Outdoor School High School and Lead Central Regional Coordinator
The Outdoor School (ODS) program resides within the OSU Extension Service and advances the Extension Service’s vision, mission, and goals through the statewide engagement of School Districts and Education Service Districts (ESDs) in ODS. The ODS program helps Oregon’s youth apply learning; develop leadership, critical thinking, and social skills; and exposes them to the role of scientific inquiry and applied learning. The long-term goal of the ODS program is to integrate placed-based programs into the Oregon school system that build upon youth’s skills in hands-on science and their abilities to be effective stewards and leaders in their communities.
Outdoor school is intended for all 5th or 6th graders in the state of Oregon. The Outdoor School program’s Regional Coordinators work with school districts in their regions to maximize participation by providing support in the funding application and reporting process, promoting inclusive community engagement, and working with districts to implement creative, community-specific solutions to outdoor school participation barriers.
Many outdoor school programs include a high school leadership component. In these programs high school students engage with 5th and 6th grade students as student leaders at outdoor school and contribute in critical ways to the success of outdoor school programs. The Outdoor School program website is: https://outdoorschool.oregonstate.edu/.
The Outdoor School High School and Lead Central Regional Coordinator will:
- Support high school leadership programs within the statewide outdoor school network. Specifically, they will collaborate with outdoor school programs in their recruitment, development, and retention of high school student leaders for their respective programs.
- Lead the activities of the Central Region Coordinators as they serve their districts and ensure consistent interaction with the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Region Coordinators.
- Liaise with local school districts, ESDs, outdoor school providers, and local communities to support inclusive and equitable outdoor school programming.
The individual in this position will report to the OES Director of Outdoor and work closely with the Outdoor School team. This person will contribute to the Outdoor School program’s mission to serve all students from all backgrounds. This Outdoor School High School and Lead Central Regional Coordinator position is with the Division of Extension and Engagement, Extension Service Outdoor School program. This position will be located in Corvallis, Oregon. Qualified candidates could be located a reasonable distance from Corvallis, and a hybrid (home/office) work agreement is possible.
This Outdoor School High School and Lead Central Region Coordinator supports outdoor school programs in equitably serving diverse populations, including those that have been historically marginalized/excluded from participation in outdoor school. As part of the Outdoor School program’s team, this individual approaches their work through an equity lens and commits to ongoing learning and professional growth in equity, diversity, and inclusion.