WE’RE HIRING!
The woods are calling and so are New Orleans area students.
Join Our Team: Apply to be a Part-Time Earth Educator
For nearly 30 years, T.R.E.E. (Teaching Responsible Earth Education) has helped New Orleans-area students build a real, lasting connection to the natural world — through Earthkeepers, our 4th grade day program, and Sunship Earth and Sunship III, our residential programs for 5th and 7th graders. We're looking for part-time Earth Educators who enjoy working with young people, love teaching outdoors, and want to help students engage in science and see themselves as capable stewards of the Earth.
What you'll do
As an Earth Educator, you'll teach hands-on science content, guide students through an immersive, story-driven curriculum, and help manage a safe, engaging outdoor classroom — whether that's a day in the field at Earthkeepers or a multi-day residential adventure at Sunship Earth or Sunship III. You'll work closely with a small, dedicated team of educators and each program's Coordinator, and no two days will look quite the same.
Programs
• Earthkeepers (4th grade): 3-day day program, fall and winter, at our training center in Luling, LA
• Sunship Earth (5th grade): residential, 5 days/4 nights, Friday–Tuesday, fall, in Covington, LA
• Sunship III (7th grade): residential, 3 days/2 nights, Wednesday–Friday, winter and spring, in Covington, LA
This is a single role that spans all three programs — you'll teach the daytime Earthkeepers program as well as the overnight Sunship Earth and Sunship III programs.
Training and program sessions run September through March — a fairly full fall (training plus Earthkeepers and Sunship Earth, roughly September–December) followed by a winter/spring stretch of Sunship III and additional Earthkeepers sessions (January–March) that varies year to year with school participation and funding. Educators who enjoy the work have the option to return the following season, after a check-in conversation each April. Part-time educators may also be able to advance to full-time positions as openings occur.
What we're looking for
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience working with children
• Genuine enthusiasm for the outdoors, in every kind of weather
• Strong classroom/group management skills and openness to coaching
• Physical stamina — including the ability to lift 50 lbs
• A flexible schedule, with full availability for the multi-day Sunship Earth and Sunship III residential sessions and initial first week of overnight training
• Reliable transportation is a plus — carpooling to program sites with fellow educators is common and encouraged
What you'll get
• $18.00/hour for all hours worked — training and program time alike — with time-and-a-half overtime ($27.00/hour) after 40 hours worked in a week
• Mileage reimbursement ($0.625/mile) and toll coverage for travel to program sites other than routine travel to the Southshore office
• Paid training each September, plus CPR and First Aid certification
• A close-knit community of educators who share your love of the outdoors
• The chance to watch students light up as they discover their place in the natural world
Ready to apply?
First, read “T.R.E.E.: A Commitment to Quality Education” and “So You Want to Be an Earth Educator.” Then, send a cover letter and resume to employment@treetalk.org. T.R.E.E. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in employment or in its programs and activities.
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Teaching Responsible Earth Education (T.R.E.E.) is a nonprofit founded to engage students in science and nature and to model educational communities of kindness. T.R.E.E.’s main goals are to open minds to how our planet Earth operates, including its interconnectedness, and to provide opportunities that build confidence and independence. An Earth Educator is essential to ensuring that each T.R.E.E. participant knows that what they do matters and that they individually matter. An Earth Educator does this by learning not just comprehensive program activity roles, but also by understanding and implementing carefully designed teaching approaches that incorporate the head, heart, and hands of all learners.