to work in a variety of weather conditions.
Must be in good physical condition for fieldwork.
Basic social media skills (e.g., Facebook and Instagram) and graphic design for social media posts and flyers.
Outdoor skills: hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, wildlife viewing, birding, etc.
Basic computer skills.
Must enjoy working with people from all backgrounds, especially youth.
Writing: good general writing skills. Will contribute to newsletters and lesson plans.
Degree or experience related to conservation, recreation, environmental studies/education, ecology, or relevant discipline.
Natural history: a wide variety acceptable.
Experience working with youth and enthusiasm for teaching and community outreach.

Nice To Haves

Environmental education or interpretation background, principles, and history a plus.
Bachelor’s degree in education, environmental studies, or science preferred; relevant experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

Assist with and lead education programs, with a geographic focus at Bowman Lake State Park and other southern parks in the Central Region.
Contribute to lesson plans, newsletters, projects, and exhibits.
Assist with educational programs (e.g., Project OXBOW with Oxford Academy Schools) for summer camps/groups that visit the park, including guided hikes, lake exploration, plant ID and wildlife viewing.
Assist with outdoor recreation programs, including baseball, frisbee golf, volleyball and running sports.
Assist staff with stewardship projects, including invasive species management, wildlife surveys, deer herbivory studies, creating pollinator habitats and monitoring eastern bluebird nest boxes.
Coordinate and deliver aquatic resource education instruction that includes teaching youth about recreational fishing, lake ecology, fish & aquatic insect identification, and water quality assessment.
Coordinate and/or participate in community engagement, outreach, and in-school programming, including Career Fairs and middle/high school mentoring.
Assist with and develop promotional and marketing materials, including social media, brochures, videos and photo galleries.
Support the growth of the FORCES and Ladders to the Outdoors programs: work with and be a role model for youth from underserved communities.