The Lorado Taft Field Campus is Northern Illinois University’s outdoor education and conference center and is located in Oregon, Illinois.  Taft Campus’ outdoor education program is generally multidisciplinary, place-based, and experiential, and planned in close partnership with the visiting schools with the goal of providing excellent programming and customer service to the visiting students and staff.

Position requires successful hire to live in provided campus housing.

For additional information about Lorado Taft Field Campus, please visit https://www.niu.edu/taft/.

Position Description Summary:  The Outdoor Education Instructor is responsible for the instruction of resident outdoor education experiences for elementary and middle school students.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and teach classes, primarily in the outdoor environment, to students in the 4th to 8th grades.
• Develop curricula and resources for the program.
• Assist in the maintenance and upkeep of campus teaching, habitat, and resource storage areas.
• Participate in staff training prior to teaching and throughout the school year.
• Assist in the coordination of the residential outdoor education program.
• Provide guest services and assist in security and emergency procedures.
• Complete projects assigned by the faculty supervisors.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in education, science, natural resources, recreation, history, or related field.
• Two months experience teaching or facilitating learning experiences for youth. This may include classroom teaching, summer camp, natural history or environmental education, facilitating outdoor recreation experiences and other non-formal teaching experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as an educator, program staff, naturalist or related position at a residential outdoor education center, nature center, or similar facility preferred.
• Previous experience in preparing lesson plans, outlines, or guides in preparation to teach or facilitate activities.
• Previous experience leading or facilitating groups in team building activities.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for the outdoors and outdoor education, even when conditions are challenging.
• Demonstrated professionalism as related to the field.
• Demonstrated initiative to go above and beyond minimum assigned duties.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to work effectively with co-workers and supervisors to achieve the goals of the program.
• Ability to convey information about environmental topics without bias and with the goal of encouraging lifelong learning.
• Ability to effectively engage in behavior management in order to maintain students’ interest and participation in outdoor classes and activities.
• Ability to manage work time effectively and with little supervision to ensure preparedness and project completion.
• Flexibility and the ability to deal with the unexpected and quickly changing nature of outdoor activities and children.
• Demonstrated competence in verbal communication, particularly the ability to present information, ideas, directions, etc. in a clear and concise manner.

Physical Demands

• Ability to hike hilly, uneven terrain. Ability to be on feet for much of the day.

Salary and Benefits: $2,275/month; private room in furnished, shared housing; welcome to meals when dining hall is in operation; health, vision, and dental insurance.

Background Check: A successful pre-employment background check investigation, including a successful criminal background check will be required prior to start date.