Program: Every Student a Success! That is the overall mission of the Merced County of Education, and it happens here at MCOE’s Jack L. Boyd Outdoor School at Green Meadows in our multi-disciplinary student-centered programs. Programs are generally four or five days in length and most frequently serve fifth or sixth grade students. Our students are representative of California’s rich diversity, with over 35 language groups in their home environments. The curriculum each week varies with the goals of the client school, but all programs address core content areas and positive social development. We teach to the whole child taking into account psychological, intellectual, and physical success in all situations! High school students, the elementary school teachers, and the Green Meadows staff all play integral roles in the program, and the up-and-coming leaders in environmental education are mentored through our year-long intern-naturalist positions.
Location, Location, Location…The Jack L. Boyd
Outdoor School at Green Meadows is in Fish Camp, California, at the edge of
Yosemite National Park. We are at 5,000 feet in elevation which gives
us snow programs from December through March most years! In addition to the
massive granite, waterfalls, and giant Sequoias of neighboring Yosemite we
have “Big Creek” running right through our campus, an active beaver
pond, a meadow, and one million acres of our Sierra National forest classroom
surrounding our school. It is an amazing and inspiring place to live and teach! By
car we are 5 minutes from the Southern Yosemite entrance, 1.5 hours to Fresno,
3.5 hours to Sacramento, and 4 hours to San Francisco.
Intern- Naturalist Overview: Our internship model
is designed to accommodate the rich and diverse skills and experiences that
each staff member brings, making ones experience at Green Meadows unique to
each individual. The goal is for each intern-naturalist to gain expertise
and perspective through their own practice, reflection, and observation, while
also being mentored by our permanent naturalists and principal. New staff
arrives in late August to get acquainted with the program, logistics, and area,
and also to begin learning our teaching style and philosophy through observation
and training. By October they are generally teaching their own groups
of 12-16 students. Some typical fall classes are Geology (we have our
own lava formations!), Giant Sequoia Ecology, Wildlife Ecology, Stream Ecology,
Miwok Material Culture, Forest Ecology, Team Building, and Astronomy. After
observing naturalists, gaining experience in teaching the curriculum, and demonstrating
aptitude, our interns begin to inservice district teachers, training them to
teach our classes on the trail. As snow arrives we introduce new curriculum
as well as the ever-popular snow plow operating inservice! By February,
intern naturalists begin to observe the functions of the "cabin leader
coordinator” naturalist, eventually taking on this challenging and rewarding
role during the last quarter of the year. This key position is responsible
for the leadership training and evaluation of high school cabin leaders and
assumes lead program responsibilities in the evening hours and when the principal
is off site. By June, after a year of mentoring and focused professional
development in our always evolving program, you'll be ready for graduation! Interns
have also taken initiative to completed amazing projects such as solar water
systems, interpretive displays, and developing weather curriculum that contribute
to the long-term goals of the program and directly affect the student's experience.
Intern-Naturalist Responsibilities: Observe,
Reflect, Try New Techniques, Journal, Teach, Counsel, Sing (with gusto!), Mentor
Others, Communicate, Think Critically, First Aide, Hike, Guide, Interpret,
Inspire, Play, Evaluate, Plow/Shovel/and-play-in Snow, Dance, Tell Stories,
and anything and everything else that we do here to inspire children!
Qualifications:
Salary: Currently $8.00/hour. Overtime paid
over 8 hours, generally we work about 160 days per school year.
Other Benefits: Office internet
and computer. Paid registration and staff vehicle to attend Fall
and Spring AEOE conferences. Staff vehicle and 16 hours paid time to visit
one other EE site during the course of their internship.
Housing: Full-time through the school year, all
utilities except long distance phone paid- you get your own room in a real
house with the other real staff - these are nice houses on the edge of
campus so you can walk to work without living in the middle of work!
Meals: Meals are provided during program days -
and our food is pretty great, too!
Deadline: Positions open until filled
Available: ASAP
Procedure: Send/fax/email cover letter, resume
and application. Online application and the official job description can
be found through the employment link at our MCOE web site, http://www.mcoe.org/
Contact Name: Peter Leinau, Principal
Contact Address: P.O. Box 69, Fish Camp, CA 93623
Contact Telephone: (559) 642-0122
Contact Fax: (559) 683-2969
Contact Email:
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Website: http://www.mercedlearn.org/jlb/