Smith Island Environmental Education Program Assistant Manager/Educator

Description:

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks an Assistant Manager/Educator that can start in early April and reside at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center. This position is full-time, year-round, and requires staff to live on site from March – December (spring, summer, fall education seasons). The centers are winterized from December – February and no housing is provided during that time. Housing is provided for staff only.

Please note that CBF education centers have a strict “no pet policy".

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION:

• Established in 1966, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams, and the wildlife that call it home. Through our education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration efforts, we work together toward our vision of a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive together.

CBF has a staff of approximately 200 employees working in offices in Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. as well as 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water policies, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.

CBF’s headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first U.S. Green Build Council’s LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center—one of the world’s most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings—in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

CONTEXT OF THE POSITION:

The Smith Island Environmental Education Center is in the community of Tylerton on Smith Island, MD, which is the largest inhabited offshore island in the Bay. During the spring & fall field seasons, the Smith Island staff typically lead 3-day/2-night field programs for student groups ranging in age from middle school through high school. In the summer the center hosts a variety of trip participants including adult groups, teacher groups, and student leadership programs. The center uses a 40-foot workboat, canoes, and skiff to lead on the water & in the marsh field investigations. The fulltime, onsite, staff consists of a Program Manager, Assistant Manager, and a Captain who work together to plan and deliver field-based education programs

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Professionally serve as an Educator on the Smith Island Environmental Education Program, and other CBF field programs

• Assist the Program Manager with developing and teaching 3-day/2-night inquiry-based field programs using multiple field-based methods such as conducting biological sampling, water quality testing, and canoe-based activities for middle and high school students, teachers, and other participants

Continually adapt program content based upon grade/age level of the group, weather, group dynamics, and feedback/evaluations from teachers/supervisors Ability to communicate ecosystem and watershed concepts to a wide range of audiences

• Plan & execute summer courses for Chesapeake Classrooms Teacher Professional Development and/or Student Leadership Program

Safely and professionally serve as a course/field leader for the Smith Island Environmental Education Program, and other CBF programs Ability to communicate safety instructions to all participants and ensure a safe learning environment Program staff are responsible for the safety of all field participants, ensure that all safety protocols are rigorously followed, and are required to respond to medical emergencies that may arise

Program staff are responsible and accountable for performing maintenance to keep all education related equipment and gear (work truck, canoe trailer, canoes, education materials) in proper working order Consistently perform programmatic administrative duties as well as other duties as assigned

Requirements:

*MUST BE ABLE TO START BY FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2026* Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience required 1+ years’ experience teaching in either a formal or non-formal setting A strong desire to teach in the field/outdoors and inspire students on a daily basis Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills

Collaborative work style Knowledge of environmental issues Must pass a criminal background check Must possess a valid driver’s license, submit a driving record, and have an acceptable driving record All education staff participate in a pre-employment & random drug screening program per the requirements of the US Coast Guard

Physical Requirements Ability to live on-site at CBF’s Smith Island Education Center for the duration of the field seasons Physical ability to lift and carry heavy objects-at least 45 pounds (canoes and other equipment) Ability to become a First Mate according to CBF’s required skills checklist This physically demanding position involves frequent exposure to the elements

Ability to travel to attend training & meetings Ability to have reliable transportation to travel to other CBF field programs & locations as needed