work with us
Are you interested in joining the Outside Adventure Staff?
Applications are accepted year-round, but our main hiring season is January, February, and March. Please apply early to have the best opportunity to work with Outside Adventure Kids. Full-time (seasonal) positions begin in mid-May and end in mid-August.
This program is all about kids, so if you don’t have a passion for working with youth, please do not apply.
Outside Adventure Kids Application and Hiring Process:
b. Successful completion of a field class in the Spring; the field class is an opportunity for us to assess your climbing and biking skills; this is part of the interview process and you are not paid for this time.
c. All of your new employee paperwork is submitted within 2 weeks of being offered employment (with the exception of the Dr. physical which at times can take longer).
Questions?
Email Paul@OutsideAdventureKids.com or call Paul at 415-992-6603 ext. 113.
Outside Adventure Kids is committed to equal employment opportunity in all of its business dealings without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical disability or military status. Seasonal positions are temporary in nature and do not provide vacation time accrual, etc. Seasonal employees working more than one month will be eligible for health benefits. Any applicant who knowingly or willfully makes a false statement of any material fact or thing in this application is guilty of perjury in the second degree as defined in Section 18-8-503, C.R.S., and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions from Applicants
How can I get my Wilderness 1st Aid certification? CPR?
Outside Adventure Kids will be hosting a Wilderness Medical Institute (WMI) WFA course in Boulder, CO at the end of May, dates tbd. The cost of the course will be $200; courses are typically $225 (this course is subsidized by the instructor as a favor to OAK staff). If you cannot make those dates, then please refer to Wilderness Medical Institute, Wilderness Medical Associates, or SOLO for other courses this Spring. Staff must have a WFA, WFR, or EMT before working with OAK. In addition, please make sure that you have a current CPR certification. OAK will offer a Medicine Administration Course to interested staff for the greatly subsidized cost of $10.
Why so much mention of Boulder, CO?
OAK is an expansion of a company called Avid4 Adventure, which has been based in Boulder, CO for 10 years. Avid4 Adventure entered into a partnership with Outside Magazine in the fall of 2012. This summer will be our first year operating OAK, and our first year of operations in the SF Bay Area. We feel like Avid4 programming is great, and our goal is to, as closely as possible, duplicate that model in the Bay Area; to that end, the operations of OAK will be the same as Avid4 Adventure's operations in Colorado.
How does transportation and carpooling work?
We always try to carpool and provide various carpooling options whenever possible.
How many hours should I expect to work?
Typical summer hours are 7:00-3:15 on Mondays (early for registration), 7:45-3:15 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 7:45-4:15 on Wednesdays (staff meeting).
Is my gas reimbursed?
If you are driving a personal car, you are responsible to cover your expenses to your first point of work and home from that point. However, if we ever ask you to drive a personal vehicle from your point of work to another work location (rare), then we will happily reimburse you at the government rate per mile for that distance and back to that point, assuming it is farther away from your home. For example, many climbing instructors have the opportunity to directly go to a climbing site in the morning as opposed to report to camp. If that is the case, it means your day is a bit shorter… you are not compensated for gas to drive directly to that site. However, if we then ask you to attend a staff meeting after camp, then we would reimburse your mileage from the crag to the camp location and back to the site, assuming that was your way home.
What certifications do I need to work with OAK?
All staff must have the following certs by the start of summer camp: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or EMT is mandatory. Wilderness First Aid is offered by WMI, Solo, WMA or the American Red Cross (cheaper, but not as quality in our experience). CPR is also required. If you want to take CPR with Avid staff, please let me know. In addition, for any staff interested in a Medicine Administration certification, we will offer that at a greatly subsidized cost. During training, you will also have the opportunity to receive American Red Cross Small Craft safety certifications in canoeing and kayaking and defensive van certification from Avid4 if you do not already have them. If you want to register for the OAK Wilderness 1st Aid, please email Paul@OutsideAdventureKids.com
How am I compensated?
Day camp compensation is a set day rate depending on past experience and tenure with OAK. Starting wage is $75 per day. Training days are paid at a flat rate unless you are receiving a certification required to be employed by OAK (paddling and driving days), in which case OAK covers the cost of the certification but not your time.
Will I be working with a variety of children in a variety of different activities?
Yes, the majority of staff hired will be working with children 7-12 years old and have the opportunity to work our Mulit-Sport Day Camp, where the campers spend one full day one each of our core activities (climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking). Highly technical staff will have the opportunity to work more specifically in one sport area.
What other benefits are offered?
