Gardening & Cooking Specialist (Summer Camp)

Join us this summer as our Gardening & Cooking Specialist!

Camp Hudson is looking for an enthusiastic Gardening & Cooking Specialist to bring creativity to our gardening and cooking activities. We’re seeking a candidate who loves working with children and can turn gardening projects and simple recipes into meaningful, hands-on experiences.  

The Camp

Run by Hudson Lab School, Camp Hudson is a summer day camp for Grades K-5 campers. Camp Hudson’s purpose is to instill a love of learning, inspire creativity, and teach children the design thinking process. At Camp Hudson, we immerse ourselves in the design thinking and innovation process to solve challenges that fuel the passion and potential of young learners. Each camp week has a unique theme and we construct large-scale projects outdoors inspired by the theme. We teach safe, appropriate tool usage, along with computational thinking to help encourage campers to build their big ideas. Children spend their days tinkering, making, and connecting with nature. Our goal is to foster each child’s confidence that their skills at designing, making, revising, and problem-solving are unlimited—just like their imaginations. To learn more about Camp Hudson, please visit our website at hudsonlabschool.com/camphudson.

The Role

Specialist instructors lead our campers through hands-on activities and projects. Specialist Instructors must be interested in how children think and grow, in addition to being knowledgeable about their social, emotional, and cognitive development. The right candidate has prior experience teaching in a classroom setting. This is an ideal opportunity for responsible, engaging, and enthusiastic individuals who love working with children. You must be able to supervise children, give as well as receive direction, and communicate effectively.
 

Requirements

• Experience working with school-aged children on projects that involve gardening or cooking.
• Background in cooking, nutrition, gardening, sustainability, or related fields.
• Passion for hands-on, project-based learning and outdoor education.
• Ability to plan and lead engaging, age-appropriate cooking and gardening activities.
• Knowledge of basic food safety, hygiene, and allergy awareness.
• Comfort managing small groups in both indoor kitchen and outdoor garden environments.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to safety and supervision.
• Enthusiasm for fostering curiosity, creativity, and environmental stewardship in students.
• Ability to adapt lessons based on interest, skill level, and seasonal availability.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Reliable, punctual, and professional in working with campers and staff.
• CPR/First Aid certification (or willingness to obtain) preferred.
• Ability to follow allergy-aware protocols and camp guidelines.
• Ensure all spaces and classes are safe, welcoming, and inclusive to all participants.
• Communicate clearly, empathetically, and respectfully with all campers and team members.
• Ability to engage with children, their parents, and team members in a welcoming, friendly, and professional manner.
• Ability to follow safety guidelines and implement these guidelines.
• Flexible, patient and calm under pressure.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Commit to working at least one full camp session, which runs for a duration of two weeks, to ensure consistency and a high-quality experience for our campers.
• Must be 18 years of age or older

Dates and Times

The camp environment is demanding, requiring intense dedication and work ethic from each staff member. Depending on the time of summer, the needs of camp and resulting staff hours may vary. 

• Training will be held on Saturday (6/20) or Sunday (6/21) as well as possible setup days the week of 6/22. 
• Camp runs from June 29 – Aug 14. Work is from Monday – Friday, starting at 8:45am and ending at 4pm depending on your role. 
• Staff meetings will be held during regular work hours.
• If you are only available for a subset of the summer, we encourage you to still apply.

Job Type: Seasonal (Summer), Full-time

Expected Hours: 30 – 35 per week

Job Location: In-Person, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (40-minute train ride from NYC)

Compensation: From $35 per hour, may vary based on experience. Applicants with children are able to take advantage of a subsidized camp tuition and partial salary.  While we welcome out-of-town applicants, as a young camp we are unable to reimburse the cost of any travel associated with the hiring process or summer housing.
 

Apply

Apply to join our team at https://www.hudsonlabschool.com/summercampjobs. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. 

Hudson Lab School seeks diversity in its faculty, staff, and student body. In admission and employment policies and practices, in financial aid and loan programs, and in all its educational programs, HLS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, and any other protected categories under applicable law. Hudson Lab School strives to have its faculty and student body reflect the diversity of the world in which we exist. Candidates from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.