Instructor - Canoe and Backpack, Ely, MN

Description

Instructor - Canoe & Backpack

Field Staff · Ely, MN

Who are we?

At Voyageur Outward Bound School, we believe in the potential of every individual. We believe when people discover strength of character, an aptitude for leadership and a desire to serve, it has a positive impact on their lives and the lives of those around them. When you join us, you are joining a growth minded community that actively engages in creating a more inclusive organizational culture. To foster a more welcoming outdoor community for all, we are working to address barriers related to race, culture, socioeconomics, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation and mental health. See our Equity Statement here.

Voyageur Outward Bound School is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks staff as diverse as the communities it serves. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Outward Bound has a zero-tolerance policy for incidents of child abuse and neglect. Protecting our minor students against abuse and neglect is of the highest priority.

We know that women and people of color may be less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications listed. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. We would encourage any interested applicant to apply, even if you don’t meet every one of our qualifications listed.

Why work for the Voyageur Outward Bound School Ely Base?

Spend your summer on the edge of the Boundary Waters—America’s premier canoeing wilderness area and one of the few places like it in the world. As a member of our team, you’ll help deliver wilderness courses that challenge and inspire students to:

• •Work and communicate effectively with their peers
• •Build resilience through shared challenges and successes
• •Develop self-awareness, honing their strengths and leadership roles
• •Reflect and apply learning from their course to life back home
• •Have fun while creating lifelong connections

This is more than a job; it’s a chance to grow personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of young people. If you’re passionate about the outdoors, eager to create unforgettable experiences, and ready to be part of something bigger, we’d love to have you on our team.

POSITION SUMMARY

This is a seasonal position (arriving in May and continuing through August) working primarily in the field. Candidates are required to attend a pre-employment training before the season begins that includes wilderness travel training, technical skills training, OB curriculum and educational philosophy.

On-the- job training continues when the Instructor (I) begins working in the field under the supervision of a Course Director and Lead Instructor (LI). Working as part of an instructional team, Instructors are expected to observe, learn, and practice the art of facilitating educationally effective programs and teaching students the skills necessary to thrive on a wilderness expedition. They are also expected to learn and follow VOBS safety policies and procedures meant to mitigate the risks inherent to remote travel.

VOBS serves a wide range of student populations. The majority of our students are youth and young adults between the ages of 14 and 25. We have "Classic" courses, our standard expedition format, ranging in length from 8 days to 22 days. Additionally, we have courses with specially designed curriculum such as our Pathfinder and Intercept programs. VOBS also works with intact groups, creating the opportunity to work a variety of programs throughout the summer.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Delivery & Implementation

• •Collaborate with VOBS staff to design and implement a nature based, experiential expedition that serves students and is in line with Outward Bound mission and educational philosophy.
• •Ability to role model the values Outward Bound seeks to teach to students, including character, leadership and service.
• •Participate in course planning and logistics including: development of educational and technical curricula, route planning, and food and equipment planning and pack-out.

Community Development

• •Committed to actively participating in building a community where all students and staff feel a sense of belonging.
• •Provides clear, effective and timely communication with co-instructor, Course Director and other staff.
• •Able to give and receive timely, effective oral and written feedback.
• •Contributes to living in a small community in a wilderness base camp. Participating in the daily upkeep and maintenance of public space.

Student Supervision & Safety

• •Assist in managing student behaviors, group dynamics, and facilitating group processes
• •Cooperate in identifying, assessing and managing environmental, physical, social and emotional risk during all course activities.
• •Adhere to local operating procedures, safety policies and emergency procedures as outlined in the field staff manual.
• •Collaborate in managing student emotional and physical safety in times of duress, such as field emergencies.
• •Participate as needed to support the basecamp’s on-call field response system. This could include paddling or hiking to evacuate an injured student from the wilderness, answering the emergency field line, and preparing food and gear for evacuation teams.

Other Duties as Assigned

Requirements

KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES

• •Collaboration - Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds to effectively meet shared objectives, while encouraging the open expression of a diversity of ideas and opinions.
• •Communication - Ability to clearly convey ideas, facts and information in a variety of settings using different mediums, while encouraging the open expression of a diversity of ideas and opinions.
• •Conflict Management - Ability to manage and resolve conflict productively and with minimal negative impact by integrating a diversity of viewpoints, addressing harm, and fostering understanding and empathy.
• •Continual Learning -The ability to assess and recognize one's own strengths and pursue opportunities for continuous improvement through formal and informal channels including feedback, training, and goal setting. An interest in and commitment to knowing oneself and others.
• •Cultural Competence -The ability to recognize and appreciate patterns of cultural differences and commonalities and to shift cultural perspective and change behavior in culturally appropriate and authentic ways.
• •Decision Making - The ability to make sound and timely decisions that accomplish goals, even in the face of uncertainty or high-pressure situations.
• •Instills Trust - The ability to gain the confidence and trust of people from varying backgrounds and lived experiences through honesty, integrity, authenticity, and consistency between words and actions.

SKILLS

• •Risk Management - Ability to lead self and others in anticipating, mitigating, and engaging in healthy risks to meet goals.
• •Demonstrated ability to assess students’ ability and backcountry hazards and use that information to mitigate the risk of participating in expeditions-style travel in a natural environment.

• •Self Management - The ability to set well-defined and realistic personal goals, take on and complete tasks in a timely manner, and complete work with an appropriate level of supervision.
• •Situational Adaptability - The ability to modify approach and demeanor in real time to align with the shifting demands of different situations. The ability to "read the room" and adjust accordingly.
• •Teaching Others - The ability to help others learn through formal and informal methods, identify training needs, provide constructive feedback, and coach others on how to successfully perform tasks.
• •Outdoor Technical Skills - Demon