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Job Information

Want to work for North Carolina State Parks? The Summit Environmental Education Center at Haw River State Park is the only residential environmental education program in the state parks system! Our mission is to facilitate safe and fun outdoor "experiences" for all ages while fostering a better understanding and appreciation for the environment.

Environmental Education Instructors are a seasonal position. The start date can be anytime from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5, 2025, and the position term ends on November 25, 2025, with the potential of rehire in February 2026. There will be a 3-week non-paid summer break during July 2024.

Your employment will include a salary of $18 an hour, with a guaranteed 40-hour work week. Housing is available if interested, for only $30 a month with utilities included. Living on the property is not required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summit Instructors work with children ages 7 to 18. The Summit offers programming ranging from 1-day experiences up to 3-day/2-night residential stays for school groups and youth organizations. Programs we offer include Piedmont Wildlife, Animal Adaptations, Wilderness Survival, Orienteering, Teambuilding, Soils, Forest Bathing, Box Turtle Biology, Dendrology, and Wetlands Ecology.

The Summit team also engages adult groups through teambuilding programs, Grand Camps (for grandparents and their grandchildren), and public events. We will be hosting our fifth annual Park in the Dark, a Halloween family event in mid-October with nocturnal environmental activities, costumes, and night hikes. This event is growing each year and is becoming a staff favorite.

Why work here instead of another environmental education center? Our "classrooms" include several hundred wooded acres, pristine wetlands, a 6-acre lake, and the headwaters of the Haw River. The Summit creates and maintains the highest standards within the field of environmental education and offers staff training and professional development opportunities across the North Carolina state parks system.

Requirements and Qualifications

A four-year degree is required for consideration.

We are looking for individuals with experience working with children in an outdoor setting, who are dedicated to connecting children with nature. We seek creative, fun, and high-energy individuals to become Summit Instructors.

If this position fits your goals and interests, please fill out a NC State Government Paper Application for Employment (PD-107). Completed and signed applications, along with a resume with references and a cover letter, should be sent to Kathryn Royall at kathryn.royall@ncparks.gov. Please email Kathryn as well if you have any questions about the position. Click the button below:

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Job Information

Are culinary pursuits in a unique environment your passion? Then come be a part of the team at Haw River State Park, where our Conference Center dining hall operations provide up to 50,000 meals annually to hungry park visitors! Our kitchen caters to paying guests reserving the unique conference center facilities at Haw River State Park, including meal prep for specific dietary needs and children. Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are generally served buffet-style in the dining hall. Snacks and beverage services are also offered to guests with conference center reservations outside of the standard mealtimes. Flexible scheduling is needed to cover shift hours ranging from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week, for conference center guest needs. If you're not a fan of set patterns and rigid hours, then try a different work experience with us!

Kitchen staff at our park may work on a team of up to a dozen other staff members who help ensure our kitchen runs to industry standards such as safe practices of handling diets and sanitation, in order to provide a great guest experience. 

This position pays $15 per hour and works up to 40 hours per week.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties include:

• Prepare cook stations
• Prep work (roll flatware, wash/cut produce, etc.)
• Set up for buffet, salad bar, beverage stations, and snack service (may require driving a vehicle or golf cart to different conference center building locations)
• Serve guests as needed
• Bus tables, break down the buffet and salad bar, and reset for the next meal service
• Wash dishes, load and unload dishwashers
• Restock items and unload delivery trucks
• Clean appliances and machines
• Tidy kitchen area (take out trash, clean and sanitize surfaces, etc.)
• Set up beverage stations and prepare beverages
• Additional duties as assigned

Requirements and Qualifications

Park uniform and good people skills are required. All training required can be obtained on the job.

Applicants need to fill out a NC State Government Paper Application for Employment (PD-107). Completed and signed applications can be emailed at haw.river@ncparks.gov, dropped off at the park office, or mailed to the park.

Job Information

The lifeguards at Haw River State Park work when summer camps are in session. 

The pay is $17 per hour.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summer camp lifeguards will keep watch over 30 campers each day, with additional instructors poolside. The swimming sessions last 2 hours each afternoon.

The park pool is small, with a shallow end and a deep end with a depth of 5 feet.

Requirements and Qualifications

Lifeguards must hold a current certification from an accredited lifeguard organization. CPR/AED and first aid certifications through the American Heart Association or the Red Cross are also required.

These positions are perfect for newly certified individuals.