Work With Us

Get back to your roots and practice living close to nature as you help youth to hone their wilderness survival techniques and nurture their connection to the earth. We are looking for committed and passionate individuals to become a part of the Living Earth School community, working alongside an awesome team as well as incredible kids and families. Our staff are the backbone of our programs! We get an amazing crew of staff from all over the country, and many return year after year, becoming life-long friends.

We look for caring, compassionate people, who live their life with integrity and want to make a positive difference in the world. It is essential to have a love for both the natural world and being with children. Must be willing to be a part of a team, be hard working, have the ability to communicate clearly, and be flexible. It is important to have wilderness and naturalist skills, but most importantly a strong desire to work with children and nature.

Key qualities of LES Instructors:

  • Passion for nature and experience with naturalist and survival skills.

  • Dedication to caring, supportive mentorship practices.

  • Desire to learn and grow professionally.

  • High-level responsibility, accountability and work quality.

  • Interpersonal teamwork and communication skills; ability to work independently.

  • Strong risk management and problem-solving skills.

Summer Camp hiring is closed for 2026

*These positions below are no longer open, but are still up for general info and those who may be interested for next year.

Summer Office Manager*

The Summer Office Manager helps keep Living Earth running smoothly behind the scenes during the busy summer season. The Summer Office Manager’s role is to help uphold operational processes, systems and policies, maintaining excellent lines of communication between the directors, coordinators, staff, and parents. The Summer Office Manager is independent, incredibly detail-oriented, and accurate in their work.

To apply, please email a resume and cover letter to arion.o@livingearthva.org.

Click here to read the full job description:

Day Camps*

LES day camps are a place for campers to gather with their peers each day to develop their outdoor confidence and skills in a safe and joyful community.

Day camps run M-F, 9-4. Staff are onsite approximately 8-5, and primarily work in sets of 2 weeks at a time. LES has two day camp locations within ~30 minutes of Charlottesville: one to the southwest, near Batesville, and one to the northwest, near Millington.

Click here to read the full Day Camp Instructor Job Description and apply:

Day Camp Shuttle Driver*

Living Earth School runs several nature connection summer camps, one of which is a day camp located in Batesville about 35 minutes drive south of Charlottesville. LES will supply a 15 passenger van for the Shuttle Driver to transport up to 14 children to and from the Batesville day camp in accordance with the daily arrival and pickup schedule. It is essential that the Shuttle Driver is organized and timely, and greets campers and their families every day with kindness and care.

Click here to read the full Shuttle Driver Job Description and apply:

Overnight Camps*

Our staff is the backbone of our programs! We get an amazing crew of staff from all over the country. Many return year after year, and have become life long friends. It is a fun enriching community to be a part of.

We look for caring, compassionate people, who live their life with integrity and want to make a positive difference in the world. It is essential to have a love for both the natural world and being with children. Must be willing to be a part of a team, be hard working, have the ability to communicate clearly, and be flexible. It is important to have wilderness skills and experience working with children, but most importantly a strong desire to work with children and nature.

If this sounds like a way you would like to spend your summer, please apply! Applications open soon. We look forward to getting to know you and spending a wonderful summer together!

Click here to read the full Overnight Camp Instructor Job Description and apply:

Expeditions*

Come alive as you share the gifts of nature exploration and self-sufficiency with our campers! Living Earth offers week-long expeditions for teenagers, paddling or backpacking through the beauty of central VA. Bring us your passion for backcountry camping and survival, your curiosity about the environment, and most of all, your desire to share these joys with children aged 12-18.

River trips are in canoes on the Upper James. Backpacking trips are in the local Blue Ridge region. Expeditions are 6 days/ 5 nights, from Sunday-Friday.

Strong LES expedition leaders have dependable experience and hard skills in areas such as tent/tarp camping, water purification, navigation, etc. Successful leaders guide participants through safe, exciting, and memorable wilderness trips while facilitating personal growth for all participants.

Click here to read the full Expedition Leader Job Description and apply:

SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE

Week 0 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 12 Staff Training Week 1 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 Day Camp Week 1 Earth Roots Week 1 Week 2 June 20 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 Day Camp Week 2 River Trip 1 Week 3 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30 July 1 July 2 July 3 Day Camp Week 3 Earth Roots Week 2 Week 4 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 Day Camp Week 4 Ancient Ways Week 5 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 Day Camp Week 5 River Trip 2 Week 6 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 Day Camp Week 6 Backpacking Trips Week 7 July 25 July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31 Day Camp Week 7 Earth Roots Week 3 Week 8 August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 Day Camp Week 8 Earth Roots Week 4 August 8 Wrap-up

Summer Staff Camping

All staff are invited to set up their sleep system (tent/hammock/shelter) at our beautifully forested Staff Camp. It’s a great place to have down time with peers and inspire each other to practice skills and brainstorm next week’s plans while living outside. Amenities include outdoor showers, an outdoor kitchen, refrigeration, limited electricity, portable toilets, wonderful company, goofy jokes, and absolutely gorgeous woods to explore. Staff Camp is located at the same site as Overnight Camps, and it’s about a 20-30 min drive from our Day Camp locations, so often staff will carpool there and back each day.

Apply

If this sounds like a way you would like to spend your summer, please apply! We look forward to getting to know you and spending a wonderful summer together! You can email us at workwithus@livingearthva.org with questions.