We are hiring day camp counselors for our three summer camps: Pathfinders Camp (ages 5-6), Farm & Garden Camp (ages 6-11, plus Counselors-in-Trainings or CITs from age 12+), and Crew Camp (ages 10+).

Our summer camp counselors are the backbone of our summer here at New Village. We host around 300 campers over the course of the summer, many of whom return year after year because they love the blend of freedom, trust, responsibility, and fun at the core of our programs.

1. Pathfinders (ages 5-6, plus CITs from age 12+): Pathfinders is a program designed to serve our youngest campers with smaller group sizes and a space all their own for exploration, imagination, and the joyful work of the farm. This program eases newcomers into the magic and responsibility of work with animals and plants at a moderate pace. We spend our morning working with the animals and in the garden, and our afternoons are spent exploring the woods, quarry, fields, and marshes around the farm, and diving into the interests that emerge from the group. Projects can range from animal care, gardening, simple carpentry, wilderness skills, nature crafts, painting, and whatever we dream up together. Those applying to lead Pathfinders must have relevant, professional experience working with 4-6 year old children. In Pathfinders, there are 2 counselors for the 15 campers plus at least 2 CITs. Counselors will be working closely with the CITs, mentoring, giving feedback, etc.

2. Farm & Garden Camp (ages 6-11, plus CITs from age 12+): In F&G, we are committed to the kids’ participation in the stewardship of animals, farms, gardens, and wild spaces. We build our programs around their love of nature and animals, their capacity for kindness, their competence in work, and their right to belong. Mornings are spent working with animals and in the garden. Afternoons are spent in a mixture of free play and planned activities, including craft and construction projects, marsh/field/forest play, and lots of animal time. In F&G, there are 3 counselors for the 30 campers, plus at least 4 CITs. Counselors will be working closely with the CITs, mentoring, giving feedback, etc.

3. Crew Camp (ages 10+): The focus of this camp is growing the skills and competence of the many kids who value animal husbandry, gardening and outdoor engagement. Crew members are responsible for the execution of all chores that go beyond the scope of the younger camps, including milking cows, daily pasture rotations and fence maintenance, gardening, etc. Crew also engages in carpentry, mucking, fencing, and other projects that serve the farm’s infrastructure. In Crew, there are 2 counselors, and up to 16 campers, usually no CITs.

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Required Qualities:

• Relevant educational or childcare experience

• Prior farm experience, in livestock or veg, is preferred but not required

• A passion for the outdoors and the work of farming and gardening 

• A passion for fostering nature awareness, mindfulness, wonder, and creativity

• The ability to direct and support farm chore times for a mixed-age group, so that they experience satisfaction and competence

• The ability to support kids in pursuing healthy, self-directed projects and interests

• Exceptional group management skills

• A Behavior = Communication approach to discipline, familiarity with restorative practices 

• Professional and compassionate interpersonal skills

• The willingness and ability to be a strong mentor to our CITs, e.g., giving feedback, listening, etc.

• Exceptional intuition and judgment, and willingness to use it

• Reliable transportation (car, bus, or ability to coordinate carpooling with other counselors)

• A personal cell-phone for inter-counselor communication

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Responsibilities include:

• Managing the arc of the camp day, including farm chores (goat milking, chicken & bunny chores, pasture management, garden tasks, etc.)

• Leading morning and closing circles

• Teaching daily nature skills (weaving with cattails, plant-ID, natural dyeing, spinning wool, fire by friction, building skills, clay, etc)

• Mediating challenges within the group using restorative practices 

• Teaching and practicing safe farm boundaries

• Co-leading with our counselors and other farm staff

• Managing the CIT program (mentoring, giving feedback, etc.)

• Managing verbal communication with parents

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The counselor position runs from M-F 8-3:30 pm. The program runs from June 9th-August 22nd. The first week is devoted to staff training. Counselors are encouraged to take time off during the summer, with appropriate lead time.

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Additionally, there are many opportunities to work with students on-farm prior to the beginning of the camp season. We are currently hiring an educator to co-lead After School in the Spring (Wednesdays 1:45-5:15 pm) and for various Spring school trips.

 

Hourly wage $17-20 dependent upon experience. 

