EDUCATION FOR THE WORLD WE WANT: RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
Wheelhouse Creative Education Center offers a unique educational opportunity that centers care, joy, social justice and connection with the natural world and one another. We believe children grow into their very best selves through imaginative play, supportive community, meaningful time in nature, valuable physical work and following their own natural curiosity.
The idea of a mixed-age education that respects nature and children’s work of play is rare in the United States. But studies demonstrate that when children from diverse backgrounds, ages and income levels learn together in nature, they report many benefits later in life — not only improved physical health, but also stronger emotional resilience, deeper concentration and desire to learn and higher earning potential in the long term. We’d love for you to join us!
Our Mission
At Catskill Wheelhouse, we believe that caring relationships hold the world together. We seek to elevate, celebrate, and support the work of care, and to create an environment in which children learn to take care of themselves, each other, and their world. We do this by:
- Operating a developmentally sound and soul-nourishing childcare center that emphasizes social-emotional development and care for the natural world
- Creating innovative and sustainable support systems with families to meet their emotional and material needs
- Cultivating networks and shifting local culture to center and adequately resource the work of care
Our Story
Catskill Wheelhouse was founded by a group of five parents dreaming of a loving, mutually supportive, world-opening community for their children and themselves. As their children played on and around them, they laid the groundwork for an educational organization guided by the principles of social justice, land stewardship and joy. We opened the doors of our preschool program in October 2015 in a renovated barn, surrounded by sunflowers and acres of forest. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we pivoted to meet the needs of our community and expanded our offerings to include fully-outdoor and masked Forest School classes. Today, our core program — Community School — makes its home in the community building of a former resort on Main Street Cairo, where children absorb the sense of pleasure and relaxation in nature from days gone by.
We will be hiring for multiple roles at our school as we are adding an additional class this winter.
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Experience:
- Early Childhood General Education Teachers: 1 year (Required)
License/Certification:
- CPR Certification (Preferred)
- Child Development Associate Certification (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
Responsibilities include:
- Curriculum planning
- Fostering a respectful and caring classroom environment
- Assessing children’s learning
- Addressing individual learning needs
- Engaging in ongoing reflection with colleagues
- Participating in regular staff meetings to discuss and create foundational school structures
- Maintaining a safe and organized classroom space
- Communicating with families about children’s learning
Successful candidates will possess the following qualifications:
- Post-secondary Degree in Early Childhood or Elementary Education (Master's preferred, Bachelor's considered) preferred but not required
- A New York State Teaching Certificate is preferred but not required
- At least one year of lead teacher experience
- A love of the outdoors
Preferred 1 year of classroom experience
- Minimum Education Level: Highschool Graduate or GED
- Preferred Education Level: Bachelor's Degree
Email your resume to both christina@catskillwheelhouse.org & alanna@catskillwheelhouse.org.
List of job referees (0)
No referrals found for this job.