Organization: Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary is a nonprofit conservation education center providing environmental stewardship programs for families since 1987, hosted on a 600-acre nature reserve in central Vermont.

Position Summary: Sage Mountain is seeking an Outdoor Youth Education Facilitator for Afterschool in Nature, now in its fifth year serving grades 3–8, Monday through Friday during the academic school year. This is a core leadership role working closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Youth Education, and program staff to deliver nature-based education to youth exploring mountain streams, ponds, forests, garden meadows, and snowy hills. The program intentionally serves youth who benefit most from nature-based learning, including those with higher support needs, behavioral and emotional challenges, and limited prior access to outdoor programming. This role carries particular responsibility for contributing to activity and curriculum planning within the seasonal framework designed by the Director of Youth Education.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to activity and curriculum planning within the Director's seasonal framework — developing new activity plans, implementing activities from our library of historic program resources, and documenting new plans so they're reportable and contribute to that library for future use
• Provide direct supervision, mentorship, and emotional support to enrolled youth
• Implement DCF and Sage Mountain safety and health guidelines, including facility preparation and cleaning
• Collaborate with staff on program registration and communicate promptly and thoroughly with families, schools, and community partners
• Support program outreach and recruitment efforts
• Engage in ongoing professional development, including specialized care, universal design for learning, trauma-informed practices, and equity/accessibility training

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience in nature education, outdoor programming, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated ability to plan, document, and implement curriculum, including written activity plans and learning objectives
• Comfort working with higher-needs youth, including behavioral, emotional, or developmental support needs
• Familiarity with risk management in outdoor settings, including supervision near water and in varied terrain
• Valid Vermont driver's license and reliable transportation suitable for unpaved roads in all seasons
• Must pass comprehensive background check and fingerprinting per Vermont DCF requirements
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree, Vermont Afterschool Foundations Certificate, or equivalent life experience; experience with IEPs, behavioral support plans, or trauma histories

Schedule & Compensation:
Approximately 25–30 hours/week during the school year (Monday–Friday, generally 1:00pm–6:30pm, with some flexibility for meetings, training, and early release days), plus 40 hours/week for six weeks of Summer Camp (June 22–August 1). Starting pay $24.00/hour, commensurate with experience. Benefits include a monthly employer contribution toward individual health insurance and paid professional development. Hiring immediately.