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WHAT IS CHOSS?

1) CHOSS (Camp Highland Outdoor Science School) is an Outdoor Science School that provides customized environmental science and adventure programs (day programs up to 5 days) to schools from throughout Southern California.

2) Is CHOSS a camp or Outdoor School?
– Just like our name we are both. For example if a school attends for a day program we operate like a traditional Outdoor School. No desks, tables, chairs or classes inside. All classes are taught outside rain or shine! If a school attends a 5 day program, during the day we operate like an Outdoor School and in the evening we operate like a camp. The best of both!

TRAINING

1) When does training begin?
– Usually two weeks before first school is scheduled to attend.

2) Is training on the weekend?
– No not usually, but depending on the situation and/or circumstance it may be scheduled over one weekend.

3) What is provided during training?
– Housing and 2 meals per day, lunch and dinner. A fully equipped staff kitchen is available to prepare and store personal food. Stipend of $100 per week for the successful completion of each week of training. Outsourced professional training by Alpine Towers International, Project Adventure, Project Wet, Wild, Flying Wild, Learning Tree (subject to trainer availability), resource binders with lesson guides for environmental and adventure curriculum classes, resource books, employee manual, FYI binder, CHOSS & Riverside County field guides, work uniform.

SEASON

1) When does the work season officially start?
– Fall usually first week of October, Winter & Spring usually last week of January. (depends on when first school is scheduled to attend)

2) When does the work season officially end?
– Fall usually second week of Dec. Winter & Spring usually second week of June.

3) How many work days in a season?
– Depends on start and end date of each. Fall usually 25-35 work days, Winter & Spring 70 – 80.

4) Is each week a 5 day program?
– No.

5) How many 5 day programs are there each season?
– Depends on how many schools select a 5 day program based on their respective schedule, budget and students. Each season has a mix of 1 and 5 day programs but approx 70% are 4 and 5 day programs.

6) If there is not a 5 day program, is there a 5 day work week
– No. The work week is determined by the school(s) selection of 1 through 5 day program(s). For example, if there is a 1 day program scheduled for the week, there will be 1 day of work. If there is a 2 day program scheduled for the week there will be 2 days of work. Sometimes there is more than one school scheduled to attend the same week which would make it a 5 day work week. For example, one school attends a 1 day program and one school attends a 4 day program. Also there may be a non program work day scheduled for special program projects or additional training.

7) Are there any breaks during the season? If yes how long?
– Yes. Fall there is one for the Thanksgiving holiday break up to 10 days. Winter & Spring there are two, one for spring break and the other for CA state testing up to 5 days each.

8) Are there any weeks that no schools are scheduled?
–Yes.

9) What does staff do when there are no schools scheduled?
– The options are endless. For staff out of state it is an opportunity to go on an extended trip to explore CA. For others, visit family and/or friends. The choice is yours. J

SCHOOLS THAT ATTEND CHOSS

1) What type of program(s) is offered to schools?
– Day programs to 5 day programs are offered. Each program is customized for schools based on their request from our curriculum.

2) Where are the schools from?
– San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and LA County schools attend CHOSS. Local schools 3 miles away to 100.

3) What grade are the students in?
– One school sends students in gr. 3 and 4, another sends students in gr. 7 and 8, the rest send students in gr. 5 and 6.

4) Are schools public or private?
– With the exception of 2 schools that are private the rest are public.

5) Are schools from urban/rural areas?
– Depends on the district and area, 90% are urban.

HOUSING

1) Is housing provided?
– Yes. 7 days a week throughout contract employment. No need to move out on weekends either!

2) Is it single or shared?
– Single housing is reserved for senior and/or returning staff. Shared housing is for new staff and is assigned by gender.

3) Are linen(s), pillow(s) and blanket(s) provided as part of housing?
– Yes. If you need it. We have sleeping bags too. J

4) What about beds?
– Yes. Two single beds in shared housing and one double bed in single housing .

5) Is toilet paper provided?
– No. You are responsible for your own toilet paper, towels and all other personal toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, soap, etc).

6) What about cleaning materials and supplies?
– CHOSS provides both.

7) Are utilities paid by staff or shared?
– No. CHOSS pays for all utilities! J

8) Is there a bathroom in housing?
– Yes. A private bathroom with shower, sink and toilet is in each housing unit.

9) Can you describe what the housing looks like?
– Ever watch the “Smurfs” as a kid? No, really, no joke, shared housing looks like a Smurf Hut, single housing are units side by side in a row (in the shape of a rectangle).

MEALS

1) Are meals provided?
– Yes, when a program is in session. First lunch through last breakfast.

