Career Center

Position Summary:

The Pingry School is seeking a full-time 12-month Experiential Educator. At The Pingry School, experiential learning initiatives directly foster Pingry’s mission, encouraging intellectual, physical, and emotional learning and the cultivation of responsible and thoughtful citizens. Our experiential classrooms and programs, farm and sustainability programs, and global education and engagement programs provide living laboratories for Pingry students to explore questions, make discoveries, and challenge mind, body, and spirit within an inspired learning community. 

In 2021, The Pingry School acquired the Pottersville campus, which is a K-12 Experiential Education Campus, and a vibrant home for intellectual curiosity and inquiry of topics that enhance and expand the "traditional academics" for all members of the Pingry community - K - 12 students, employees, families, alumni, etc., with respect to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. With overnight capacity and opportunities for immersive experiences, Pottersville is also a place for engagement and relationship building (including civic engagement and global partnership). The campus itself is 83 acres and has ample outdoor and indoor learning resources including a pond, hiking trails, ropes course, garden, classrooms, theater, visual arts studios, library, and science labs. The campus also borders Hacklebarney State Park, which features scenic trails that make their way from forest to the rocky banks of the Black River.

Working with a team and reporting to the Director of Experiential Education, the Experiential Educator will assist and coordinate with the Director of Experiential Education, and the Ex Ed Team, consisting of program leaders of Global Engagement, Sustainability, and Divisional Ex Ed Coordinators. 

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Ex Ed Team as a dedicated thought partner and with Pingry Faculty while maintaining an interdisciplinary mindset to lead programs that are innovative, “dream big,” and expand on the vision for the Pottersville Campus.
• Collaborate with teaching colleagues on the Basking Ridge and Short Hills campuses during the academic school year to coordinate, design, lead and teach experiential and interdisciplinary programs and trips for K-12 students at the Pottersville Campus.
• Partner with the Director of Auxiliary Programs and the Pingry Summer Camp Director to create and execute thoughtful and distinct experiential summer programs to be included in Pingry’s Signature Program catalog and the day camp curriculum (both Signature and Partner programs). 
• Coordinate resources, tech, and AV needs at the Pottersville campus for all programs including student programs, global exchanges, experts-in-residence, outdoor spaces, and community engagement events.
• Provide level 1 tech support for the Pottersville Campus for events and colleagues
• Identify, partner with, and foster on behalf of The Pingry School and its student's meaningful connections and collaborations with outside researchers, visiting experts, and organizations.
• Collaborate with the Director of Auxiliary Programs to expand experiential offerings in the extended day enrichment program at the Short Hills campus for our K-5 students
• Support Faculty Professional Development programs, including coordinating and contributing to Inservice Days, leading employee experiences, and connecting colleagues with opportunities and organizations related to experiential education. 
• Support Spring Intensives and Project Week, which are annual immersion programs in the Middle and Upper Schools in early June. The Experiential Educator will assist in planning for and coordinating experiences at the Pottersville campus and beyond for these programs, in support of the Ex Ed Team and collaborating with faculty. 
• This position, with its trip-leading responsibilities and emphasis on utilizing outdoor resources, is a physically demanding position and requires flexibility in schedule, including some nights, weekends, and extended overnight trips. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree 
• 3-5 years of related experience in education and an understanding of experiential teaching and philosophy
• Dedication to supporting the academic, social, and emotional well-being of students
• Dedication to partnering collaboratively with a team of talented faculty to implement an inspirational experiential program
• Knowledge and expertise in cultivating a culture of equity 
• Demonstrated comfort with and commitment to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• An ambitious self-starter who can work independently, remain calm, problem solve on the fly, inspire confidence, and foster a healthy team atmosphere (or encourage collaboration and creative teamwork)
• Ability to navigate the Google Suite of applications (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc.)  
• Level 1 tech skills and the ability to be trained on, and take responsibility for, AV needs 
• Ropes course certification, which may be obtained after an offer of employment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Robust interpersonal skills
• Approach crisis management challenges calmly, creatively, and proactively
• First Aid, CPR, and AED certification is required, although it may be obtained after an offer of employment has been extended
• In addition to honor and character, commitment to intellectual engagement, and appreciation for stewardship and sustainability, especially important is the candidate’s ease with diverse constituencies and demonstrated commitment to an inclusive school community.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualified candidates are invited to apply online at https://www.pingry.org/about/employment.