Coastal Environmental Educator

Coastal views and beachtown vibes! Make the beach and salt marsh your new outdoor classroom on a Georgia barrier island; this opportunity is perfect for the outdoor enthusiast! As part of Georgia 4-H and the University of Georgia, the Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island reaches more than 8,000 students and adults annually through Environmental Education and Summer Camp programs. The Environmental Education Program provides environmental education opportunities for school groups and serves over 6,000 youth with day and residential education programs on coastal ecology and local history. Summer Camp provides Georgia 4-H’ers a fun and unforgettable 5-day learning adventure on the Georgia coast.

Job Overview

Seasonal Environmental Educators will teach hands-on day and evening classes most frequently to 3rd-8th grade students. Commonly taught classes cover material from ecology of the beach, maritime forest and salt marsh to herpetology, invertebrates, dissections, local history, and more.

For classes in action, please click to view: Beach Ecology, Salt Marsh Ecology, Ornithology (Birds), Herpetology (Reptiles), and Fort Pulaski.

Duties also include, and are not limited to, dorm cleaning 2-3 times a week, assisting with meal service in the dining hall, maintaining teaching facilities and supplies, providing animal husbandry for residential education animals, operating a UGA mini-bus, lead staff rotations, and various maintenance projects on center as needed. Educators must be able to work outside in buggy environments, extreme heat / cold and be flexible as schedules sometimes change with changing weather conditions. There is potential possibilities for weekend work and opportunities working at other Georgia 4-H facilities.

Special Benefits

Benefits include compensation of $12.75/per hour plus overtime (hours per week will depend on reservations and will vary from week to week), a private bedroom in a spacious eight room, double kitchen, double laundry room staff house for $20/week (please note, housing on-site is optional, not required and no pets allowed), very limited health insurance, opportunities to network with other UGA 4-H centers, and training in coastal barrier island ecology and environmental education. Plus, the experience to live on an island full of life, just a short stroll to the beach, and 15 miles to historic downtown Savannah.

Minimum Requirements

Applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree (education or science preferred) and preferred minimum 1-2 years of experience working in a summer camp and/or outdoor education. Applicants with customer service and hospitality/food industry experience are strongly encouraged. Ideal candidates have a strong passion for education, leadership ability, teamwork mindset, self-confidence, effective communication and customer service skills, a positive attitude, flexibility and the desire to grow and be challenged.

Please apply at https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/250181. Then, email Environmental Education Program Coordinator, Erine-Fay McNaught at [email protected], your application confirmation #, attached resume, cover letter and 3 work references or 3 letters of recommendation (academic references will not be considered). Applicants are encouraged to include any supporting lesson plans, videos of teaching, etc. to showcase your educator skills and strengths with your confirmation email. If interviewed, applicants will be asked to teach a 10 to 15 minute lesson (without PowerPoint) and perform a favorite campfire song/skit.

Burton 4-H Center is accepting applications until filled for 8-10 educator positions for the Fall 2022-Spring 2023 Environmental Education Season (tentative start of August 24, 2022 to June 3, 2023; short-term 4 to 6 week Christmas break depending on reservations and hurricane season).