Summer jobs, Student jobs

Positions: Environmental Educator
Organization: Sea Smart
Location: Vancouver, BC

Do you:

• love exploring nature and understanding our place in it?
• think it’s important to connect kids to nature?
• enjoy mentoring and inspiring youth?
• believe that individual action has the power to create meaningful change?

If you answered yes, consider working with Sea Smart this summer to inspire youth engagement with the ocean and environment!

Sea Smart is looking for dynamic educators to help us deliver our summer camps. Join our passionate group of science communicators and environmental educators in organizing and delivering high-impact programming to hundreds of youth across Vancouver. We are looking for individuals who have the passion and commitment to inspire youth to make a positive impact on the environment, and are excited about spending a summer outdoors!

This is a seasonal, full-time position from June 26th to August 22nd, 2025, with possibility for casual/ part-time work in the late spring and fall (if you are interested in working in the late spring and/ or fall, please include in Cover Letter). Final dates will be confirmed during the interview process. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Applications are reviewed daily.

About Sea Smart

Sea Smart uses fun, hands-on games and outdoor activities to teach youth in Kindergarten to Grade 12 about current issues impacting the ocean and to brainstorm solutions in our summer camps. Founded by marine biologist Dr. Elaine Leung, Sea Smart helps youth understand the role they play in making the world a better place, while building essential life skills such as creative thinking, personal awareness, and social responsibility. Sea Smart’s innovative curriculum tackles environmental challenges from an intersectional lens, blending together biology, ecology, art, and social studies, to teach youth about ocean issues with a solutions-based approach. In an age when environmental problems are overwhelming for the next generation and it is easy to lose hope, we aim to empower students with the ability to take action in their individual lives and communities.

We are a small but mighty team (with 5 - 20 staff), passionate about our organization’s mission and fostering an inclusive, joyful, compassionate and purpose-drive work environment

About the Role

The Environmental Educator’s primary responsibility is to deliver summer camp programs in a fun and engaging manner to teach students about ocean issues and what we can do to help. In this position, you will work with a team to develop and deliver Sea Smart summer camps. This involves program preparation, collecting and managing registration information and data, collecting waivers, communicating with parents, coordinating volunteers, and creating innovative lesson plans based on the ocean and environment. In addition, the summer camp staff is responsible for the smooth delivery of the program and the safety of all campers onsite. As the summer camp staff, you are expected to fill a leadership role to participants and volunteers, providing assistance and guidance as needed.

Work Conditions

• Full time work hours from 8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday from June 26th to Aug 22nd, 2025. Vacation time is prohibited during these periods unless approved during the hiring process.
• Lifting heavy objects daily - applicants must be able to lift and move 20kgs to chest level.
• Programs take place fully outdoors with no access to indoor spaces (except public restrooms), delivered at Kitsilano Beach and John Hendry Park (Trout Lake Park). Applicants should be comfortable working in variable weather conditions outdoors.
  • Associated risks: excessive heat, extreme weather conditions, uneven walking surfaces.
  • Sea Smart has policies in place to reduce work and programming during extreme weather conditions, including heat, smoke, and storms.

Positions Available

Sea Smart is offering three types of summer camp positions:

• Site Supervisor, Environmental Educator (2 Positions Available)
• Senior Educator, Environmental Educator (4 Positions Available)
• Junior Educator, Environmental Educator (4 Positions Available)

 

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Site Supervisor Position

Responsibilities:

• Supervising summer camp programs and ensuring procedures and protocols for safety and quality of programming are achieved.
• Ensuring the collection of emergency contact information for all educators, volunteers, and campers
• Communicating with parents and guardians throughout the camps.
• Reporting to the Program Coordinator with any concerns or feedback.
• Overseeing the onsite day-to-day operations of summer camps
• Supervising summer camp staff including four educators and multiple volunteers
• Educating vulnerable/ at-risk children.
• Collecting forms and surveys from educators and submitting them to the Program Coordinator.
• Facilitating end of the day check-ins.
• Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of campers, volunteers, and fellow staff members by enforcing compliance with camp safety rules, guidelines, and policies.
• Reviewing details of incident reports with guardians and reporting to the Program Coordinator.
• Learning and implementing all curriculum, policies, emergency procedures, and rules within a leadership role.
• Keeping track of materials for summer camps and informing the Program Coordinator if supplies need to be refilled.
• Managing registration information.
• Using inquiry and experiential based teaching techniques to promote wonder and excitement in children.
• Providing support and leadership to educators and volunteers.
• Setting up and taking down materials for summer camps.
• Fostering a positive, inclusive and nurturing camp environment for all campers, volunteers, and staff members.

Qualifications Required:

• Background in science, marine biology, environmental issues or sustainability, or equivalent traditional knowledge.
• At least four years of experience working with children (ages 5-12), ideally in a group or teaching environment and outdoors
• At least 2 years of experience in management.
• Proven leadership skills and exceptional teamwork abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional planning, organizational, multi-tasking and self-directed work skills.
• Demonstrated competence working outdoors.
• Experience working with at-risk youth is an asset
• Experience working with Indigenous youth/ communities is an asset
• Clear criminal record check for the vulnerable sector within the last five years or ability to obtain and pass a clear criminal record check.
• Minimum standard first aid and CPR C level certification within the last three years.
• Having regular access to a reliable vehicle and valid driver’s license is highly desired but not required.

