Join the Adventure:
Inspire the Next Generation of Explorers!

About Trailside Discovery Camp

Trailside Discovery Camp is an award-winning outdoor education program in Alaska, dedicated to providing enriching environmental experiences for kids ages 5 to 14. We're proud to offer accessible, engaging programs for children from diverse economic, social, and cultural backgrounds. From Anchorage to Chugiak/Eagle River, our camps and year-round programs are packed with outdoor learning, adventure, and hands-on fun.

NOW HIRING!

We're seeking passionate, creative, and hardworking individuals to join our team! If you love environmental education and outdoor recreation, this is the place for you. Our programs range from science projects and crafts to kayaking an d mountain biking, and we're looking for team members who bring enthusiasm and dedication to each day at camp. Applicants must be 16 years old.

Opportunities Await

Whether you're helping kids explore science, build crafts, kayak, or mountain bike, you'll find meaningful work and lasting memories with us. Discover a role that fits your interests and skills while making an impact in the lives of young Alaskans.

Housing Available

For out-of-state staff 18 years and older, we offer shared housing in a large home with other Trailside Discovery Camp staff. Transportation to and from work is provided, so you can focus on the adventure and inspiration you bring each day!

Apply for summer 2025 positions Today!

APPLY HERE

Trailside Discovery Camp is an environmental education and outdoor adventure camp that connects Alaska youth with the natural world around them through place-based, experiential learning and guided exploration. Campers will engage in a variety of lessons, activities, and games related to their group's weekly themes under the supervision of our compassionate and enthusiastic instructors. Topics include forest and freshwater ecology, zoology, geology, glaciology, coastal and climate studies, sustainable farming, renewable energy, and more. Campers range in age from 5-14 and are placed in weekly age-based camp groups of 12-18 campers. Days are spent outside, rain or shine! Trailside Discovery Camp runs out of four different sites, three of which are in Anchorage (Kincaid Park, Russian Jack Park, and Ruth Arcand Park). The other site is at Beach Lake Chalet in Chugiak.

Assistant Instructors work alongside an Instructor with a group of 12-17 campers. Previous experience working with children is not required, but being a positive role model is! Primary responsibilities include group management, supporting planned lessons, games, and activities, and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for campers. This position is excellent for those looking to gain experience in childcare, environmental education, and/or high adventures with support from more experienced instructors. Assistant Instructors may occasionally be asked to step up into the Instructor position as their confidence grows. View the full position description.

Instructors work alongside another Instructor or an Assistant Instructor with a group of 12-17 campers. Previous experience working with children is required. Experience working in environmental education or high-adventure roles is desired, although these skills can be taught to those with a desire to learn! Primary responsibilities include leading planned lessons, games, and activities, communicating daily with managers, and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for campers. This position is excellent for those seeking an internship opportunity in childcare, environmental education, and/or high adventures and those who are excited to take on a leadership role within their camp group each week. Instructors may occasionally be asked to act as Assistant Instructors when scheduling necessitates it. View the full position description.

Specialist Instructors will work as a liaison between instructors and managers, rotating between groups to ensure all campers receive quality environmental education and high-adventure lessons. Specialist Instructors are expected to be leaders amongst other Instructors but will not have manager responsibilities. Previous experience working with children is required. Experience with executing either environmental education or high-adventure programs is also required. Primary responsibilities include running high-quality, hands-on lessons from already established lesson plans, assisting instructors with any prep work needed to run their daily activities, and helping managers prepare for check-in and check-out. Additionally, behavior specialists will assist in managing camper behavior in a group setting. This position is excellent for those looking for an internship opportunity in environmental education or outdoor recreation, with opportunities to gain skills in designing lesson plans and ample practice in experiential teaching. Specialist Instructors may be asked to act as Instructors when scheduling necessitates it. View the full position description.

Trip Guides lead groups of campers in off-site, overnight adventures across Alaska with the support of another trip guide. This year’s trips will go to Hidden Lake, Chugach State Park, the Kenai Peninsula, and more! Depending on trip length, programs are either 1 or 2 weeks long, with the first portion of their program running as a day camp out of Russian Jack Park while they learn backcountry skills and prepare for their trip. Previous experience working with kids is required, as is previous experience with safe LNT practices and backcountry camping. Trips focus on a range of skills, including frontcountry camping, backpacking, kayaking, and fishing. Primary responsibilities include preparing for overnight trips with the guidance of managers, driving 15-passenger vans around Alaska, cooking meals and ensuring timeliness for trip activities, and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for campers on trips and at camp. When there are no trips scheduled, guides will be asked to act as instructors. This position is great for adventurous and responsible people who love spending time in nature and can make sound judgment calls in the backcountry. Current WFA (Wilderness First Aid) certification is required for all trips staff. WFR (Wilderness First Responder) certification is preferable. While on trips, trip guides will make 8 hours of regular pay + 2 hours of overtime pay + a $45 stipend/per night. View the full position description.

