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Internships Teacher/Naturalist Echo Hill is a community which thrives on education and stresses genuine concern for others, cooperation, integrity, and enthusiasm for life. Residential teaching positions are available for individuals with initiative, motivation, energy, creativity, and commitment. We welcome applications year round. Our primary employment start dates are March and September. Professional Opportunities Teaching positions at Echo Hill provide opportunities to learn more about natural sciences and local history; adventure course facilitation and training; residential life; individual and group guidance; facility care and maintenance including landscaping, gardening, and carpentry; restoration and maintenance of historic wooden boats. Instructors at Echo Hill gain insight into diverse educational philosophies, participate in curriculum development, and often collaborate in teaching. While there is a strong and established framework for all of the classes taught at EHOS, great responsibility is placed on a staff member to plan, execute, and provide the creativity behind any lesson plan. Experience Our instructors come from a wide variety of backgrounds including education, natural sciences, recreation, environmental education, adventure learning, psychology, history and marine biology. Teachers have extensive experience working with and relating well to children, and they generally possess a Bachelor's degree.Benefits Compensation for work at Echo Hill includes a weekly salary plus full room and board. There is a potential for extended (ten or twelve month) contracts. Each year teachers receive five weeks of comprehensive training and professional development in all curriculum areas, residential care and supervision, and facility maintenance and upkeep. Staff medical insurance is available. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Echo Hill Outdoor School is a private, non-profit organization. Its programs are offered to all without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or gender. FAQ What is a typical day like? Days at Echo Hill are busy. On a typical day, staff teach two three-hour classes, participate in an evening activity, and supervise breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At night they read stories or sing songs to a tent of students before going to bed. Throughout the week, staff may participate in campus work or focus on a responsibility area for a three-hour work block. The school's facilities may be adapted to meet the needs of groups ranging from business executives to first graders, but the majority of the programming is focused on the middle school age level. Depending on their comfort level, staff members may find themselves responsible for teaching a wide variety of classes, ranging from Bay studies which is conducted on one of the school's historic work boats to an Adventure I class on the school's ropes course. What are staff members' residential responsibilities? The residential aspect of Echo Hill is an integral a part of each student's experience. Staff members can expect to spend most of their weekday nights sleeping in the tents with children. Teachers also supervise students at meals. When is there time to relax? Everyone at Echo Hill will agree that life at School is demanding. Three hour teaching blocks and residential responsibilities every day leave most staff tired at the end of a week and looking forward to the weekend for relaxation. During a typical week staff members will have one three hour teaching block and two evening blocks free each week. Because the pace at Echo Hill is intense, flexibility and a willingness to live and work closely with other people are beneficial traits for prospective staff members. What is the social life like at Echo Hill? The School is located in a scenic but relatively isolated environment. Staff entertain themselves on campus in a variety of ways with everything from fishing, beach bonfires, and dinner parties to the annual Rockfish Festival. Opportunities for off campus entertainment exist 20 minutes away in Chestertown, MD, home of Washington College. Chestertown has a historic downtown, and in many ways it resembles a small college town. Beyond Chestertown, staff frequently make trips to Annapolis, Baltimore, or Washington DC-trips that take one to two hours. Are all positions at Echo Hill seasonal? There are opportunities for contracts ranging from three to nine months during the first year of employment, and more extensive contracts are available after the first year. A typical season's staff is composed of teachers who have been here from one season to twenty years. Many staff members elect to stay for at least a year. To Apply We welcome applications year round. Our primary start dates are March and September. We hope to fill positions for the Spring season by February 15; we hope to fill positions for the Fall season by August 15. To apply, please send a résumé and three references to: Betsy McCown, Associate Director Electronic resumes may be submitted in the body of the email message.
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