Outdoor Educators – paid position
- Time Commitment: 2-4 hours per week
- Where: Hopkins Memorial Forest
- Work Hours: Field trips are between 8 a.m.- 12 p.m. on Wednesdays or Thursdays
- Contact: Jennifer Swoap
- Common Application
Work with the Hopkins Memorial Forest Manager and a team of Williams students to develop field trip curricula and host field trips for area elementary schools. Students may also support facilitating additional education opportunities utilizing Hopkins Forest’s natural and historical resources. All Williams students will be fully trained, and no science background is needed. All transportation is provided.
For more information about Hopkins Forest, visit http://hmf.williams.edu.
Job Description
Interested in working with elementary-aged students? Are you considering a career in education, or do you just like kids? The HMF Educator position enables you to work within Hopkins Forest, developing curriculum and teaching natural history to visiting elementary students. You would be the host/guide/instructor for several 2-3 hour field trip sessions throughout the semester. Some of the topics we teach are the history of the forest and the New England landscape; natural succession; geological history and formations; tree diversity and biology; and biodiversity and adaptation in different habitats –including soils, streams, and wetlands. There is potential to include many other areas of study as well. Field trips are primarily outdoors and are hands-on and experiential in approach. On weeks when no trips are scheduled, you would be involved in planning and setting up future field trips and evaluating past programs to develop some standard curricular modules for Hopkins Forest.
Testimonials from Students & Elementary Teachers
- My primary activities included designing a 6th-grade field trip curriculum, preparing a field trip site/leading at that site, and designing a data sheet for the field trip. I was working closely with Drew Jones. I’d like to increase the use of the Forest for outreach efforts; the kids loved their experience, and many will probably come back to the Forest because of this experience. – Erica Lansberg ’14
- This spring I planned the field trip, learned about Hopkins Forest, and conducted the field trip. Drew was really helpful in making sure we knew a lot about Hopkins Forest. – Ellie Wachtel ’17
- This fall I spent my time creating lesson plans, leading field trips, and preparing for field trips. Drew and Jennifer were always prompt and responsive with emails. Drew really understood that we were unfamiliar with the forest at first. – Will Gutierrez ’16
- The exploration was terrific along with using the keys to identify the life found in the stream, pond and forrest. Hopkins Forest offered extended classroom learning, engagement with nature, and unstructured exploration. Loved finding the caddisfly homes made from different materials and relating that to early cultural activity being determined by the environment. Thank you. The Williams leaders and Drew were wonderful guides in this exploration. – 6th grade teacher Jane Culnane
- Experience was the best visit for my class ever. – 6th grade teacher Tony Coniglio
- It was a very good trip! Loved the explanations for history and use of land. – 6th grade teacher Tricia Bitteker