Lead Instructor

The Hearty Roots Mission

Hearty Roots is a fast-scaling youth development nonprofit reimagining the intersection of classroom learning and the camp experience. We foster resilience by cultivating long-term relationships and meaningful connections to the natural world. Serving over 1,000 youth annually, we believe that outdoor adventure and the power of “awe” provide the ultimate setting for social connectedness and emotional growth.

The Role: A Versatile Educator

We are seeking a Lead Instructor who thrives on variety and is energized by the unpredictable. This is a role for a professional “pivoter”—someone who can transition seamlessly from a school-side green space with elementary students to a 24-hour wilderness campout with teenagers, or provide one-on-one support for neurodivergent youth in our Sunbeam camp.

The ideal candidate is a proactive self-starter who turns a rainy afternoon into a transformative lesson with ease. You are someone who adapts well to a shifting schedule and views every logistical curveball as an opportunity for a purposeful lesson.

This Lead Instructor is as comfortable in a classroom hallway as they are on a remote trailhead. You will bounce between short, high-energy school-based blocks and full-day, immersive camp sessions.

• During the School Year (The Pivot): Your schedule is a mix of school-based “green space” programs and Hearty Roots campus sessions. You’ll master the art of the quick transition—leading multiple 45-minute blocks per week, with the occasional field trip or community partnership immersive experience on our campus grounds in Bremen. You will play a key role in expanding our curriculum to ensure it resonates with young people from all walks of life and abilities.
• During Vacations & Summer (The Deep Dive): When schools are closed, the woods are open. Your role shifts into full-day camp leadership on our Bremen campus. Here, you’ll trade the “block” schedule for mindful day-camp adventures with elementary youth. You’ll also be ready to pivot to middle and high school programming, which may include overnight experiences that introduce side-country camping and mini-expeditions to teenagers.

The Heart of the Mission: You are the consistent bridge for our participants. By building relationships during the school year and welcoming those same faces to our campus during breaks, you provide the long-term connection that supports young people as they develop and transition into young adulthood.

Core Responsibilities

1. Direct Facilitation  

• Develop adaptable curricula and lead immersive programming across shifting landscapes—from school-side green spaces to backcountry campsites.
• School-Based Programming: Whole class adventures to small group supportive SEL (Social Emotional Learning) experiences, primarily with elementary and middle school students.
• Campus-Based Programming: Vacation camps, pop up days, field trips, to occasional overnights for middle and high school aged youth.
• Inclusive Mentorship: Differentiate instruction on the fly for youth across all walks of life, learning abilities, and developmental stages.
• Behavioral Grit: Confidently manage complex group dynamics and behaviors with a calm, restorative approach.
• Dynamic Risk Assessment: Maintain a constant “safety-first” mindset, assessing environmental hazards, medical emergencies, and social-emotional risks in real-time.

2. Indirect Coordination 

• Autonomous Execution: Design and expand responsive lessons and activities rooted in our pillars: Adventure, Connection, Ritual, and Reflection.
• Logistical Hustle: Pitch in on gear management, site coordination, and policy refinement. We are a scaling nonprofit; we need “all hands on deck” contributors.
• Community Outreach: Expect to represent the organization at community events, friendraisers, and mission aligned conferences and workshops.
• Stakeholder Bridge: Communicate clearly and professionally with schools, parents, and community partners to support the “whole child.”

Who You Are

• Self-reliant  & High Impact: You are resourceful, steady in a storm, and don’t need a perfectly curated environment to be effective.
• The Ultimate Pivoter: You are comfortable juggling multiple school partners and various cohorts in a single week. You thrive in a “dynamic” (read: fast-paced and ever-changing) schedule.
• Relationship-Based: You believe that consistent presence and shared adventure are essential to healthy youth development.
• Maine-Tough: You embrace the mud, the snow, and the humidity with genuine enthusiasm. The elements are teaching tools for resilience and earth-based skills development.
• Team Player: You shine at working collaboratively and closely with others on an efficient and nimble team.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Required: Professional experience 4+ years in teaching, counseling, outdoor education, youth development, or social services.
• Required: 21+ with high level of physical and mental stamina for 8+ hour outdoor shifts in all terrain.
• Preferred: Experience facilitating outdoor programming, with a knack for earth-based instruction such as carving, fishing, kayaking, fire-building, LNT, camping, outdoor cooking, navigation, etc.
• Logistics: Available for a 40-hour week with occasional early mornings, evenings, or overnights.
• Certifications: Current Lifeguard, WFA/WFR or Maine Guide preferred; must be willing to obtain necessary certifications
• Safety: Must pass a comprehensive background check.