Seasonal Camp Culinary Instructor

Who We Are:

Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is the nation’s premier conservation and preservation organization. The Trustees’ preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. Our properties are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 100,000 Member households. We encourage you to learn more about The Trustees on our website, www.thetrustees.org.

Posting Information:

Salary/Hourly Rate: $20/hour 

Hours per week: 30-40, Monday-Friday, 8AM-3PM 

Job Classification: Nonexempt, Seasonal 

Job Type: Onsite 

Duration: June 9–August 15, 2025 

Location: Powisset Farm, Dover, MA

What You’ll Do:

Your Impact:

Are you interested in helping young people understand where their food comes from, loving vegetables, and eating healthy, farm-fresh foods? Farmer, Forester, Chef! Camp features cooking lessons each day inspired by seasonal farm produce they help grow. The culinary program is part of this unique camp that connects children to the land and the natural systems that support us all, while spending time outdoors, exploring, making friends, and having fun.

Farmer, Forester, Chef! is a day camp for 50 campers ages 6-11 located at historic Powisset Farm in Dover, MA. Powisset Farm is a 109-acre working CSA vegetable farm with a vibrant learning garden, barnyard animals, culinary programs for all ages, scenic trails, engaging education programs, and deep history that make this a special place to visit and work.

For more information about our camp, please visit Trustees Camps. 

The Role:

Do you love to cook and teach children? Can you create fun recipes for a young audience and think on the fly? Do you believe in the importance of creating fresh farm food and know how to get others excited about it? If so, then this job is for you!

As a Culinary Instructor, you love to cook and share your knowledge with enthusiastic food fans! You are energetic, talented, outgoing, inclusive, patient, and enjoy performing in front of an audience of children. 

As a Culinary Instructor, you will teach four classes each day in Powisset’s beautiful teaching kitchen and at the outdoor kitchen making recipes with children that reflect the seasonal changes on the farm and what’s growing in the camp teaching garden. You will develop weekly themes and daily menus, preps for each class, instructs the class, and encourages the success of every junior chef.    

Specifically, you’ll:

• Develop an 8-week curriculum based on themes and seasonal offerings 

• Prepare and organize menu and ingredients to insure a smooth, consistent, and timely flow of instruction. 

• Set up and break down the teaching space for each class, including table arrangement. 

• Instruct hands-on classes for campers ages 6-11 years old supported by camp counselors. 

• Keep kitchen areas organized, clean, and orderly to deliver a positive camper experience. 

• Communicate regularly with camp director and staff to report safety concerns, incidents, maintenance needs, and program assessment. 

• Be familiar with and enforce property and kitchen rules and regulations. 

This is a seasonal position working 35 hours/week and reporting directly to the Powisset Camp Director.  

Requirements

What You’ll Need:

Skills and Experience:

• Outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic; must enjoy working with the public, especially children. 

• Experience working with children in educational or recreational settings. 

• Experience developing menus and recipes for cooking classes. 

• Experience teaching hands-on cooking to children. 

• Experience working in culinary environments. 

• Experience, background, or interest in working within farm settings. 

• Responsible and committed, very patient, with exceptional attention to detail and safety. 

• Ability to work independently. 

• Ability to lift 40 pounds. 

• Certifications, provided if needed:  

• ServSafe and Allergen certified  

• CPR and Basic First Aid 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be 20+ years of age. 

• Full availability for camp staff training week (June 16-20) and all weeks of camp (June 23 – August 15), plus additional days in June for curriculum development, kitchen training, and camp prep. 

• Current authorization to work in the United States – a candidate must have such authorization by his or her first day of employment. 

• A satisfactory criminal background (CORI) check. 

Don’t quite have all the skills and experience listed above? We still want to hear from you! Research shows that historically marginalized groups are less likely to apply if they do not meet every single requirement. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage you to apply even if you are missing some of the skills and experience above.

Have questions? Contact our People team at [email protected]!

Benefits

Your Benefits:

• Sick Time: Mass Sick Leave Accrual 

• Trustees Discounts: Enjoy free entry to all Trustees properties, discount event tickets, and discounted merchandise at our stores, faces, and on stays at our inns.  

• Museum Reciprocity: Employees have access to free and discounted admission and membership to more than 50 nearby museums and cultural institutions.  

Equal Opportunity and Diversity:

The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual preferences, nation of origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with varying abilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at the core of our mission.

The Trustees’ commitment to advancing the organization’s vision for this work may be found here: Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.