Remuneration: Salary: $22 hourly + 4% vacation pay.

 

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Senior Educator Position

Responsibilities:

• Delivering summer camp programs and ensuring procedures and protocols for safety and quality of programming are achieved.
• Supervising the group of campers and leading activities in an outdoor, public setting
• Ensuring that campers stay together as a group and avoid wandering off.
• Explaining rules and expected behavior to the campers.
• Communicating professionally with parents and guardians throughout the camps.
• Reporting to the Site Supervisor with any concerns or feedback.
• Collecting various data, surveys, pictures, and impact metrics.
• Discussing with the educators to determine the responsibilities of leading different activities.
• Mentoring and giving junior educators and volunteers opportunities to facilitate activities.
• Educating children aged 5-10 about the environment and conservation.
• Educating vulnerable/ at-risk children.
• Leading and supervising children in science-based games and activities.
• Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of campers, volunteers, and fellow staff members by enforcing compliance with camp safety rules, guidelines, and policies.
• Learning and implementing all curriculum, policies, emergency procedures, and rules within a leadership role.
• Managing registration information.
• Using inquiry and experiential based teaching techniques to promote wonder and excitement in children.
• Setting up and taking down materials for summer camps.
• Fostering a positive, inclusive and nurturing camp environment for all campers, volunteers, and staff members.

Qualifications Required:

• Background in science, marine biology, environmental issues or sustainability, or equivalent traditional knowledge.
• At least three years of experience working with children (ages 5-12), ideally in a group or teaching environment and outdoors
• Proven leadership skills and exceptional teamwork abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional planning, organizational, multi-tasking and self-directed work skills.
• Demonstrated competence working outdoors.
• Experience working with at-risk youth is an asset
• Experience working with Indigenous youth/ communities is an asset
• Clear criminal record check for the vulnerable sector within the last five years or ability to obtain and pass a clear criminal record check.
• Minimum standard first aid and CPR C level certification within the last three years.

Remuneration: Salary: $20 hourly + 4% vacation pay.

 

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Junior Educator Position

Responsibilities:

• Delivering summer camp programs and ensuring procedures and protocols for safety and quality of programming are achieved.
• Explaining and modeling rules and expected behavior to the campers and volunteers
• Communicating professionally with parents and guardians throughout the camps.
• Reporting to the Senior Educator and/or Site Supervisor with any concerns or feedback.
• Collecting and submitting various data, surveys, pictures, and impact metrics.
• Collaborating with Senior Educators to determine the responsibilities of leading different activities.
• Supporting the Senior Educator in leading a group of campers in an outdoor, public setting.
• Mentoring and giving volunteers opportunities to facilitate activities.
• Educating children aged 5-10 about the environment and conservation.
• Educating at-risk/ vulnerable children.
• Leading and supervising children in science-based games and activities.
• Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of campers, volunteers, and fellow staff members by enforcing compliance with camp safety rules, guidelines, and policies.
• Learning and implementing all curriculum, policies, emergency procedures, and rules within a leadership role.
• Managing registration information.
• Using inquiry and experiential based teaching techniques to promote wonder and excitement in children.
• Setting up and taking down materials for summer camps.
• Fostering a positive, inclusive and nurturing camp environment for all campers, volunteers, and staff members.

Qualifications Required:

• Background in science, marine biology, environmental issues or sustainability, or equivalent traditional knowledge is highly desirable.
• At least two years of experience working with children (ages 5-12), ideally in a group or teaching environment and outdoors
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated competence working outdoors.
• Experience working with at-risk youth is an asset
• Experience working with Indigenous youth/ communities is an asset
• Clear criminal record check for the vulnerable sector within the last five years or ability to obtain and pass a clear criminal record check.
• Minimum standard first aid and CPR C level certification within the last three years.

Remuneration: Salary: $19 hourly + 4% vacation pay.

 

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Eligibility

Our Environmental Educator positions are funded by the Canada Summer Jobs wage subsidy program. Canada Summer Jobs dictates that in order to be eligible for this job, you must:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the beginning of the employment period
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment
• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations

 

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Apply

Email a cover letter and resume as one PDF to programs@seasmartschool.com with the file name and subject line “YOURNAME_POSITION_CAMP EDUCATOR APPLICATION”. Please indicate in your one-page cover letter which position you are applying for and why your experience matches the position responsibilities indicated. Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

 

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We thank all applicants for their interest. We will only contact the shortlisted candidates. We will review applications as they are received and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

We recognize there are many forms of knowledge and experience that can exist both within and outside of typical employment or academic pathways. If you are passionate about our work and think you could do it well, please apply!

Sea Smart hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equality and diversity within its community and to a welcoming and inclusive workplace. Indigenous persons, visible minority group members, women-identifying persons, persons with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations and genders, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities are highly encouraged to apply. You are welcome to self-identify in your application if you feel comfortable doing so.

If you are hard-working, collaborative, highly skilled and passionate about making a difference, you will find yourself among like-minded people at Sea Smart.