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Pennsylvania Rivers, Streams, & Schoolyards Assistant Manager/Field Educator
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Annapolis, MD, USA
USD 48k-48k / year
Posted on Feb 21, 2026
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Pennsylvania Rivers, Streams, and Schoolyards Assistant Manager/Field Educator in the Environmental Education department to be based in Harrisburg, PA, with daily travel throughout southcentral Pennsylvania.
About the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Established in 1966, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams, and the wildlife that call it home. Through our education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration efforts, we work together toward our vision of a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive together.
CBF has a staff of approximately 200 employees working in offices in Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. as well as 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water policies, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.
CBF’s headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first U.S. Green Build Council’s LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center—one of the world’s most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings—in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
CBF has 200,000 members and supporters and an annual budget of approximately $30 million. For more information on CBF, please visit our About CBF page.
About the Hiring Department
Environmental Education
CBF’s education department provides field experiences, teacher professional learning, and student leadership for over 25,000 participants each year.
The Bay, and its watershed, is our classroom and CBF environmental educators are responsible for bringing the Bay alive to students. We strive to make a lasting impression about the excitement and vulnerability of the Bay.
Each of CBF’s 14 education programs has its own individual character. The field experience options run the gamut from our urban boat programs in Baltimore and Hampton Roads to Pennsylvania canoe programs to remote island-based centers. We use hands-on experiential teaching techniques to educate students about the health of the Bay and connect them back to their local environment. Educators promote and develop knowledge about the Bay by providing unforgettable field investigations that inspire participants with a commitment to take action for the restoration of the Bay.
The education department is comprised of Student Field Programs, Teacher and Principal Professional Learning, and Student Leadership. All of these components work closely to educate and empower participants to take action towards “Saving the Bay.”
Context of the Position
The Pennsylvania Rivers, Streams, & Schoolyards Environmental Education program provides experiential, hands-on field investigations for students in southcentral PA. These experiences include schoolyard-based explorations, classroom engagement, and canoe-based river investigations designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn about their local watershed and its connection to the Chesapeake Bay. Participants in these programs delve into the vibrant ecology of Pennsylvania through hands-on, field-based curriculum that emphasizes scientific investigation of local ecosystems that aligns with the Pennsylvania Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) standards.
Program staff are based in Harrisburg and will travel daily throughout the southcentral region of PA to lead inquiry-based classroom lessons and conduct schoolyard investigations. Additionally, this position will be trained in how to lead canoe-based field programming. This position requires the ability to navigate a changing work schedule/time due to the varied work sites and travel.
Essential Functions
- Professionally serve as the Assistant Manager/Educator on the Pennsylvania (PA) Rivers, Streams, & Schools (RSS) Environmental Education program and other CBF field programs
- Assist the PA RSS Program Manager along with PA Education program staff to develop and teach one-day inquiry-based field programs for schoolyard-based investigations and stream-side biological sampling & water quality testing
- Assist the PA RSS Program Manager, along with the PA Education program staff, to develop and teach pre/post lessons in classrooms, that may be delivered before and after any schoolyard-based field experiences
- Continually adapt program content based upon grade/age level of the group, weather, group dynamics, and feedback/evaluations from teachers/supervisors
- Ability to communicate ecosystem and watershed concepts to a wide range of audiences, including but not limited to K-12 and teachers.
- Plan & deliver summer courses for Chesapeake Classrooms Teacher Professional Development and/or Student Leadership Program.
- Safely and professionally serve as a field leader for the PA Rivers, Streams, & Schoolyards Environmental Education program, and other CBF programs
- Program staff are responsible for the safety of all field participants, ensure that all safety protocols are rigorously followed, and are required to respond to medical emergencies that may arise
- Program staff are responsible and accountable for performing maintenance to keep all education related equipment and gear (work truck, canoe trailer, canoes, education materials) in proper working order.
- Attend all safety and professional development training
- Consistent ability to perform required programmatic administrative duties
- Support and implement outreach/marketing strategy to build engagement with students, teachers, and schools across southcentral PA.
- Other duties as assigned
Professional Experience and Qualifications
Successful Candidate should possess the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in education or in the environmental field or relevant experience
- 2-4 years’ experience teaching in either a formal or non-formal setting with preference given for experience in leading place-based investigations
- A proven ability and strong desire to teach in the field/outdoors (under all weather conditions)
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
- Collaborative work style
- Knowledge of Pennsylvania rivers, streams, and environmental issues facing the Chesapeake Bay, preferred
- Experience with supporting outreach/marketing initiatives, preferred
Physical Requirements
- Physical ability to lift and carry heavy objects-at least 45 pounds (canoes and other equipment)
- This physically demanding position involves frequent exposure to the elements
- Ability to work away from home for multiple-day periods throughout the year
- Ability to work occasional evenings and/or weekends
- Ability to have reliable transportation to travel to other CBF field programs & locations as needed
- Ability to be trained in the American Canoe Association Certifications for flat and moving water
- Ability to learn to drive a work truck and safely tow a canoe trailer over long distances with a varying work schedule
Other
- Must pass a criminal background check & obtain the Pennsylvania background clearance credentials
- Must possess a valid driver’s license, submit a driving record, and have an acceptable driving record
- All education staff participate in a pre-employment & random drug screening program per the requirements of the US Coast Guard
Salary Range: $48,000
How to Apply
Using the link below, please submit a cover letter and resume no later than March 6, 2026.
CBF offers a 36-hour work week and for full-time staff, a comprehensive benefits package to include: 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, 2 floating holidays, health, vision, dental, life insurance, and a 403(b) retirement plan with matching contribution. Learn more about CBF Benefits.
We Are Committed to Saving the Bay and We Need You!
Bringing together the most qualified employees with diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, perspectives, and beliefs is the key to saving the Bay. We know that talented professionals can come from anywhere and everywhere. We are proud to have created an award-winning organization where they have the opportunity to thrive while joining us in our work to achieve clean water, clean air, and a safe environment—rights that we all share.
Wondering whether you have the right credentials or background to apply? We value lived experience, are serious about embracing diversity, and are committed to building a team that represents our communities’ backgrounds. That means we want people just like you!
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.