Now Hiring at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove
Thank you for your interest in working with us!
The UMaine 4-H Learning Centers at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove provide opportunities for people to connect to the natural world and each other. Each year we hire a well-rounded team to carry out hands-on programming that builds skills, inspires creative problem-solving and helps young folks reach their full potential. All community members play a huge role in the success of our programs from each educator to every member of our kitchen crew.
Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove are both unmistakably beautiful places to work, nestled in the woods along the Ducktrap River and overlooking Tenants Harbor respectively. Our communities are friendly ones, for we recognize that every individual who works here plays an equally essential role in carrying out our mission.
Please read through the job descriptions and program pages thoroughly to determine which site and program position is the best fit for you. Application links are noted below. Please contact us at extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu with any questions!
Hiring for 2024 is winding down, please check the list below to see which positions we are still hiring for!
Folks who have worked at either Tanglewood or Blueberry Cove in the past, please apply through either of the application links below. We’ll follow up with you for an interview.
- Open Air Classroom Environmental Educator (filled for Spring 2024)
- Facilities and Grounds Worker
- Trips and Leadership Program Instructor (filled for 2024)
- Food Service Supervisor (lead cook) (filled for 2024)
- Food Service Assistants
- Health Care Provider (currently filled for 2024)
- Summer Counselor (Day and Overnight Camps) (filled for 2024)
- Summer Educator (Day and Overnight Camps) (filled for 2024)
- Summer Program Leader (filled for 2024)
- Summer Camp Program Coordinator (filled for 2024)
- AmeriCorps Mentor at Blueberry Cove
- AmeriCorps Mentor at Tanglewood
Internships
We work with successful applicants to create internships for any of our positions. If you are looking to earn internship credit for one of our advertised positions, please note this on your application for that position. If you have an idea for an internship that does not align with a listed position, please contact one of our Directors with your proposal. Some of our internship options typically include Outdoor Leadership, Outdoor Education, and Early Childhood Education.
“Tanglewood was the best camp experience of my life. My peers and mentors are some of the greatest people I have ever met, and I hope to offer a similar support system for everyone there, either camper or staff.”
— former summer counselor —
About Working at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove
Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove are centers for environmental education. That means not only do we teach children to respect the earth and their surroundings but that we also practice environmentally friendly methods of running our programs.
Being a leader at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove is not about blowing whistles and being “in charge.” It is about teaching and sharing and making sure kids learn that it is OK to be themselves because they are the innermost (and most important) part of their environment.
Choosing to participate as staff or a volunteer in any University of Maine 4-H Learning Center program involves a commitment to living together with trust, honesty, and integrity. The development of a healthy and vital community is one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove programs.
Facilities
While we do our best to make sure staff are comfortable while living at camp, our facilities are rustic and not what everyone’s used to. Be prepared to spend a lot of time outside exploring and playing with the young folks we work with.
The Basics
Everyone living in the camp gets their own living space in a shared cabin, which consists of your own bed, some shelves, and the surrounding area. It’s not much, but we encourage you to be creative and make it your own. The majority of our summer cabins are non-insulated, with screens rather than glass for windows, so at night it can sometimes be cold, but during the day the lack of windows can be very welcome! Cabins for spring and fall staff are insulated, with glass windows, and a wood stove. However, there’s also no electricity in the sleeping cabins, so flashlights are a must.
The cabins are arranged into living units, each with a simple bathhouse. There is also a modern bathroom facility with showers and a staff-only bathhouse with extra showers and cubbies for you to store toiletries!
Time Off
Summer Camps
The exact schedule of time off you receive will depend on your position in camp, although as a general rule, staff has about 2 hours off each day and about 4 hours every other evening. Trips staff, who are on duty for the duration of their trips, receive additional time off during their weeks in camp to compensate.
Some examples of what staff has done on nights off include:
- Watching movies
- Mini-golf
- Going for ice cream
- Playing games
Each week of camp is also split with a “weekend” of time off between Friday afternoon (approx. 5:30 PM) and Sunday morning at noon.
Other fun weekend outings:
- Hitting Popham Beach for some sun and sand
- Hike the trails in Acadia National Park
- Go on shopping trips to Freeport, Maine
- Cook special meals together
- Spend time at the homes of local staff for some “family time”
School Programs
Most weeks follow a Monday-Friday schedule. Depending on the programming of the week, evenings may or may not be free as well — overnight school program days wrap up around 8:30 PM, though educators are not responsible for students after program time (chaperones and school teachers cover those).
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).