2) What about meals when a program is not in session due to rescheduling, cancellation or weekends?
– No meals are provided for all of the above. A fully equipped staff kitchen is available to store and prepare personal food.

3) Is there a vegetarian option?
– Yes.

4) Is the food catered or prepared on site?
– On site.

5) Do you accommodate staff with special dietary restrictions, food allergies?
– No L We cannot accommodate if you are vegan, gluten free, lactose intolerant or have a nut or any oil allergy.

6) Do you have a sample menu to look at?
–– Yes, click here for our Meals and Menus page.

PAY

1) How is the pay rate decided?
– Starting pay is $55 per day. Depending on education qualifications and work experience you will receive a $5 increase if you have a science/environmental science/environmental studies/outdoor education or recreation management degree. Another $5 increase for lifeguard/WFA/WFR certification and another $5 increase for 24 months or more of work experience after graduation in an outdoor or environmental ed program.

2) How do I earn up to $100 per day?
– When you work two shifts in one day as Field and Cabin Instructor. This is what is called a “Double” at CHOSS.

3) Do I get paid if there is no program scheduled?
– No. L You are paid for each day worked.

4) When do I get paid?
– Every two weeks.

5) When do I get my first paycheck?
– Two weeks after the official start of the work season.

6) Is direct deposit available?
– Yes. You must bring a voided personal check with your name, address and telephone number ON THE CHECK or have your bank write a letter for you stating the same information. There is a direct deposit form to fill out and complete.

UNIFORM

1) Is staff required to wear a work uniform?
– Yes. Option to wear a choice of two hats. (Baseball and ranger style. If you do not want to wear a hat you don’t have to). Polo shirt with collar for cool days, round neck cotton shirt for warm and/or hot days, sweater and hoodie. Option to wear work pants provided by Columbia Sportswear Co.

MISC BENEFITS

1) What other benefits does CHOSS offer?
– Plenty. Location – you don’t have to drive more than 5 miles to buy gas, food and/or shop for personal items. Weather – sunny, warm and/or hot 350 days out of the year. The Grand Oak Restaurant & Bar on property. Yes there is a restaurant and bar on property. J Access to Highland Springs Resort facilities – pool and Jacuzzi available from May through Oct, workout/exercise room, hiking trails, campfire pit, wireless internet. Laundry facility with washer/dryer, dry racks, additional storage for staff.

MISC INFO

1) How long has CHOSS been in business?
– Since 1994.

2) Are there any shared facilities?
– Yes. The main building used for CHOSS purposes is the Hitching Post and is used exclusively for CHOSS program purposes Mon through Fri. However on the weekends, starting Fri evening through Sun evening it is shared by various groups for different purposes. When it is not in use and there is no group scheduled CHOSS staff may access and use Hitching Post otherwise CHOSS staff has no access to the Hitching Post building and cannot use it during weekends.

3) What is located in the Hitching Post?
– Dining hall, Infirmary, Medic and Director Offices, staff lounge with resources and laundry facility.

FIELD INSTRUCTOR POSITION

(EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE WORKING AT CHOSS J)

1) What time does the Field Instructor start work?
– 7:25am.

2) What time does work finish?
– 6:30pm.

3) What does the Field Instructor teach?
– Environmental/Adventure Curriculum (Aquatic Study, Birding, Environmental Action, etc / Alpine Tower, Archery, Canoe, Climbing Wall, etc).

4) How many classes is the Field Instructor responsible to teach during a 5 day program?
– 9 classes (5 environmental and 4 adventure).

5) How long is each class?
– 90mins.

6) Where are classes taught?
– Anywhere on property, hiking trails, ponds, etc.

7) How many students are in each Field group?
– This largely depends on the total number of students from the visiting school and total number of Field Instructors schedule to work. Ideally 15-17 students.

8) Are Field groups same gender or mixed?
– Mixed.

9) Do Field groups change at any time during the week?
– No, each Field Instructor has the same group from start to finish.

10) Are resource materials, books, teaching aids and/or sample lessons for classes provided?
– Yes. A resource binder contains a sample lesson for each class with suggested materials concepts/activities/games provided along with objectives and vocab that are aligned with state and national standards. Supplementary info is also provided for each class. CHOSS has a small library of great books to choose from and neat teaching aids are provided to enhance the quality of the lesson and class .

11) How much control does a Field Instructor have over its group?
–Complete autonomy and control as to how lesson is taught and how content is delivered.

12) Do Field Instructors have to teach the suggested concepts/activities/games in the resource binder?
– No. Ideally the objectives and vocab for each class is covered but the suggested concepts, activities and games can be different as concepts/activities/games from past work places and experiences can be used.

