School Program Instructors

The VYCC School Program is a work-based learning experience for Vermont high school students. As a VYCC School Instructor, you will co-lead a crew of 10-12 high school students in a year-long program that inspires students to take responsibility for their own education.

This position will certainly make you grow and will require a deep commitment not only to your students' learning, but also to your own development as a leader and co-leader, educator, and professional. We hope you join us!


Training & Leadership Development

The majority of August will be spent with other School Instructors and the School Program Staff in an intense orientation and training session to prepare you for the school year. You will participate in a year-long Leadership Review process with your direct supervisor who will also provide feedback on a weekly basis.


Crew Experience

Every day, for 3-5 hours, you will serve as a School Instructor, work supervisor, crew leader, student advocate, and mentor to your students. While this job will sometimes be a forty hour per week commitment, it will often be more depending on time of year, partner needs, and student needs.


Projects

By way of work projects lasting one to four weeks you will teach basic workplace skills of taking personal responsibility, being prepared, reaching goals, taking initiative, and testing leadership skills. The work-based learning curriculum that you create will cover academic content in areas that may include math, science, social studies, and English that is rooted in the land, traditions, and communities of Vermont.

Example Projects

  • Harvesting trees and collecting seeds for the Intervale Conservation Nursery
  • Visiting a local blacksmith’s shop and working with him to repair VYCC’s tools
  • Working with local farms on planting, harvesting and construction projects
  • Creating a school garden
  • Ski trail maintenance
  • Participating in riverbank restoration
  • Building nesting platforms and signs for a loon conservation project

Responsibilities

Over the course of the year, you and your co-leader will:

  • Serve as role models for a diverse crew of students, some of whom are exceeding grade level expectations and some of whom are functioning at a much lower academic level
  • Be the day to day face of this program for school partners, parents, students, and community sponsors, whether your crew is based at the VYCC Headquarters or a partnering school
  • Design standards based curriculum, develop authentic assessments, and craft public opportunities for your students to present, share, and reflect on their learning
  • Connect with community sponsors to implement projects and design curriculum
  • Work closely with the School Program Staff to set professional goals and develop as a School Instructor
  • Be challenged

 

For details about the positions, including qualifications and benefits, please download the full job descriptions here:

School Instructor

Lead School Instructor

To Apply

Questions about the School Program can be directed to Tim Birmingham at 802.434.3969 Ext 133 or tim.birmingham@vycc.org.

Apply Online!

I think my crew learned to respect—themselves, each other, and our world.

- VYCC School Instructor

I feel that developing my own sense of self and place within the VYCC school program was a big accomplishment for me. I have a lot to offer the organization in terms of my knowledge, experience and creativity, and feel that as the year progressed I was able to give more and more of these things. The school program was a tremendous opportunity to interact with a wide variety of people from students to HQ, to school partners, developing these successful relationships was a proud accomplishment for me as an individual.

- VYCC School Instructor