Forest School Program Assistant & Community Liaison

Location: Lumberton, MS / Burrow Nature Center

Position Type: Part-Time (Approx. 4–8 hours/week) with room to grow

Schedule: Mid-week teaching (1 day/week) + 1 Weekend Day/month + Flexible Prep/Outreach Hours

Compensation: Performance/Revenue-Share (50% of student registration fees). Because you co-teach and drive local family recruitment, your earnings scale directly with enrollment—yielding $15.00 to $25.00 per hour for an average commitment of 5–7 total hours/week (covering teaching, prep, and community outreach for a cohort of 6–12 children).

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic, community-minded, and nature-loving Program Assistant to help grow and lead our Forest School Program.

In this dual-impact role, you will serve as Co-Instructor alongside BNC’s Executive Director while actively acting as a Community Ambassador to spread the word about our programs. You will directly influence your earnings by engaging with local homeschool networks, parenting groups, and community organizations to build enrollment.

As you become comfortable with the site, curriculum, and community, there is a clear pathway to transition into Forest School Program Manager and Lead Instructor, supported by an assistant or volunteer.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an educator, student, or naturalist who possesses strong interpersonal skills and wants to gain hands-on leadership in non-profit environmental education and community outreach.

Key Responsibilities

1. Teaching & Program Delivery

• Co-Lead Outdoor Sessions: Facilitate weekly children's forest school sessions (1 weekday/week) and one weekend event per month alongside the Executive Director, growing into more days and earnings as classes fill up.
• Learner Engagement: Foster a safe, inclusive, and joyful outdoor environment for children ages 4–8, encouraging curiosity, emotional growth, and land connection.
• Logistics & Safety: Assist with site setup, material breakdown, tool maintenance, and participant check-ins.

2. Community Outreach & Family Recruitment

• Drive Enrollment: Work with executive director to actively promote the Forest School program to reach target cohort sizes.
• Grassroots Networking: Build relationships with local homeschool co-ops, parent groups, libraries, community centers, and online regional groups, etc.
• Digital & Physical Promotion: Distribute promotional materials (flyers, social media posts, digital event invites) to increase visibility for upcoming seasons and weekend workshops.
• Participant Relationship Management: Help convert drop-in visitors or weekend event attendees into full-season registrations.

3. Curriculum & Prep

• Lesson Planning: Help prep physical materials, test hands-on crafts or field activities, and contribute seasonal ideas to the curriculum.
• Feedback Loop: Gather feedback from families to continuously improve program offerings and participant retention.

Qualifications & Skills

• Youth & Nature Passion: Demonstrated passion for nature, conservation, and outdoor play-based learning.
• Teaching Experience: Prior experience leading groups of children (formal classroom, camp, outdoor education, Sunday schools, youth groups, etc).
• Outreach & Communication Skills: Warm, approachable, and proactive communicator who is comfortable talking to parents, pitching the program, and networking in the community.
• Natural History Knowledge: Basic knowledge of Pine Belt flora, fauna, and ecosystems (or a strong enthusiasm to learn).
• Self-Motivated & Creative: Ability to independently post outreach materials, follow up with inquiries, and brainstorm local marketing tactics.
• Reliable & Resilient: Punctual, dependable, and comfortable working outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Clearance: Ability to pass a standard background check.

Schedule & Commitment

• Teaching Days: TBD weekday (approx. 3 hours) + One Saturday morning per month (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM).
• Prep & Outreach Time: 2–4 hours/week (Flexible/Remote options for lesson prep, social outreach, family follow-ups, and coordination).