Meet the EcoElsa staff providing environmental education to you and your family! As well as check out current openings below!
Elsa Litecky, Owner
Elsa started EcoElsa back in 2018 as a blog and YouTube channel. Prior to starting EcoElsa she worked in naturalist and outreach roles for the MNDNR, Dakota County, environmental nonprofits, and nature centers. She is passionate about the outdoors and loves learning new things. Her favorite areas of interest for natural resources are ethnobotany, biomimicry, and outdoor survival. Outside of her work she enjoys a lot of other creative outlets like making art, reading and writing books, and cooking. To learn more about her different certifications and environmental education experience check out our Meet the Founder Page.
Andrew Harrison, Program Support
Andrew brings years of summer youth programing experience and a formal background in education as a middle school Social Studies teacher. His role is as a “jack of all trades”, supporting our programs in various roles. Growing up participating in Boy Scouts, he gained an appreciation for the outdoors and a wide range of skills – from outdoor survival and knots, to wilderness first aid and orientation. He loves rock climbing (he is also a certified coach through USA Climbing), mountain biking, and camping.
Current Openings
Job Title: Naturalist Educator
Job Type: Part-Time & Seasonal; Full-Time Seasonal – openings for both positions available at this time
Duration:
Training Week – May 22nd – 26th, 2023 (Training days & times are flexible and may change)
Start Date – May 29th, 2023 (start & end times can be somewhat flexible)
Initial Term End Date – September 1st, 2023
If there are hours available into the school year there may be the opportunity to stay on and renegotiate a position within EcoElsa LLC. We anticipate the school year being mostly weekend hours.
Hours: Need to be available for summer operational hours Monday-Friday 7:30 am to 5:00 pm starting May 29th, 2023
Part-Time 10-30 hrs/wk; hours may vary based on class needs (Typical work week running camps M-TH 5 hours for either morning or afternoon classes & F 8:30 am – 1:00 pm, and up to 4 hours on Fridays 1:00 – 5:00 pm for class prep, admin, mentoring, training, & meetings)
Full-Time 30-40 hrs/wk hours may vary based on class needs (Typical work week running camps M-TH 7:30 am – 4:30 pm & up to 4 hours on Fridays 1:00 – 5:00 pm for class prep, admin, mentoring, training, & meetings)
Position Overview: Summer Naturalist Educators are responsible for facilitating environmental education experiences at local parks around the metro area. Classes seek to help participants develop a connection to nature and their local parks through fun activities that also help teach other subjects and skills.
Summer Camps 75-90%
- Lead summer camp programs and preschool classes from lesson plans selecting activities that help students learn the topic while having fun
- Effectively manage participants and follow safety guidelines to provide a safe and fun environment for students physically, mentally, and emotionally
- Drive to parks to prepare, set up, and tear down class activities
- Capturing photos and videos during camp to send to parents/guardians
- Navigate unexpected situations professionally while prioritizing safety
- Coordinate with partner organizations to make sure programs run smoothly
- Interact with participants, guardians, other staff, partner organizations, and the public in a safe and professional manner
Education Team Member 10-25%
- Participate in weekly team meetings on Fridays and regular check-ins with Owner
- Communicate with class participants through reminder and follow up emails
- Assist with planning and prepping class materials for upcoming classes
- Conducting and following training activities to help team members grow and learn more
- Develop new class activities and materials for current and future programs
- Conduct regular reflections/evaluations of programs and experiences
Additional Duties:
- Create marketing and social media posts; promoting upcoming classes
- Assist with the creation of newsletters, blog posts, and videos
- Assist with marketing and sales of programs and services to partner organizations
- Create art merchandise to help fund the EcoElsa scholarship fund
- Complete other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- BA or BS in science or education and 1-2 years’ environmental education experience; or 5-6 years related environmental and educational experience
- CPR & First Aid Certification
- Valid Driver’s License and reliable vehicle; position travels between different parks and organizations around the metro
- High level of self-motivation & enthusiasm
- Knowledge of a variety of environmental topics
- Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication and time management skills
- Able to lift and carry 50 pounds and hike on uneven rugged terrain often off main trails in all kinds of weather
- Successfully passing a background check is a requirement for this position
Preferred Qualifications:
- Work experience with Nature Centers, summer camps, field research, preschool/childcare centers, schools, and other related groups
- Experience working with PreK-12 youth and adults for programs
- Knowledge of outdoor survival, wildlife biology, ichthyology, entomology, botany, ethnobotany, biomimicry, physical sciences, and or art and a passion for sharing that knowledge with others
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects
- Previous experience creating curriculum is a plus, but not required
- Solutions focused looking for ways to improve programs and stream-line processes
Benefits:
- Starting Salary $19/hour
- Reimbursement for mileage
- Gift card to an outfitter company for completing position to the designated end date
- 3 EcoElsa T-shirts: 1 Staff shirt that will need to be returned at the end of position and 2 other EcoElsa nature/naturalist themed shirts from the Etsy Shop to keep
We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.
For more information check out www.ecoelsa.com
Application Deadline: Ongoing until position is filled send Resume, Cover Letter, and completed Questionnaire to ecoelsallc@gmail.com with “Naturalist Educator Application – Your Name” written in the subject line. Questionnaire is available below!
Hiring Process & Timeline:
We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis and scheduling interviews for January. We anticipate making final decisions by the end of January and will begin contacting applicants at that time.
For questions about the position, contact ecoelsallc@gmail.com with “Naturalist Educator Application Question” in the subject line.