Nature Camp Counselor (Oakland & Berkeley)

Inspire Active Learning is now hiring Nature Camp Counselors for Summer Camp 2026! Employment openings are for experienced candidates, while unpaid internships are open for high school and college/university students with no experience necessary. Only applications completed in full are considered. We look forward to connecting with you!

Do you love working with children? Are you an avid hiker with a love of nature and the outdoors? Are you vegan? How about combining your passions into one fun seasonal job? Call of the Wild nature camps include sessions with art, reading, writing, and vegan theme weeks. We seek an energetic, innovative, creative, and dependable outdoor enthusiast to join us in creating and implementing educational programs outdoors. Camp counselors lead children in outdoor nature camps for elementary school age kids to connect with nature, hike, read, write, explore, learn, and play in parks and forests of the East Bay!

You may be the ideal camp counselor for this job if:

• You are a communicative and collaborative team player bursting with creative ideas, fun, adaptable, friendly, outgoing, energetic, and eager to inspire and engage children in learning by doing.
• You have experience in early childhood education, elementary school education, outdoor education, nature education, environmental education, literacy education, outdoor recreation, and related fields.
• You are vegan: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals." - The Vegan Society

WHO WE ARE: Inspire Active Learning, LLC believes that to inspire learning is to inspire action. We believe in experiential education and lifelong learning. We also believe in the wisdom of "be kind to every kind" and the benefits of veganism on animals and the environment. Outdoor educators in Call of the Wild Camps provide a fun, safe alternative to screen addiction; inspire nature connection and curiosity; and foster healthy, positive relationships with flora and fauna in our natural environments.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Complete training online and onsite in Call of the Wild Camps locations (initial training is before the start date of the first session of the camp season)
• Punctually and reliably attend scheduled work hours, rain or shine, including training, staff meetings, and camp session dates
• Safely lead hikes in parks up to approx. 6 miles per day for K-5th graders in small groups
• Maintain a 4:1 or 5:1 student: staff ratio or ratio approved by the camp supervisor
• Implement age-appropriate, grade-appropriate, K-5 level nature-themed science, outdoor education, language arts, art, and motor activities for Call of the Wild Camps
• For summer camps, implement activities for theme weeks such as Enchanted Forest Art, Enchanted Forest Stories, Enchanted Vegan, Trailblazers, and Nature Explorers
• Supervise and engage children on occasional science museum and science center visits
• Teach and facilitate fun and positive nature education and animal education curriculum on vegan topics, such as animal rights, speciesism, health, food, clothing, and the environment
• Teach and lead outdoor language arts activities for children with nature and wilderness themes, including circle time with story time and singing, literary show-and-tell, skits, nature journaling, mapmaking, creative writing, and authoring and illustrating books
• Teach and facilitate science activities on topics in biology, ecology, zoology, life science, environmental science, outdoor education, stewardship, conservation, preservation, etc., integrating naturalistic observation, group discussion, games, children's books, and writing activities
• Teach and engage children in outdoor activities that blend recreation and education, such as nature-themed field games, hide and seek and chase games, forest "I Spy" games, and scavenger hunts
• Teach and facilitate nature-themed arts and crafts
• Engage children with a fun teaching style and high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity
• Supervise and facilitate children's rest breaks, snack and lunch breaks, and physical play breaks
• Provide naturalistic executive function teaching across diverse activities
• Implement teaching and behavior management based on principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), including prompting, positive reinforcement, and contingencies of reinforcement based on student preferences and choices
• Facilitate emergent curriculum and child-centered, student-centered, experiential, incidental, and play-based teaching and learning opportunities
• Create both structured and incidental learning opportunities
• Keep work materials neat, organized, and in good working condition
• Record accurate, objective incident reports
• Drive by personal vehicle during the work shift for emergency or safety-related situations or to access reception as needed under supervisor direction
• Follow the three camp rules: (1) be kind, (2) be safe, and (3) leave no trace, and make sure campers follow them
• Follow all health and safety requirements, and make sure campers follow them
• Follow all seven leave no trace principles, and make sure campers follow them
• Actively contribute and participate in staff training and meetings
• Proactively communicate camp questions and concerns with the camp director and supervisor
• Follow directions and implement feedback from supervisors
• Interact with students and staff in a kind, caring, respectful, positive, and professional manner
• Represent Call of the Wild Camps in a positive and professional manner with customers, staff, and park visitors
• Mentor and support Counselors in Training (CITs) participating in the internship program
• Meet all of the physical requirements for the job, including standing, bending, sitting, squatting, walking, occasional lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs., hiking up to approx. 6 miles per day on varied terrain in varied weather with a backpack weighing up to 20% of your body weight, visual acuity for reading books, maps, interpretive panels, and signs
• Perform other duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Education:

• Proof of your high school diploma or higher degree
• Most recent academic transcript (unofficial is permitted) in good standing with a 3.5 minimum GPA. If your school does not provide grades, you do not qualify for this position.
• Proof of a declared major or minor in a relevant discipline or completion of one or more relevant courses, such as biology, environmental science, or education

Certification and Safety Requirements:

• Proof of CPR and First Aid certification that remains unexpired through all camps dates you are applying to work. The only accepted CPR and First Aid certification involves passing a live skills assessment with an instructor. In person or hybrid in-person/online courses are the only acceptable courses. Entirely online courses are not acceptable.
• Proof of current COVID-19 vaccination obtained within 12 months of hire before hire or obtain an exemption for medical or sincerely held religious belief reasons.
• Pass a DOJ and FBI background check.

