We will be accepting applications and interviewing for the position on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We are looking to start the new Program Associate by early April.

Job Announcement

Program Associate: Outdoor Equipment Coordinator

Oakland and Milpitas Office

About Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT): Bay Area Wilderness Training is a project of the Earth Island Institute with office headquarters in Oakland, CA.   BAWT creates opportunities for urban youth to experience wilderness first hand. We believe that urban youth, once exposed to wilderness, have a broadened sense of themselves, each other, and the world around them. BAWT’s primary strategy for achieving its mission is to provide Bay Area teachers and youth agency staff with wilderness leadership training and access to our outdoor equipment at no charge so that they, along with the youth they serve, may explore the power and beauty of California’s wilderness. For more information about BAWT, visit: www.bawt.org.

Position Summary: This position will report to BAWT’s Program Director and is meant to be the Program Associate supporting ongoing operations of Oakland and Milpitas Outdoor Equipment Loan Library. The highest level of independence is expected. Initiative and a proactive approach are a must. The top priority responsibilities associated with this position are as follows: gear inventory control and maintenance, trip report tracking, client support, client (youth worker & teacher) recruitment and relationship management, volunteer outreach and support, and efficient operations overall.

Requirements:

• Must be 18 years of age
• Ability to report to two job sites in Oakland and Milpitas.  Milpitas site is not easily accessible by public transportation

Earth Island Institute is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, sexual orientation.  People of color, LGBTQ identified people, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Desirable Qualities

• Attention to detail, organized and takes pride in creating organized, efficient, and clean work spaces
• Self directed and motivated to initiate work for yourself, interns, and volunteers
• Outgoing and enjoys building a community of volunteers and interns to support your work
• Excellent communication skills
• Interest to learn and teach new skills especially related to gear repair and maintenance
• Likes to have fun and create a fun work environment
• Flexible
• Enjoys outdoor recreation and has experience with backpacking
• Desire to work with a diverse community of staff, volunteers, and clients
• Highly motivated by the BAWT mission to get urban youth outdoors

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience managing and outdoor equipment gear library or equivalent rental inventory system
• Experience managing and coordinating interns and volunteers
• Customer service experience
• California Drivers License with a clean record, and ability/willingness to acquire Class B driver’s license
• Experience with WordPress
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills
• Experienced user of Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendars
• Experience online databases and contact management systems
• Wilderness First Aid training, WFR, or willingness to get trained

Responsibilities

Gear Library Management:

• Management, inventory, and repair of all outdoor equipment in Oakland and Milpitas gear libraries
• Processing all equipment reservations (Oakland and South Bay)
• Processing equipment donations
• Maintaining an organized and orderly Gear Library (Oakland and South Bay)
• Work with, train, and manage Program Interns and volunteers
• Coordinate weekly gear library volunteer program
• Report directly to the Oakland Office (currently 3 days per week) or the South Bay office (currently 1-2 days per week) and work from these locations on days when gear pick ups or drop offs are scheduled or as determined by the Program Director

Administrative & Client Support& Outreach:

• Support all BAWT clients (teachers and youth workers) by helping them connect to future trainings and trip planning resources
• Oversee client trip reporting information in the BAWT’s database and some minor data entry
• Oversee keeping BAWT.org program pages up to date with dates, times, pricing, and contact information
• Assist Program Director with ordering gear for all of BAWT’s libraries
• Outreach and communications for the Gear Corps program – Gear Corps is a weekly volunteer program
• Attend monthly program committee meetings in Oakland and bi-monthly meetings in Milpitas
• Oversee invoicing for lost and damaged gear
• Assist with outreach at events

Workshop Registration & Logistical Support:

• Assist the Program director with the logistics and gear for all workshops and courses
• Lead Gear Orientations workshops

Salary & Benefits:

• Starting at $11-12 per hour
• Full employer paid benefits (Health, Dental, and Vision), approximately valued at $500+  per month
• Paid vacation between Christmas and New Year’s Day, plus 8 additional holidays per year
• Vacation and sick accrual
• Free leadership training courses, including Wilderness First Aid training and discounted WFR
• Free outdoor equipment rental
• Opportunities to develop outdoor leadership and facilitation skills
• Experience with a dynamic, growing non-profit in Oakland

Hours: Monday-Friday, 1-2 evenings and some weekends. up to 28 hours per week total.

Start date: end of March or first week of April 2013

Please send a resume and cover letter to:

Aaron Gilbert at Jobs@bawt.org

Fax: (510) 452-8335

Or mail:

Aaron Gilbert, Program Director

Bay Area Wilderness Training

1050 E. 8th St

Oakland CA 94606

Who: All CAP certified leaders, friends, colleagues, and families

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2011

Time: 5pm-7pm at Sports Basement (6pm-9pm @Rob Hill)

Location: The Presidio – Sports Basement and the Rob Hill Campground

Motivations:

* Camping announcements and CAP fabulous facts
* Clarification of 2012 camping lottery and new guided program
* Celebrate another successful season’s ending with refreshments and shopping!
* All guests will receive a 10% discount while shopping at Sports Basement at this event.
* Feel Good testimonials!
* Networking with other teachers, afterschool staff, and community leaders.
* Cool Gifts and Raffles at Rob Hill
* A farewell to the season campfire at Rob Hill

If you can’t make if for shopping but want to celebrate the season with other CAP group leaders, we are meeting at the Rob Hill Campground from 6pm-9pm for a farewell campfire. Please join us for fun, food, info, and discounts! I hope you can make it and bring friends, colleagues and loved ones!