Our goal is that OAK will be the best job you ever have. From discounted staff weekend trips to afternoon climbs and happy hours, we want you to have a great time. As an added bonus, OAK will: reimburse 1st year staff whenever they use the bus for work, pay 50% of your health insurance if you join one of our plans while you are working full-time, have a pro deal program for basically any gear you want, and offer a performance-based bonus to eligible staff. New in 2013: we are reimbursing returning staff up to $100 per year for certifications related to biking, climbing, kayaking or LNT; OAK is reimbursing staff up to $50 for any race, event or fundraiser involving our core sports; and we will be awarding one lucky staff member a flight to anywhere in the world with a $500 travel stipend for a dream adventure.
When will my seasonal contract end?
Summer contracts end the middle of August, however there is generally an opportunity to extend your summer season to work some school programs in Colorado (please speak with the Program Director if you are interested these additional opportunities). Any available Fall jobs will be made available to all staff midway through the summer.
Are there opportunities for growth with OAK?
Yes! This is a our very first year in the SF Bay Area. We plan on growing bigger each year - adding additional locations and growing existing camp locations with more groups per week. We are always on the lookout for next summer’s directors, activity supervisors and specialists.
What’s next?
Thank you for reading this far down in the FAQs. As soon as possible, fill out the application. After we receive your application, you will hear from us within a week, either by email or phone. If we call you, it means we have some follow-up questions from your application that we would like to review. About ½ of you will be selected for an interview. Interview questions range from technical skills (show me a J-stroke) to behavior management responses (How would you handle the following situation…). From there, we will fully reference you and be in touch asap if we have a job for you.
Thanks for your interest in Outside Adventure Kids!
Applications are accepted year-round, but our main hiring season is January, February, and March. Please apply early to have the best opportunity to work with Outside Adventure Kids. Full-time (seasonal) positions begin in mid-May and end in mid-August.
This program is all about kids, so if you don’t have a passion for working with youth, please do not apply.
Outside Adventure Kids Application and Hiring Process:
- Complete the OAK 2013 Staff Overview and Application completely. Incomplete applications will be returned. Please SAVE this document to your computer as “LastName, First Name_2013_OAKApplication“ in either MS Word or a PDF. Email completed application to info@OutsideAdventureKids.com, fax to 303-265-9445, or mail to Outside Adventure Kids, PO Box 287 in Boulder, CO 80306. Please note that hand-written applications will be returned if they are not completely legible.
- Once we receive your application, we will review it thoroughly. If we are not interested in moving forward with your application, you will receive an email. If we are interested in moving forward, we will follow up with a phone call.
- We will spend 5-10 minutes on the phone with you answering any questions that you may have and further discussing the opportunities.
- If we want to continue the process, we will follow up with a phone call or email to schedule an in-person interview.
- Interviews are 45 minutes; you will spend time with David Secunda, OAK Owner, Paul Dreyer, OAK Program Director, and Kyle Littman, OAK Operations Director. Questions will range from experiences with children to technical skills in the sports we teach to behavior management scenarios. If the interview is to be in-person, please dress professional; business casual is fine.
- Our team will do a thorough reference check with no less than 3 references. Two of these reference must be with previous employers or professors.
- Once we gather all of this information, we will offer you a job dependent on the following conditions:
b. Successful completion of a field class in the Spring; the field class is an opportunity for us to assess your climbing and biking skills; this is part of the interview process and you are not paid for this time.
c. All of your new employee paperwork is submitted within 2 weeks of being offered employment (with the exception of the Dr. physical which at times can take longer).
Questions?
Email Paul@OutsideAdventureKids.com or call Paul at 415-992-6603 ext. 113.
Outside Adventure Kids is committed to equal employment opportunity in all of its business dealings without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical disability or military status. Seasonal positions are temporary in nature and do not provide vacation time accrual, etc. Seasonal employees working more than one month will be eligible for health benefits. Any applicant who knowingly or willfully makes a false statement of any material fact or thing in this application is guilty of perjury in the second degree as defined in Section 18-8-503, C.R.S., and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions from Applicants
How can I get my Wilderness 1st Aid certification? CPR?
Outside Adventure Kids will be hosting a Wilderness Medical Institute (WMI) WFA course in Boulder, CO at the end of May, dates tbd. The cost of the course will be $200; courses are typically $225 (this course is subsidized by the instructor as a favor to OAK staff). If you cannot make those dates, then please refer to Wilderness Medical Institute, Wilderness Medical Associates, or SOLO for other courses this Spring. Staff must have a WFA, WFR, or EMT before working with OAK. In addition, please make sure that you have a current CPR certification. OAK will offer a Medicine Administration Course to interested staff for the greatly subsidized cost of $10.
