Early Childhood Educator: Nature Play
Collaborate with a passionate Zoo Crew in San Antonio
Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the place you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a diversity of passionate people and like-minded conservationists, San Antonio Zoo is a place where you can collaborate with others securing a future for wildlife.
The Impact You’ll Make in this Role
As an Early Childhood Educator - Nature Play, you will lead nature-based children's play within San Antonio Zoo's Kronkosky's Tiny Tot Nature Spot. This exhibit engages young children (ages birth to five) in the natural world. Nature Play Educators are responsible for performing a variety of functions, including facilitating exhibit/nature exploration, leading outdoor play, developing, coordinating, and leading nature-based activities, presenting animals to the public, storytelling, and much, much more. The Early Childhood - Nature Play educator may also engage zoo guests throughout the zoo by supporting special events, exhibit encounters, and leading tours. The Early Childhood - Nature Play role works in the Education Department and reports to the Guest Encounters Interpretation Manager.
As an Early Childhood - Nature Play educator, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative and diverse people in San Antonio. Here, you will make an impact by:
- Lead nature-based, age-appropriate educational experiences. Utilizing play create an environment that encourages curiosity, creative thinking, exploration, and experimentation.
- Model appropriate practices for teaching young children: support/incorporate caregiver participation in nature-based activities.
- Ready the Kronkosky's Tiny Tot Nature Spot play areas each morning, monitor children's appropriate use of the exhibit, conduct safety audits and close downplay areas at the end of the day. Apply all standards, regulations, and guidelines that address health, safety, and developmentally appropriate practices with young children and their families.
- Support the zoo's LEAP (Love, Engage, Act, Protect) mission by implementing a comprehensive strategy for appropriate conservation education opportunities relevant to young children and their families.
- Collaborate with zoo staff to ensure accurate dissemination of information and maximize the zoo's resources to support conservation education with developmentally appropriate practices.
- Deliver a wide variety of interpretative encounters incorporating exhibit spaces, program animals, and/or biofacts, that empower guests to adopt conservation behaviors that secure a future for wildlife.
- Provide support for volunteers and other members of the Education Department as needed.
- Upholds all company policies as outlined in the Zoo Standard Operating Procedures, Team Member Handbook, and Code of Business Conduct.
- Performs other work-related duties as required and assigned.
- Consistently exhibit an attitude of service inside and outside of the zoo, showing hospitality to all.
- Be fully committed to the mission of San Antonio Zoo to create awareness that inspires action to care for the wild world we steward and animals we protect.
Your Skills and Expertise
To set you up for success in this role from day one, the San Antonio Zoo recommends the following skills/qualifications:
- Environmental Awareness: This role involves frequent, direct interaction with marine life and insects. Candidates will facilitate the Coral Lab touch tank (exposure to shellfish) and maintain the Nature Spot area (proximity to active honey bee boxes and observational hives). Due to the nature of these environments, this position may not be suitable for individuals with severe allergies to shellfish or bees.
- Designs to plan, create, implement, promote, and evaluate early childhood education activities reflecting environmental themes
- Effective written and verbal communication skills preferred.
- Desire to work outdoors with small children and their families in varying weather conditions, with multiple distractions
- Ability to relate effectively with the public, especially very young children as well as older adults
- Completed 48 college-level units/or two years of college-level coursework in Education, Zoology, Biology, or a related field (or equivalent work experience), Bachelor's degree preferred
- Willingness to work with animals: reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and insects
- Experience working with children under 5; understand developmental stages and special needs of children in an informal learning environment
- A strong desire to share the wonders of the natural world with all audiences is required. Prefer individuals with experience in informal environmental education
- Energy, enthusiasm, and patience, along with a strong commitment to the importance of play in early childhood education
- Ability to communicate effectively on a microphone in English, presenting biological, historical, and conservation information in a professional and engaging manner
- Proficient in using Microsoft Word, Excel, and related programs
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Responsible for the completion of all online Training Curriculum by assigned deadlines.
- Successful candidates must complete a pre-employment drug screening and background check.
- Must be able to work in varying climate and weather conditions (rain, snow, hot, or cold).
San Antonio Zoo is an equal opportunity employer. San Antonio Zoo will not discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.