Frontcountry Leadership Training (FLT) is an entry level course covers all the basic skills you will need to successfully take youth on car-camping based overnight trips.

Skills covered include: camping safety, day-hiking, tent and stove-set up, clothing requirements, nutrition and team building activities. All learning is experiential.

After the weekend training, to get access to our gear libraries, participants also need to complete the Gear Orientation (GO!) training.

Upcoming Courses:

Spring Dates: TBD, 2012
Location: TBD

Fall Dates: October 1st to 2nd
Location: Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley

Cost:

The cost of the course covers all course materials, meals and camping. Participants will have to provide their own transportation to get to the location. The price is $40 per person. For additional participants from the same organization the price is $25.

The Camping at the Presidio Leadership Training (CAPLT) is designed to give participants the skills and resources to plan and lead camping trips to the Presidio’s Rob Hill Campground.

The two-day and one-night training covers camping safety, day-hiking, tent and stove-set up, clothing requirements, teambuilding activities, educational offerings and gets you familiarized with the reservation process. By completing the CAPLT training, participants get access to:

• Camping Gear (on-site)
  • Tents
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Sleeping Pads
  • Camping Stoves
  • Kitchen Equipment
• Guided Park Programs
• Resource Kits
• Pre-trip orientations
• Affordable round trip transportation
• Volunteer support

Because the course is similar to the Frontcounry Leadership Training, CAPLT graduates may complete an optional Gear Orientation (GO!), granting them access to BAWT’s Oakland and Milpitas gear libraries as well as the on-site gear at CAP.

Upcoming Course:

Dates: September 10th to 11th
Location: Rob Hill Campground, Presidio, San Francisco

Cost:

The cost for the course is $30, maximum 4 people per organization can attend at a time. The cost covers all course materials, camping and meals.

Eligibility – How Can I Participate?

If your organization has multiple programs, each program must be evaluated for eligibility. To determine if your organization is eligible, please complete the eligibility form (Word-doc) and mail, fax, or email it to:

Camping at the Presidio
Crissy Field Center
P.O. Box 29410
San Francisco, CA 94129
Fax (415) 561-7695
cap@parksconservancy.org

The Crissy Field Center will notify you by phone or in writing about your eligibility within several weeks.

About the Program

A partnership of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, The Presidio Trust, and Bay Area Wilderness Training, the Camping at the Presidio (CAP) Program offers users a full-service, frontcountry camping experience in the heart of San Francisco. The only camping facility in San Francisco, Rob Hill is a fantastic venue for outdoor learning and fun, bringing the classic experience of a national park to the city’s doorstep.

Mission Statement

We provide children and youth who traditionally have not visited national parks with meaningful overnight camping experiences. Designed for community organizations and schools, the Camping at the Presidio (CAP) program provides a dynamic and affordable way to enrich the lives of young people. Since 2007, CAP has met the need for thousands of Bay Area youth to get access to overnight camping in the Presidio, while providing a gateway experience to explore the Golden Gate National Parks and public lands far beyond our urban center.

Camping at the Presidio is a collaboration of BAWT and these organizations:

Program supported by generous donations from Eureka, Primus and Black Diamond.

Almost every Tuesday night BAWT keeps the Oakland Gear Library open until 8:30pm. During these hours youth workers can come to pick up and drop off gear with the assistance of trained volunteers. Additionally, volunteers help with everything from simple inventory and maintenance projects to helping with more complicated gear repairs. There is something for everyone to do, no matter what skill level!

Join the Gear Corps

To join the Gear Corps or find our more information please contact gear@bawt.org

2011 Gear Corps nights:

Location: Oakland
Time: 5:30pm to 8:30pm

• August 30th
• September 20th
• September 27th

* This date includes a Gear Orientation from 6pm to 7pm

The Wilderness Leadership Training (WLT) is a five day intensive entry-level backpacking course at the heart of BAWT’s programs. It is designed to give you the tools you need to lead youth on multi-day backpacking adventures. After completing the course, you will gain full access to our gear libraries.

The Wilderness Leadership Training consists of a pre-trip meeting and five days of backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Skills learned include: clothing requirements, nutrition, equipment use, map and compass reading, basic wilderness first aid, leadership styles, group dynamics and more. Role playing exercises are used to give participants a realistic backcountry leadership experience. Food and transportation are provided and no previous experience is necessary.

Upcoming Courses:

Spring Dates: TDB, June 2012
Location: Yosemite
Pre-trip meeting: TBD, June 2012, Oakland

Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Deadline: TBD

Fall Trip Dates: September 14 to September 18, 2011
Location: Tahoe National Forest
Pre-trip meeting: September 10, 2011, Oakland

Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Deadline: August 12th

Cost:

Fees for the WLT are on a sliding scale. Please choose the appropriate registration fee by selecting your agency’s annual budget (total support and revenue for the past fiscal year.) Please note: training costs for one individual are waived for organizations in exchange for the use of a 15-person passenger van.

1. $199,999 and under — $150
2. $200,000-$999,999 — $250
3. $1,000,000+ — $400
4. Unaffiliated Individual — $700

If financial constraints prohibit you from signing up for the WLT, please consider applying for the full tuition Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Fund. For more information please contact us at programs@bawt.org.