The unique blend of education, growth opportunities, and fun that is designed into programming makes The Outdoor School an extremely rewarding experience for both educators, instructors and students.

Instructors with The Outdoor School connect kids to the natural environment—a place where they can see, hear, touch, smell and even taste nature.

As the vital link between nature and the classroom, The Outdoor School (TOS) is a residential outdoor education program that focuses on hands-on experiential educational and outdoor courses primarily for 5th–7th graders. Students can learn about themselves, their natural environment and their peers while participating in fun and educational outdoor activities, facing challenges, overcoming fears, and sparking new ways to see the world.

Programming focuses on the philosophy of Universal Respect and Challenge by Choice.
More exploration!Universal Respect means everything should be treated with respect. To respect others, children are taught to treat others as they would like to be treated, using encouragement and positive words and actions. Children will also be expected to show respect for themselves, the environment—and everything!
More exploration!Challenge by Choice involves setting personal goals and reaching them using physical, mental and social challenges along the way. Goals can always be reset higher or lower. Children are encouraged to meet and exceed their goals, but are never forced to go beyond their limits!

NEW — Program Coordinator Job Openings

Level-up your outdoor education career, further develop your leadership, learn transferrable professional skills, and help build a community!

Program Coordinators
Level-up your outdoor education career, further develop your leadership, learn transferrable professional skills, and help build a community!

A team of 3-4 Program Coordinators will work together closely with the support of 3 full-time Directors to plan, schedule, and facilitate outdoor education programming. Responsibilities include acting as the on-call director of the day, managing and mentoring instructors, observing and evaluating instructors, liaising with teachers and school staff leading up to and during their visit, creating a master schedule of staff and activities, and of course working outdoors with students. Compensation includes housing, meals during program, and up to $425/week (plus the option to work on the weekend for additional pay).

Program Coordinators will work two seasons at The Outdoor School with a break in between. PC's start work in mid-August with the fall season ending in mid-November. After the winter break, PC's start work again in early February with work through the third week of May. Apply nowpossible mid-season start dates!

Outdoor Ed Instructors — What You'll Be Doing

Outdoor Education Instructors are the heart of The Outdoor School!

Outdoor Education Instructors
Outdoor Education Instructors are the heart of The Outdoor School and teach a pre-approved academic and adventure curriculum, facilitate team building and high ropes courses, and lead interesting evening activities (astronomy, night sensory and games/campfire). Three weeks of training will provide you with the necessary knowledge in academics, ropes course, and anything else you need to thrive at TOS.

Although TOS has a selection of over 15 classes and activities that schools may choose from (including teambuilding, reptiles, water quality, kayaking, high ropes courses, archery, outdoor survival, art in nature, and many more!), most Instructors learn between 5 and 7 classes—enough to keep you excited about teaching, but not so many that you are overwhelmed.

More exploration!What did I love about my time here? How much I’ve grown through this job. How intrinsically rewarding everything has been. Seeing a whole new world in Texas. Meeting the fantastic people here.

Most Instructors learn between 5 and 7 classes—enough to keep you excited about teaching, but not so many that you are overwhelmed.

After a successful season as an Instructor, you may have the opportunity to return for consecutive seasons. Second season Instructors will be expected to take up more responsibilities, learn to facilitate more academic and adventure courses, provide leadership to incoming Instructors, and help facilitate training.

Additional responsibilities include holding a leadership role throughout the season (training, off site excursions, evening activities, etc.), becoming a lead Instructor, and serving as The Outdoor School’s representative for visiting schools.

Season Commitment
More exploration!Spring: mid-February through the end of May
More exploration!Fall: mid-August through the week before Thanksgiving

There is also the opportunity to work multiple seasons, each with additional responsibilities, offering a holistic view of the administration and direction of an outdoor education center.

Location

Enjoy all sorts of lake activities and awe-inspiring sunsets!

Located on Lake LBJ in the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, the property is far away enough from city lights to get beautiful views of the night sky, and just close enough to civilization to be 10 minutes away from local and chain restaurants, stores, and amenities.

Over 80 acres of native trees, grasses and wildflowers cover the northern end of the property, which provides a habitat for raccoons, deer and other wildlife. Picturesque Lake LBJ, filled with fish and other aquatic life, forms the southern border. The site is 45 miles from Austin, 90 miles from San Antonio and approximately 240 miles from Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.

More exploration!About 8 hours west of Austin is Big Bend National Park. Many groups of Instructors use long weekends to explore this spectacular National Park in Texas!

Perks & Rewards

You will help facilitate team building, the climbing wall and high ropes courses.

The Benefits
A weekly stipend up to $375/week and the option to work for hourly pay on the weekend ($15/hour for lifeguards, $14/hour for non-lifeguards)
Free housing, utilities, and WiFi access. All staff members should expect to have at least one roommate.
The dining hall team provides meals to everyone so long as there are guests on property, typically Monday lunch through Sunday breakfast
Pro deals when available
Full use of camp amenities (including washer/dryer, staff lounge, kitchen, and many, many cool toys to play with)
Lifeguard and CPR/first aid certification offered
A central location to explore Texas’s underused State and National Parks as well as major Texas cities: Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth
Watching yourself grow as you help their program grow

More exploration!The TOS staff is amazing—the genuineness, the creativity, the kindness, the openness, the friendliness, the dedication, the commitment.

The Essentials

What does it take to thrive as a TOS Instructor?

Will you thrive at TOS?
You must simply love kids, have a desire and ability to teach kids, enjoy working in the outdoors (in all kinds of weather!), are fun-loving, adventurous and hardworking, willing to go with the flow, a person of flexibility, excitement, patience, fun, and stamina, possess an ability to laugh at yourself, and open to feedback and growth.

All applicants must have finished one year of college (or equivalent).

More exploration!The Outdoor School has the ability to unite a group of strangers into a team that impacts hundreds of students each semester.

The Cool Factor @ TOS

Activities include teambuilding, reptiles, water quality, kayaking, high ropes courses, archery, outdoor survival, art in nature, and many more!

The Outdoor School is AWESOME to work at because:
Students come from public, charter, and private schools—allowing Instructors to work with students coming from a wide range of cultural, philosophical, and socio-economic backgrounds.
The staff is family. This is not just a job, but a lifestyle. We try to hire in a way that everyone on staff is there for the right reasons and they value the importance of family and team.
It's an ever-changing beast. We take pride in listening to the staff about their ideas and suggestions. The very next season staff members will notice some of those suggestions actually implemented. It’s really cool to see how open The Outdoor School is to more than happy to keep trying to reach excellence.

More exploration!I was expecting an interim job to just pass the time, but what I got was an incredible experience and friends that I will never forget.

Application & Connections

The Outdoor School in 30 seconds.

To apply, fill out the online application. Most interviews are conducted over the phone, although you are more than welcome to come by for an in-person interview if you are in the area!

Spring 2024 Season Employment
More exploration!The Outdoor School is currently seeking Outdoor Education Instructors to begin work this spring (mid-February through the end of May).

Amy Koch (she/her)
Personnel Director
The Outdoor School
775 Camp Rd.
Marble Falls, TX 78654
(830) 598-6282
amy@outdoorschool.com
OutdoorSchool.com

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