About Cottonwood Institute
Cottonwood Institute (CI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to connecting middle and high school students to nature and inspiring them to protect it. CI partners with schools and youth organizations to offer programs that integrate environmental education, outdoor skill development, and service learning. Programs take place in Boulder, Denver, Aurora, and throughout the Colorado Front Range.

Position Overview
We are seeking a dynamic and passionate Community Adventure Program (CAP) Instructor & Events Coordinator to lead our classroom teaching, field instruction, and event planning. This position is varied, with responsibilities shifting throughout the year based on organizational needs and candidate interests.

• Location: Angevine Middle School - Lafayette, CO and remote
• Start Date: As soon as possible, with an ideal start date of April 9th
• Status: Full time, non-exempt - 30-40 hours/week 
• Compensation: $20-$27 per hour, based on experience and incentive structure (see below)
• To Apply: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis Please submit your application here by March 24th to be considered.

Position Responsibilities

Angevine Middle School CAP Class Instruction (5 days/week August-May)

CAP Class is an innovative elective that blends service learning, community building, and environmental and outdoor education. During CAP, students develop outdoor skills and connect with themselves, each other, and the natural world on field days and overnight camping trips. Students also explore solutions to local environmental issues, choose a challenge to address as a class, and collaborate with local organizations to design and implement a student-directed Action Project in their community. As a CAP Instructor at our Angevine Middle School partnership, you will:

• Teach 45 minute in-person class periods M-F from August - May in a public middle school
• Design and lead engaging, hands-on lessons on environmental issues, outdoor skills, and community action
• Foster a positive and inclusive learning environment where students connect with each other and the natural world
• Facilitate student-led service projects focused on positively addressing local environmental issues
• Provide individualized support to ensure students and families are well prepared for their trip experiences
• Collaborate with a co-instructor to facilitate positive field day and overnight camping expeditions (1x/semester).

• Manage pre-trip and post-trip logistics, including paperwork, gear coordination, and program evaluations.
• Maintain risk management protocols, including medication administration and incident response
• Act as the primary liaison with Angevine Middle School administration

Event Coordination Responsibilities (Seasonal)

• Plan, organize, and execute community engagement events, fundraisers, and workshops
• Coordinate event logistics, including venue, emcees, auctioneers, food, and activities for three major events
• Recruit and manage event volunteers
• Assist in outreach for event sponsorships and auction item donations
• Oversee administrative tasks, including data entry and post-event follow-up

Additional Responsibilities (As Available)

• Instruct on other CI programs as available
• Attend staff meetings, quarterly trainings, and CI events (some evenings/weekends required)
• Participate in monthly 1:1 meetings with the Associate Director
• Other duties as assigned

Candidate Qualifications
Required Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal skills, including clear communication and teamwork
• Experience planning and leading engaging, hands-on lessons for teens in a classroom setting
• Ability to build authentic relationships with students from diverse backgrounds
• Knowledge of environmental education, outdoor skills, and service-learning methodologies
• Experience leading outdoor trips, managing logistics, and ensuring participant safety
• Current Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification (or ability to obtain before the start date)

Preferred Qualifications

• Strongly preferred: fluency speaking and writing Spanish to connect with parents and students
• Strongly preferred: familiarity with the Lafayette community
• Classroom management experience, especially with middle-school-aged students 
• Extensive experience leading, instructing, or teaching teens in the outdoors 
• Deep knowledge of environmental issues such as wildfire, water issues, ecology, or animal issues

Compensation & Benefits 

This is a variable hour, non-exempt position. We are committed to providing a thrive-able wage for our staff and reevaluate our compensation structure regularly. CI pays for all time directly working with students during field programs, and employees are eligible for overtime at time and a half for more than 12 consecutive hours and for more than 40 hours in a work week. Every instructor starts as a Level 1 Instructor at a base hourly rate of $20 per hour, with additional compensation for the incentives below.

• + 2% of base rate ($.40/hr) for Level 2 Instructor: 10-19 lifetime CI Field Days Worked 
• + 4% of base rate ($.80/hr) for Level 3 Instructor: 20-29 lifetime CI Field Days Worked 
• + 6% of base rate ($1.20/hr) for Level 4 Instructor: 30-39 lifetime CI Field Days Worked 
• + 8% of base rate ($1.60/hr) for Level 5 Instructor: 40-49 lifetime CI Field Days Worked 
• + 10% of base rate ($2.00/hr) for Senior Instructor: 50+ lifetime CI Field Days Worked 
• + 2% of base rate ($.40/hr) for returning CI Instructor (5+ days worked with CI in previous school year: August - July)
• + 5% of base rate ($1.00/hr) for 3+ years paid guiding experience outside of CI. Because this past experience can be subjective, CI will review this on a case-by-case basis and values paid experience over volunteer experience. 
• + 2% of base rate ($.40/hr) for Wilderness First Aid 
• + 4% of base rate ($.80/hr) for Wilderness First Responder/EMT 
• + 5% of base rate ($1.00/hr) for College Degree 
• + 5% of base rate ($1.00/hr) for K-12 Teaching Certification 
• + 10% of base rate ($2.00/hr) for Master’s Degree 
• + 10% of base rate ($2.00/hr) for functional Spanish proficiency (able to speak with and write to students and parents/guardians if necessary) 

Employee Benefits

• Full-time employees working 40 hours/week are eligible for insurance benefits. CI covers 75% of health, dental, and vision insurance and 100% of disability and life insurance. 
• Simple IRA match up to 3% of gross salary
• Monthly reimbursements for business use of personal cell phone ($50)
• Parking/travel reimbursement for business use of personal transportation ($50) 
• 15 days of PTO, 15 paid holidays, 6 sick days
• Mileage reimbursement for qualified travel expenses 
• Industry pro deals and free access to CI gear
• Paid professional development opportunities and ongoing trainings 
• CI will pay for a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder course. The hours during the course will be paid and considered part of their work week, including overtime if eligible.