Outdoor Educator

Title: Outdoor Educator

Classification: Part-Time, Non-Exempt

Division: Education

Reports to: Nature Education Manager

Pay Band: Technical Skills Level 1

Pay Range: $20.80 per hour
 

Mission: The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History inspires a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world.

Position Summary: The mission of the Backyard exhibit is to connect or reconnect children and adults to nature. Delivers outstanding interactions and interpretive programs for Museum guests, school groups, and campers in the Museum Backyard. Monitors the Clubhouse, creek, and outdoor Backyard stations. Works with volunteers and teens to facilitate and support high-quality inquiry-based natural history interpretation and programming. Collaborates with all staff to achieve overall Backyard objectives.
 

Specific Responsibilities:

• Interact with guests to ensure their visit is informative, rewarding, and enjoyable. Greet and welcome all guests, ask and answer questions.
• Complete daily opening and closing routines of the Museum Backyard and Clubhouse.
• Demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards visitors, volunteers, and staff.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of natural history content and best practices for science interpretation.
• Participates as an effective, responsible, and energetic team member.
• Monitor the Backyard and Creek by routinely walking through outdoor exhibit areas.
• Maintain a clean and safe environment both outdoors and inside the Clubhouse by cleaning, sweeping, organizing, labeling inventory, and reporting issues to the Facilities or Exhibits Departments as needed.
• With Director of Education, develop new Backyard and Clubhouse activities by drafting outlines including activity components, supplies, goals, target audience, and exhibit text as needed.
• Facilitate, evaluate, and refine inquiry-based outdoor nature education and/or community science public programs for guests.
• Evaluates guest interactions and compiles evaluation data into reports.
• Trains new Backyard and Nature Club House staff and volunteers on essential program functions and duties as needed, providing mentorship and oversight on key functions such as audience engagement and visitor services etiquette.
• Assists guests in answering and researching exhibit-related and natural history questions.
• Supports Teen Programs by identifying short-term, long-term, and volunteer opportunities for teens in the Quasars to Sea Stars and VolunTEENS programs.
• Supports School and Community Programs by facilitating outdoor school programs and training volunteer DOCENTS.
• Supports Nature Adventures by facilitating, evaluating, and refining outdoor camp activities to supplement Nature Adventures curriculum.
• Supports the Museum’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for fellow staff, guests and the community.
• Contributes to a positive guest experience by greeting and addressing any questions when encountering guests as they navigate through the Museum and Sea Center.
• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Requirements:

• Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong ability to interact with various types of individuals. Outgoing and comfortable interacting with the public.
• Background in natural history, science, and outdoor education.
• Experience implementing informal activities and/or educational programs, particularly in natural history, science, and place-based learning.
• Comfortable handling live animals, snakes and invertebrates. Knowledge of standard animal care best practices.
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
• Self-motivated, creative, and outgoing.
• Working knowledge of computer software including Excel, Google Docs, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• Able to work at least one weekend day per week and occasional holidays.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in science and/or Education, or working towards a bachelor's degree.
• Experience teaching and facilitating formal and informal education programs for children and adults.
• Experience facilitating training for volunteers and docents.
• Experience leading nature-based and inquiry-based programming.
• Working knowledge of regional natural history and associated categories (e.g., entomology, botany, ornithology etc.).
• Work background in informal and/or museum settings.
• CPR/First Aid.
• Spanish oral fluency, a plus.

Work Environment:

• This position is onsite. No remote work.
• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, and bending.
• Occasional lifting of light to moderate loads (10-40 lbs.).
• Frequently outdoors on Museum property.
• Works with, tours, and communicates with small and large groups of children and adults.

The incumbent must be able to perform each requirement of the position as outlined in the job description. Essential Requirements are representative and are essential for satisfactory job performance. The Work Environment characteristics are representative of those that may be encountered while on the job. The Museum will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.