Why so much mention of Boulder, CO?
OAK is an expansion of a company called Avid4 Adventure, which has been based in Boulder, CO for 10 years. Avid4 Adventure entered into a partnership with Outside Magazine in the fall of 2012. This summer will be our first year operating OAK, and our first year of operations in the SF Bay Area. We feel like Avid4 programming is great, and our goal is to, as closely as possible, duplicate that model in the Bay Area; to that end, the operations of OAK will be the same as Avid4 Adventure's operations in Colorado.
How does transportation and carpooling work?
We always try to carpool and provide various carpooling options whenever possible.
How many hours should I expect to work?
Typical summer hours are 7:00-3:15 on Mondays (early for registration), 7:45-3:15 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 7:45-4:15 on Wednesdays (staff meeting).
Is my gas reimbursed?
If you are driving a personal car, you are responsible to cover your expenses to your first point of work and home from that point. However, if we ever ask you to drive a personal vehicle from your point of work to another work location (rare), then we will happily reimburse you at the government rate per mile for that distance and back to that point, assuming it is farther away from your home. For example, many climbing instructors have the opportunity to directly go to a climbing site in the morning as opposed to report to camp. If that is the case, it means your day is a bit shorter… you are not compensated for gas to drive directly to that site. However, if we then ask you to attend a staff meeting after camp, then we would reimburse your mileage from the crag to the camp location and back to the site, assuming that was your way home.
What certifications do I need to work with OAK?
All staff must have the following certs by the start of summer camp: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or EMT is mandatory. Wilderness First Aid is offered by WMI, Solo, WMA or the American Red Cross (cheaper, but not as quality in our experience). CPR is also required. If you want to take CPR with Avid staff, please let me know. In addition, for any staff interested in a Medicine Administration certification, we will offer that at a greatly subsidized cost. During training, you will also have the opportunity to receive American Red Cross Small Craft safety certifications in canoeing and kayaking and defensive van certification from Avid4 if you do not already have them. If you want to register for the OAK Wilderness 1st Aid, please email Paul@OutsideAdventureKids.com
How am I compensated?
Day camp compensation is a set day rate depending on past experience and tenure with OAK. Starting wage is $75 per day. Training days are paid at a flat rate unless you are receiving a certification required to be employed by OAK (paddling and driving days), in which case OAK covers the cost of the certification but not your time.
Will I be working with a variety of children in a variety of different activities?
Yes, the majority of staff hired will be working with children 7-12 years old and have the opportunity to work our Mulit-Sport Day Camp, where the campers spend one full day one each of our core activities (climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking). Highly technical staff will have the opportunity to work more specifically in one sport area.
What other benefits are offered?
Our goal is that OAK will be the best job you ever have. From discounted staff weekend trips to afternoon climbs and happy hours, we want you to have a great time. As an added bonus, OAK will: reimburse 1st year staff whenever they use the bus for work, pay 50% of your health insurance if you join one of our plans while you are working full-time, have a pro deal program for basically any gear you want, and offer a performance-based bonus to eligible staff. New in 2013: we are reimbursing returning staff up to $100 per year for certifications related to biking, climbing, kayaking or LNT; OAK is reimbursing staff up to $50 for any race, event or fundraiser involving our core sports; and we will be awarding one lucky staff member a flight to anywhere in the world with a $500 travel stipend for a dream adventure.
When will my seasonal contract end?
Summer contracts end the middle of August, however there is generally an opportunity to extend your summer season to work some school programs in Colorado (please speak with the Program Director if you are interested these additional opportunities). Any available Fall jobs will be made available to all staff midway through the summer.
Are there opportunities for growth with OAK?
Yes! This is a our very first year in the SF Bay Area. We plan on growing bigger each year - adding additional locations and growing existing camp locations with more groups per week. We are always on the lookout for next summer’s directors, activity supervisors and specialists.
What’s next?
Thank you for reading this far down in the FAQs. As soon as possible, fill out the application. After we receive your application, you will hear from us within a week, either by email or phone. If we call you, it means we have some follow-up questions from your application that we would like to review. About ½ of you will be selected for an interview. Interview questions range from technical skills (show me a J-stroke) to behavior management responses (How would you handle the following situation…). From there, we will fully reference you and be in touch asap if we have a job for you.
Thanks for your interest in Outside Adventure Kids!