Required Experience:

• Minimum 12 months of experience working in person with GROUPS of elementary school age children at K-5th grade level, ages 5-10, as a camp counselor, outdoor educator, naturalist, recreation leader, coach, instructor, or classroom teacher. Babysitting or nannying are not equivalent experience.
• Frequent, regular experience hiking, trail running, or backpacking trails on varied terrain at least 6 miles in a day
• Experience working in person with culturally, linguistically, and developmentally diverse children
• Experience working in person with children with widely diverse abilities, such as giftedness, typically developing children, children with disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia, speech and language delays), and English Language Learners (ELL)
• Experience leading extracurricular enrichment activities in person for groups of children in grades K-5, ages 5-10
• Experience implementing effective and appropriate behavior management in person for children in grades K-5, ages 5-10
• Experience with child development and implementing age-appropriate, grade-appropriate, developmentally appropriate activities in person for children in grades K-5, ages 5-10

Required Skills:

• Ability to model and educate about veganism as more than a diet
• Ability to hike trails of moderate difficulty on hilly and uneven terrain up to approximately 6 miles a day five days a week for multiple consecutive weeks
• Ability to carry a hiking backpack weighing up to 20% of your body weight for the duration of each camp day
• Ability to meet all other physical requirements for the job, including standing, bending, sitting, squatting, walking, occasional lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs., and visual acuity for reading books, maps, interpretive panels, and signs
• Demonstrate a fun and engaging leadership style with high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity
• Friendly, kind, caring, compassionate, and patient teaching style for learners of all skill levels
• Eagerness and openness to continually learn and develop your skill set
• Command of American English phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics
• Excellent ability to break concepts down into simple and easy steps
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Eco-conscious skills with a demonstrable love of nature and the outdoors
• You can articulate how veganism benefits animals, health, and the environment
• Health-conscious skills with a demonstrable love of active and healthy living
• Enthusiasm for nature-themed language arts and literacy teaching
• Enthusiasm for making education relevant to children's lives
• Demonstrate care for children and a desire to help the whole child learn and grow in enjoyable ways, in addition to subject-matter competence in language arts and relevant life sciences  

Other Requirements:

• You are an adult (age 18 or older) or will be an adult before the start date of all camp sessions you're applying to work
• Proof of a valid California driver's license
• Proof of auto insurance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience hiking in the parks you're applying to work in. Check the Call of the Wild Camps pages to view the locations.
• You are vegan, as defined by The Vegan Society and as described on Inspire's website here: https://www.inspireactivelearning.com/what-is-veganism

PERKS AND BENEFITS:

• Have fun teaching and inspiring kids in the great outdoors!
• Employees get paid training; paid rest breaks; off-duty lunch breaks; and retirement plan if working at least 30 days
• Referral bonus
• Supportive and friendly environment with coaching and mentorship
• Become part of a company that truly cares about both the employee’s and student’s happiness and success!

LOCATIONS: East Bay parks. Only apply if you are available for work at all sites.

• Berkeley: Tilden Regional Park and Tilden Nature Area
• Oakland: Joaquin Miller Park, Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, and Roberts Regional Recreation Area

SCHEDULE: 
 

• Initial training: before the start date of camp sessions.
• Work during camp sessions: 8:25 AM-4:35 PM, Jun 1-Jul 17, Monday-Friday.

CLASSIFICATION: Non-exempt employee for temporary, seasonal work. Full time for the summer camp season.

COMPENSATION: $21.00/hr - $23.00/hr DOE

RECRUITMENT PROCESS:
 

1) Application

2) Interview for qualified applicants

3) Employment verification, plus reference checks with two supervisors who have overseen your work with children

4) Conditional job offers are made to selected candidates 

5) Final job offers are made, contingent upon successfully completing all requirements for hire

APPLY: Submit both a resume and complete application. You may alternatively apply from the company website www.inspireactivelearning.com. If you lack the experience requirements for employment, you are welcome to apply from the company website for an unpaid internship to gain experience! We look forward to connecting with you!

Keywords: Oakland camp counselor, Berkeley camp counselor, summer camp counselor, camp leader, camp teacher, camp instructor, outdoor educator, outdoor camp educator, outdoor camp counselor, naturalist, nature camp counselor, science camp counselor, vegan camp counselor, reading camp counselor, writing camp counselor, youth leader, youth group leader, program leader, lead camp counselor, and elementary program leader.

Who We Are:

* Inspire Active Learning, LLC believes that to inspire learning is to inspire action. We do this by moving individuals to learn in ways that are personally meaningful, motivating, and relevant to their entire lives. We provide experiential learning and education for children, teens, and adults throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. 

* As academic tutors, ESL tutors, and nature educators, we are lifelong learners. Camp educators inspire nature connection and a love of the outdoors for campers in forests, parks, and nature preserves of the Bay Area. Tutors engage diverse students in academic English, English as a Second Language (ESL), elementary school level multiple subjects, and executive function tutoring. We guide learners to master and apply English language skills, executive functioning for academics, environmental stewardship, and more! We promote a lifelong love of learning in academics and in life beyond the four walls of a classroom. This applies as much to customers as to employees, who enjoy ongoing training and professional development in lifelong learning and growth.

Our Mission:

* Inspire's mission is to empower people of all abilities to live happier, more independent and fulfilling lives by achieving their learning goals.

What Makes Us Unique:

* We use emergent curriculum, experiential learning, and principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for all learners. ABA is not autism therapy. It is the natural science of learning and behavior that identifies how people learn and helps them learn socially significant skills.

* We incorporate ethical vegan values into nature camps to teach respect for animals. Veganism is not a diet. It is an ethical philosophy against the exploitation of animals.

* We are a small company focused on quality over quantity.

* Each employee is valued as a whole person and a unique individual, which is the same respect we give to each student. We use 360 degree feedback, in which everyone's observations matter.

* We value the integrity of the whole person. As such, we are dedicated to well-rounded knowledge and critical thinking; warmth and empathy; and a focus on action to help learners achieve goals.