13) Do Field Instructors have class prep time during the day?
– Yes. Time is allotted from 3:30 – 5:25pm to prepare for classes, do program maintenance and clean showers and/or bathrooms, write reports and/or complete other paperwork.

14) Are Field Instructors required to write reports for any incidents that may have happened with a student(s) during a class or day?
– Yes. ACA standard incident report forms are provided.

15) What about discipline incidents?
– CHOSS Strike Form is provided.

16) When do Field Instructors write reports?
– Time is allotted from 3:30 – 5:25pm to write reports and/or complete other paperwork.

17) Are Field Instructors required to do program maintenance, clean showers and/or bathrooms?
– Yes. Both.

18) When do Field Instructors do this?
– Time is allotted from 3:30 – 5:25pm to do program maintenance and clean showers and/or bathrooms, write reports and/or complete other paperwork and prep for classes.

19) Do Field Instructors eat all meals with their group of students for the length of the program?
– Only lunch as it is eaten outside. Sometimes 2 or more Field groups eat lunch together. Breakfast and dinner meals students and staff are mixed together at different tables each meal depending on what popsicle stick they grab before entering the dining hall.

20) What time are Field Instructors required to be in the dining hall for breakfast/dinner meals?
–7:25am for breakfast and 5:25pm for dinner. Field Instructors are required to be seated in dining hall 5 mins prior to start of meal for table management.

CABIN INSTRUCTOR POSITION

(EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE WORKING AT CHOSS J)

1) What time does the Cabin Instructor start work?
– 4:25pm.

2) What time does work finish?
– 9:30am.

3) Do Cabin Instructors sleep with students in the cabin?
– Yes.

4) What does the Cabin Instructor teach?
– Evening Curriculum (Astronomy, Night Hike).

5) How many classes is the Cabin Instructor responsible to teach during a 5 day program?
– 2 classes (Astronomy, Night Hike) and facilitate or lead 2 others (Snake Lady, World Dance, Campfire).

6) How long is each class?
– 90mins.

7) Where are classes taught?
– In cabin, outside, anywhere on property, etc.

8) How many students are in each Cabin group?
– This largely depends on the total number of students from the visiting school and total number of Cabin Instructors schedule to work. Cabins accommodate 15-23 students.

9) Are Cabin groups same gender or mixed?
– Same gender.

10) Do Cabin groups change at any time during the week?
– No. Each Cabin Instructor has the same group from start to finish.

11) Are resource materials, books, teaching aids and/or sample lessons for classes provided?
– Yes. A resource binder contains a sample lesson for each class with suggested materials concepts/activities/games provided along with objectives and vocab that are aligned with state and national standards. Supplementary info is also provided for each class. CHOSS has a small library of great books to choose from and neat teaching aids are provided to enhance the quality of the lesson and class.

12) How much control does a Cabin Instructor have over its group?
– Complete autonomy and control as to how lesson is taught and how content is delivered.

13) Do Cabin Instructors have to teach the suggested concepts/activities/games in the resource binder?
– No. Ideally the objectives and vocab for each class is covered but the suggested concepts, activities and games can be different as concepts/activities/games from past work places and experiences can be used.

14) Do Cabin Instructors have class prep time during the day?
– Yes. From 9:30am – 4:25pm. From 8:30am-9:30am time is allotted for lesson plan, write reports and/or complete other paperwork, do program maintenance and clean showers and/or bathrooms.

15) Are Cabin Instructors required to write reports for any incidents that may have happened with a student(s) during a class or day?
– Yes. ACA standard incident report forms are provided.

16) What about discipline incidents?
– CHOSS Strike Form is provided.

17) When do Cabin Instructors write reports?
– Time is allotted from 8:30 – 9:30am to write reports and/or complete other paperwork, lesson plan, do program maintenance and clean showers and/or bathrooms.

18) Are Cabin Instructors required to do program maintenance, clean showers and/or bathrooms?
– Yes. Both.

19) When do Cabin Instructors do this?
– Time is allotted from 8:30 – 9:30am to do program maintenance and clean showers and/or bathrooms, lesson plan, write reports and/or complete other paperwork.

20) Do Cabin Instructors eat all meals with their group of students for the length of the program?
– No. Breakfast and dinner meals students and staff sit at different tables depending on what popsicle stick they grab before entering the dining hall.

21) What time are Cabin Instructors required to be in the dining hall for breakfast/dinner meals?
– Cabin Instructors rotate setting and cleaning up the dining hall during the week. If you are responsible for setting up the meal 7:15am for breakfast and 5:15pm for dinner. If you are not setting up your students should be lined up outside the dining hall door no later than 7:25am for breakfast and 5:25pm for dinner. Cabin Instructors also supervise a table during the meal for table management .