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Please send a cover letter, resume, contact information, and two references to newvillagefarmprograms@gmail.com. In your cover letter, please write about why you’d like to work in farm-based education, what you think feels unique about NVF, what skills/activities you’d like to bring to the work, and your relevant experience working with kids and farming. Please indicate your preference between Pathfinders, Farm & Garden Camp, or Crew Camp in your cover letter.

 

 

We are hiring Substitute Educators with availability in the spring, summer, fall, winter, or year-round. We are looking for folks with flexible schedules who are open to being contacted for our staff’s planned time off as well as unplanned, day-of staff absences. We do not expect Substitute Educators to drop their other responsibilities for the Farm when contacted. We do expect Substitute Educators to respond to sub requests within a reasonable timeframe. 

 

Required Qualities:

• Relevant educational or childcare experience

• Prior farm experience, in livestock or veg, is preferred but not required

• A passion for the outdoors and the work of farming and gardening 

• A passion for fostering nature awareness, mindfulness, wonder, and creativity

• The ability to direct and support farm chore times for a mixed-age group, so that they experience satisfaction and competence

• The ability to support kids in pursuing healthy, self-directed projects and interests
  Exceptional group management skills

• Professional and compassionate interpersonal skills

• Exceptional intuition and judgment, and willingness to use it

• Reliable transportation (car, bus, or ability to coordinate carpooling with other staff)

• A personal cell phone for inter-staff communication 

​

Responsibilities include:

• Managing the arc of the camp day, including farm chores (goat milking, chicken & bunny chores, pasture management, garden tasks, etc.)

• Leading morning and closing circles

• Teaching daily nature skills (weaving with cattails, plant-ID, natural dyeing, spinning wool, fire by friction, building skills, clay, craft projects, etc)

• Mediating challenges within the group using restorative practices 

• Teaching and practicing safe farm boundaries

• Co-leading with our educators and other farm staff

• Managing verbal communication with parents

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Hourly wage $15-20 dependent upon experience. 

 

Please send a cover letter, resume, contact information, and two references to newvillagefarmprograms@gmail.com.  In the subject line please include “Substitute Educator role” and which season you are available in (spring, fall, summer, winter, or year-round). In your cover letter, please write about why you’d like to work in farm-based education, what you think feels unique about NVF, what skills/activities you’d like to bring to the work, and your relevant experience working with kids and farming. 

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We are looking to expand our budding internship program this upcoming Summer. This program is geared towards high school & college students, recent grads, people taking a gap year, and anyone else who is looking to dive into the field of farm-based & environmental education.

 

As an intern, you’ll jump into learning new skills alongside the kids in our educational programming – raising chickens, bunnies, goats, and cows, milking animals, gardening, carpentry, handwork, wilderness skills, etc. You’ll also have the opportunity to take on a leadership role, becoming more familiar with group management skills, and honing your ability to identify the kids’ varied needs and engage them accordingly — through farm care, play, and exploration.

 

In this program, we will immerse interns in NVF’s unique teaching philosophy. Our mission is to foster a sense of belonging in kids through meaningful work and connections with plants, animals, and other people. In our work, we strive to:

• Minimize playground structures and sports equipment to maximize the draw of marshes, climbing trees, forests, meadows of flowers, wood chips, etc. 

• Minimize rules and support children in making safe and positive choices on their own.

• Add responsibility as participants rise to the work to keep them growing and engaged. 

• Meet life as it unfolds – allowing the curriculum to shift as the needs of the animals, gardens, and farm change.

• Help kids to find balance and peace in an increasingly busy & digital world.

• Use a behavior is communication approach to understanding conflict, and use restorative practices to move forward. 

 

Gratitude, resilience, collaboration, and presence are core to the work we do.

 

Interns are invited to join our Family Farming Time (Mondays, with kids aged 2-4 yrs), Farm School programs (Tues-Fri, with kids 5-12 yrs) and in our After-School programs (Mon, Wed, Thurs, with kids 5-9 yrs), and other visiting school groups. Hours can vary based on interns’ schedules and the farm’s needs.

 

This is an unpaid role. We can offer academic credit and volunteer hours. We will consider applicants on a rolling basis. To apply, please send a resume to newvillagefarmprograms@gmail.com. 

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