Looking for something more than just "a job"?
​
Prioritize personal growth and transformation for yourself, your students and the world!

We are currently hiring:
  • Homeschool Guide (end of August 2024 - June 9, 2025)
  • Substitute Guides (2024-2025)
  • Field Assistants (2024-2025)​
​Currently, our programs are in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of DC, and gradually expanding outward. 

We are also interested in candidates for the following:
  • Expeditionary Trip Guide (2024-2025)
  • Permaculture/Regenerative Farmer (2024-2025)​
See more details about our positions below.

HOW TO APPLY:
​
Please respond to Nick Grenier ([email protected]) with a resume and a brief cover letter introducing yourself, which position you are interested in, why you're excited about the position, and your earliest start date.

We look forward to hearing from you!

 
Become a Natural Leaders Guide:

About you:

  • You love nature, wilderness survival skills, and helping youth grow as leaders and individuals.  

About us:

  • We are a small company pioneering a powerful new student-led educational model.

General Position Description:

  • We are seeking guides to help young people have amazing adventures, develop character and wilderness survival skills, and grow into leaders.
  • You will initially shadow and train with a lead mentor, before transitioning to that role yourself then helping to pioneer new programs. Great career advancement opportunities for the right candidates.
  • We have programs at Maryland and Virginia locations, and are gradually expanding outward from near Washington, DC.  

Responsibilities:

  • Help facilitate a dynamic nature-based outdoor-leadership program with a mixed-age group of students.

Homeschool Program Guides:

  • Meet weekly and facilitate 5 different groups of homeschoolers; each group meets for 5 hours and engages in games, exploring, skill-building and more.   
  • Groups are typically 7-10 students, mixed ages between 7-17yrs old. Often there are younger groups (7-10yro) and older groups (11-17yro). Those with experience, confidence, and passion for working with younger groups is a bonus!
  • Out of the field, you assign leadership roles to students and send out reports about each day to parents.
  • Homeschool Program Schedule: M-F (for FT guides), 9:45am-3:15pm (field work - includes pickup & drop-off), 0.5~1hr/day (admin/curriculum/virtual prep).
  • ​Part-time options available (1-4 days/week). Contracts for Homeschool Guides run September - June and those guides get first pick of their Summer Program schedule - June-August.

Desirable qualifications for all Guide Positions:

  • Experience with primitive skills, tracking, wilderness awareness, backcountry/wilderness survival programs.
  • Teaching, coaching and/or mentoring experience.
  • First Aid certification is good; WFA or WFR ideal.
  • Wilderness Awareness School, Tracker School background would be great.  BOSS or other survival training also very valuable. 
  • Scouting, Outward Bound, NOLS or similar program experience valuable.
  • Background with Waldorf Education, Montessori, or Charlotte Mason would be helpful.
  • Have a passion for sharing nature with children.
  • Appreciate the importance of character development and personal growth, for yourself and students.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Confidence navigating and discussing group dynamics with students and their families.
  • Humble, curious, open and excited to learn and grow.
  • Ideally, have Bachelor's degree, or at least some college - are intellectually curious and can think critically and independently.

Substitute Guides
  • Part-time opportunities throughout the year to facilitate outdoor group experiences for our Homeschool & Summer Programs.
  • Get some time out-in-the-field while you cover for our Lead Guides when they need time off.
  • ~1-3 days per month dependent on staffing needs.

Summer Program Guides:

  • Meet (mostly) new students each week and facilitate groups of 8-10 (mixed ages, 7-13yrs+). Each group meets for 7 hours and engages in games, exploring, skill-building and more. 
  • Out of the field, you lead students in skill-building, games, discovery.
  • Schedule: Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm. Drop-off starts at 8:45am and pickup runs to 4:15pm.
  • Contracts for Summer Guides run June 10 through August 23rd, 2024.
  • Opportunities to join us for the next Homeschool Year based on interest, availability, and enrollment!

Pioneering positions:

The following are areas of opportunity where we would like to expand our offerings, but will need to find the right candidates to help us do so.
Expeditionary Trip Guide (2024-2025)

We are looking for experienced guides with a passion for next-level adventure, to pioneer new programs, primarily overnights for older students, and/or day trips farther afield with our 15 passenger van.   

We are interested in WFR certified guides that have a background in facilitating any and all of the following at a high level:
  • Outdoor rock-climbing
  • Whitewater sports
  • Backpacking
  • Mountain biking

We will work with the right candidate(s) to create a sustainable outing schedule for the summer and/or for the academic year.

Permaculture/Regenerative Agriculture Practitioner (2024-2025)​

We are looking for someone with a passion for permaculture and/or regenerative agriculture to help us to pioneer new programs that teach these skills to kids.

We are also looking for someone with a passion for permaculture and/or regenerative agriculture to help us make our land productive, and build out a CSA to serve our large community of outdoorsy families that we work with around the greater DC metro area.

We have access to 4+ different small homesteads/mini-farms (1.5 to 10 acres+) around the DC area.  
 
Additional Opportunities:

Interested in becoming a Natural Leaders Guide but new to outdoor education, group facilitation, and/or wilderness survival skill-building?

We are hiring support staff for our Homeschool and Summer Programs. These team members will get the opportunity to support our programs while training and develop their skills with experienced guides. An excellent pathway to continuing education & Lead Guide positions with Natural Leaders.

Field Assistants

Schedule:
Homeschool Program (Sep - Jun) - FT or PT (1-5 days/week), 9:30am - 3:30pm

Year-round or season-specific, depending on availability

Rate: $100 - $150/day

Fieldwork:
  • Serve as an extra set-of-hands, eyes and ears for our Lead Guides!
  • Help support more intensive curriculum.
  • Provide group coverage when lead guides must tend to a health emergency, group dynamic challenges, etc.
  • Sharpen outdoor leadership skills alongside students with the goal of eventually leading their own groups when ready.

Virtual:
  • An integral part of our curriculum is sharing stories of student adventures with families. This position will help Lead Guides and students in their leadership roles with photo management and adventure reporting.
  • Will also have the opportunity to work with the Admin Team to support marketing efforts via social media platforms

Teen Apprenticeships
  • Custom Teen Apprenticeships considered where there is interest and suitability. Contact Nick Grenier - [email protected] for more information.