NOW HIRING:
Specialist Guide – Summer Seasonal
Real skills. Real standards. Real mentorship.
As a Specialist with Trackers, you teach your craft with depth in one of the most innovative outdoor education programs in the country—a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring your mastery into award-winning camps where old school skills meet serious standards. You're a practiced expert in a real discipline—pottery, woodcraft, waterfront skills, blacksmithing, fiber arts, archery, herbalism, or another field skill—and you pass that knowledge to youth ages 5–17.
We are an action-packed, fast-paced old school outdoor program. We value competence-building field education where kids earn confidence through adventure and challenge. Trackers Earth operates with clear safety systems, time-tested procedures, and an intricate camp environment few organizations match—the kind of strong container where serious practitioners thrive.
Who You Are
You hold the standard for your craft, teach with rigor and care, and help kids understand what real practice feels like. This role demands teaching clarity, field judgment, and the ability to make hard-earned knowledge accessible and alive while working independently within Trackers Earth’s safety systems and supported by Lead Guides and Coordinators.
If you're ready to join one of the Best Camps in the Known Universe—a crew where connection, independence, competency, and deep craft knowledge are valued, where everyone is leveling up their skills, and where your mastery and ability to transmit your discipline to the next generation will be put to meaningful use—you can find your crew here.
Specialty Areas – What We're Hiring For
We seek Specialist Guides in fields where Trackers has established curriculum, infrastructure, and community need. If your expertise lies outside these areas, we are not currently hiring for other specialties.
- Ceramics and Pottery
- Woodworking and Sloyd
- Bushcraft and Primitive Skills
- Wildlife Tracking and/or Hunter Safety
- Forestry, Farming, and/or Ranching
- Fishing and Shoreline Foraging
- Rock Climbing and Technical Guiding
- Paddlesports and Waterfront Safety
Skills & Experience
- Demonstrated mastery: 3+ years of professional or instructional experience in your specialty. Long-term depth, not hobby-level interest—you're recognized as a subject-matter expert
- Teaching outcomes: Proven track record of instruction with measurable results, ideally with youth. You can break down technique, build progressions, and help learners succeed
- Youth setting experience: You've worked with ages 5–17 in structured environments and can combine technical instruction with developmental mentorship in safe, engaging ways
- Standards alignment: You respect apprenticeship-style learning and want to transmit your discipline inside a program with clear standards and hands-on teaching
Successful Trackers Specialists come from pottery studios, woodworking shops, waterfront programs, blacksmithing shops, ranching operations, bushcraft schools, wildlife tracking programs, and outdoor guiding specialties. Some hold formal certifications (WFA/WFR, lifeguarding, paddling, climbing, hunter safety, tool-safety credentials) or degrees in related fields; others learned through mentorship lineages and thousands of hours of practice. Trackers evaluators may request a skills demonstration, portfolio, teaching sample, or references to assess depth and fit.
What You’re Responsible For
- Safety: Maintain awareness of students, tools, materials, and workspace conditions. Hold clear boundaries, enforce safety practices specific to your discipline, and make timely calls that keep students safe and focused during instruction.
- Operations: Prepare and run your instructional block with strong flow and clear expectations. Stage materials and tools, maintain your workspace, communicate needs or constraints to the coordinating team, and support smooth transitions before and after your sessions.
- Stewardship: Care for students, tools, and teaching spaces. Maintain cleanliness, organization, and respectful use of equipment, and mentor behavior using Trackers child and group management standards while students are in your care.
- Leadership: Teach real skills with clarity and purpose. Model competence, patience, and high standards, and contribute to a culture of learning and respect. Support the broader Trackers program by aligning your instruction with Trackers shared language, expectations, and values.
Kids Run Camp
At Trackers, independence is built through shared service, not free play. As a Specialist, you support this by teaching students to take responsibility within your lane, including tool care, setup and cleanup, attention to safety rules, and respect for shared spaces. You help kids step into ownership by holding clear expectations and trusting them with real responsibility as they earn it.
Schedule & Program Structure
- Teaching Weeks: June 15 – August 21, 2026 (typically Mon–Fri)
- Training Required for Placement:
- First Year - Trackers 101: Choose June 6–7 or June 8–9, 2026
- All Staff- Trackers 102: June 10–12, 2026
- Typical Hours: ~5.5 hours on scheduled program days.
Pay & Compensation
Hourly Pay: $22.50–$28.50/hour
- Pay is set yearly based on experience, relevant certifications, and program needs
- Training Pay: Training is paid at local minimum wage; add-ons do not apply during training
- Some Specialist assignments include gear storage/transport (e.g., fishing or archery). When applicable, Trackers may provide a pre-approved seasonal stipend for these duties
Physical Readiness
This is a hands-on role. Physical demands vary by program assignment. Reasonable accommodations may be available for qualified individuals.
Adventure - Outdoors
- Lift, carry, and pack up to 50 lbs; hike 10–20 miles in a day as needed across uneven, off-trail terrain while supervising youth (you’ll get your steps in)
- Supervise safely in outdoor conditions: heat, cold, rain, and snow; operate in heat index up to 104°F and AQI 69–150 with modified breaks and activity levels as needed
- Arrive prepared for the outdoor environment with insulated and waterproof outdoor clothing and footwear appropriate to environmental conditions
- Ride transport with students via van/bus as assigned, including extended rides in noisy vehicle cabins
Basecamp - Classroom
- Lift, carry, and move up to 50 lbs (tools/materials)
- Stand and move between workstations for extended periods (typically 3–5 hours)
- Use equipment with safe control, coordination, and attention to detail while supervising students
- Maintain shop safety protocols in active, noisy workshop and studio environments; occasionally transport materials or equipment between locations
Required Certifications
- CPR & First Aid (or ability to obtain before start)
- Emergency allergy response training
- Mandated Reporter Training (Oregon; 18+)
Additional Requirements
- Background check + references
- Valid driver’s license held 2+ years (for driving assignments)
- Complete required Trackers trainings (paid)
- Program Dependent: Food Handler’s Permit (food prep) + Fishing License (fishing programs)
How to Apply
Apply early and note your availability and interests (school-year, seasonal breaks, summer). Qualified applicants may be placed on an on-deck list for upcoming openings. Employment is at-will, and this posting is not a contract.
Mutual Fit Period: All new hires—including seasonal transitions—begin with a 90-day mutual fit period for onboarding, training, feedback, and clear shared expectations.
