Toronto Urban Wilderness Instructor

Outward Bound Canada is committed to inclusion and strives to have broad representation that reflects the diversity of Canada. We encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour or People of the Global Majority, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and all other equity-deserving groups.

 WHO WE ARE

Outward Bound Canada (OBC) is a charity that equips youth for the future through adventures in nature. These experiences develop resilience, social and emotional intelligence, and environmental leadership to prepare youth with skills to contribute to a better, more compassionate, and resilient society. Read about the impact of our work and our statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

THE ROLE

Outward Bound Canada operates an urban outdoor program in and around the GTA as a complement to our wilderness programming. This program pairs canoeing, backpacking, and urban navigation to provide continuous journeys through the natural spaces in and around our cities. We are striving to provide life-changing outdoor educational experiences that are accessible, relevant, and contribute toward a better world. Our students include both school and community groups as well as individuals looking for a journey in their own backyard ranging from 1-15 days long. Outward Bound Canada is looking for enthusiastic, hardworking individuals who have the credentials and capacity to work at the Toronto Urban Centre providing exceptional educational programming to students, teachers, and schools on a part-time or on-call basis.

WHAT WE OFFER

Location: Toronto, ON
Per Diem: $160-$250/day
Benefits: Employee Assistance Plan
Term: Part-time Seasonal Contract
Supervisor: Toronto Program Manager
Application Deadline: April 30th, 2023 or until position is filled; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
Anticipated Start Date: May 2023

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

  • Responsible for the health and well-being of students while on program.
  • Develop program plans and curriculum for lessons and expeditions.
  • Monitor, assess, and evaluate students.
  • Effectively utilize group and risk management skills, maturity, and role modeling to create a safe and supportive environment for student-centered learning.
  • Complete various program-related administrative documents and tasks.
  • Manage in-field risk management decisions.
  • Organize and facilitate the program evaluation process.
  • Participate in the training and mentoring of staff in program delivery procedures.
  • Facilitate all incident reporting processes.
  •  Complete risk management briefings and debriefings with the Program Manager 
  • Participate in the training as required.
  • Achieve the objectives of the Outward Bound Canada National Safety Policy.
  • This position will take place in Toronto, ON, and the surrounding GTA. 

WHAT YOU BRING

OBC recognizes relevant skills and knowledge can be gained through volunteer and life experiences as well as professional and educational backgrounds. Please outline in a brief cover letter how you have gained the following experiences, and how you would apply them to this role:

Knowledge, skills and experience 

  • Knowledge and ability to teach environmental education and nature connections in an urban wilderness environment.
  • Ability to model and teach outdoor travel and living skills in urban wilderness environments.
  • Well-practiced in communicating effectively with a high level of professionalism.
  • Experience working with youth in an outdoor setting.
  • Experience on extended wilderness trips.
  • Experience in working in a camp/outdoor education centre setting.
  • Ability to facilitate and lead both youth and young adults of various abilities.
  • Experience in adventure and experiential educational module delivery.
  • Understanding and application of Outward Bound methods and philosophy.
  • Skilled in behaviour management, crisis intervention, and problem-solving.
  • Ability to facilitate and program ground initiatives, low ropes, rock climbing, and high ropes elements.
  • Ability to develop and deliver creative cross-curricular programming.
  • Focus on providing high levels of customer service.
  • Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize, and multitask under deadlines.
  • Personal commitment to equity and inclusion in the outdoors
  • Understanding of how systems of oppression take shape in workplaces and a desire to shift the balance of power and privilege to center underrepresented voices
  • High level of cross-cultural competence, in recognition, that Outward Bound Canada works with students and partners from a diversity of communities and backgrounds
  • Passionate about the Outward Bound Canada mission, an interest in outdoor pursuits, and a desire to help get young people outdoors for transformative experiences

CERTIFICATIONS

  • Standard First Aid (minimum), Wilderness First Responder (WFR) OR Wildernes Advanced First Aid (WAFA) preferred.
  • CPR-C
  • Bronze Cross / NLS
  • Post-secondary education in one of the following fields: education, recreation, therapy (asset) or relevant experience.
  • Clear Vulnerable Sector Check

ASSETS

  • Paddling Certification 
  • Certified Teacher (eg: OCT an asset)
  • F-Class (or equivalent) Driver’s License
  • Level I or Level II Ropes Course Instructor certification 

At Outward Bound Canada we believe that communities that have been historically underrepresented in outdoor recreation must be centered in the work we do. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people who will increase representation, and invite applicants to outline how they will contribute to this in their application.

Apply Now Button

Apply for this position by submitting your cover letter and resume as one PDF. Please indicate interest in the “Toronto area”.