Trip Specialists will support Trip Guides and Site Manager lead groups of campers in off-site, overnight adventures across Alaska with the support of another trip guide. This year’s trips will go to {INSERT TRIP PLANS} and more! Depending on trip length, programs are either 1 or 2 weeks long, with the first portion of their program running as a day camp out of Russian Jack Park while they learn backcountry skills and prepare for their trip. Previous experience working with kids is required, as is previous experience with safe LNT practices and backcountry camping. Trips focus on a range of skills, including frontcountry camping, backpacking, kayaking, and fishing. Primary responsibilities include preparing for overnight trips with the guidance of managers, driving 15-passenger vans around Alaska, cooking meals and ensuring timeliness for trip activities, and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for campers on trips and at camp. This position is great for adventurous and responsible people who love spending time in nature and can make sound judgment calls in the backcountry. Current WFA (Wilderness First Aid) certification is required for all trips staff. WFR ( Wilderness First Responder) certification is preferable. While on trips, trip guides will make 8 hours of regular pay + 2 hours of overtime pay + a $45 stipend/per night.

The Program Manager primarily supports instructors at the site by checking in with each group every morning about their daily activities, organizing supplies for instructors, and stepping in to help with group management when necessary. This position will be responsible for holding instructors accountable for filling out their daily schedules and leading scheduled activities. Previous experience working with kids in a formal or informal educational setting is required, and experience in lesson planning is desired. Program Managers will make changes to WAGS based on site-specific needs. Program Managers will work closely with the Site Manager to ensure that all groups of campers are accounted for and supported throughout the day. When the Logistics Manager is not able to do a supply run for a given site, the Program Manager will be responsible for this. If an Instructor or Specialist Instructor is not able to drive a field trip and the Logistics Manager is unavailable, then the Program Manager would be expected to drive. This position is excellent for those who are confident in managing large groups of kids and consider themselves leaders among their peers. Program Managers must have a genuine love for the environment and a desire to share that with kids through hands-on, outdoor activities. View the full position description.

The Site Manager will be responsible for the majority of parent communication for their site, including parent texts each week. They will also be fielding questions and feedback from parents at check-in and check-out, as well as over text. The Site Manager is responsible for creating the staff schedule for their site based on staff preferences from our staff survey. Site Managers are the instructors' and Camp Director's liaisons and should communicate feedback in both directions. This person will closely collaborate with the Logistics Manager to figure out field trip scheduling. This person is expected to know the whereabouts of all groups from their site at all times and will communicate with staff via radio. Therefore, Site Managers are expected to remain onsite at all times except in cases of emergency. This position is the most responsible for camper safety at the site and should be the person managing most medical paperwork. Site Managers are responsible for communicating with and greeting guest speakers. This position is crucial to creating a daily structure at camp by leading opening ceremonies, checking in with groups around lunchtime, and being present at the beginning of check-out. Site Managers are key role models for instructors, bringing enthusiasm to camp and never being an exception to their own rules. Site Managers are expected to plan at least two staff bonding events for their site throughout the summer! View the full position description.

The Logistics Manager helps all four sites share Trailside equipment and resources. This position will be based out of our centrally located TDC warehouse and office space. The Logistics Manager must be very comfortable driving all TDC trailers around the city of Anchorage and down dirt roads. This position will spend a majority of their time driving groups of campers, along with the necessary trailer of equipment, for high adventure field trips. Since they are based out of the warehouse with all of the Trailside gear, they will be responsible for helping to maintain and organize gear being used by all sites. At the end of each day, they will be expected to retrieve and sort packages of supplies that are shipped to the warehouse. The Logistics Manager will be key in distributing supplies from the warehouse to all sites, and will be expected to help with supply runs between shuttling field trips. This position will work closely with all Site and Program Managers. The Logistics Manager would be an excellent role for someone with previous managing experience, ideally someone already familiar with Trailside. View the full position description.

To Apply: Please click here to fill out an application. If you are a returning applicant, please note that we have switched to a new hiring portal and you will need to create a new profile. If you have any questions or issues with the application process, please contact us at [email protected].

Join the Adventure: Inspire the Next Generation of Explorers!