Employment
2024 Summer Employment Opportunities
We are now hiring for the following positions:
Applications for Summer 2024 are now closed. Applications for summer 2025 will open in January.
Why Work with Project Canoe?
If you want to be a positive mentor to many young people, spend time having fun outside, and step out of your comfort zone in a supported way, consider applying to work with us.
Building community is at the core of what we do at Project Canoe. We bring people together while creating experiences that require building deep relationships, trust, and appreciation of each other.
On our canoe trips, youth learn what it feels like to give and receive support, work through challenges together, and celebrate their achievements. At the end, they walk away with many new friendships and a greater sense of themselves.
Project Canoe (PC) staff play a large role in creating these communities while also being a participant in them. As part of the Project Canoe team you will get to join other compassionate people who love the outdoors and working with youth. Our hope is that it will be just as meaningful of an experience to you as it is for the youth you take out on trip.
See below for a few more things that make PC unique.
What Makes PC Unique?
Small group programs
1:2 ratio of staff to youth
Three month summer contract
Four week training period prior to leading trips
A look at our Programs
All of our programs focus on having fun outside, building community and learning new skills.
We offer overnight backcountry canoe trips in Algonquin Park, as well as urban day programs in the GTA. Our canoe trips are 5, 8, and 14 days long. Our urban programs can include paddling the Humber River, paddling to Toronto Island and exploring trails and parks accessible by TTC.
Head over to our Programs page to learn more.
The Staff Experience
We hire Canoe Trip Leaders each summer to facilitate our summer programs. Canoe Trip Leaders are hired for an approximately three month contract, the first part of which is dedicated to training and professional development. Training begins in late May and takes place over a four week period in Toronto and Algonquin Park. Canoe trips begin in late June and carry on throughout the summer months until the end of August.
Training includes:
A staff training canoe trip
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) course
Specialized sessions on topics such as:
youth mental health
behaviour management
restorative practices
risk management
canoe tripping/camping skills
nature & environmental stewardship
Setting up our Toronto summer basecamp
Having fun, building community, playing games and learning from each other
Summer Schedule
Canoe trips are 5, 8 and 14 days long .
Trip leaders work in pairs or trios with a group of 4-6 youth.
Each trip starts with 2 days of preparation, is followed by a wrap up day, and then 2 days off between trips.
We take a longer break in the middle of the summer and have a mid-summer check in day & celebration.
The summer consists of 5 trip rounds, each round has 2-3 trips going out at once.
Each staff will spend 1 of those trip rounds in the city, during which they will contribute to urban programs and operational basecamp tasks.
While we provide time off for rest and recuperation between trips, being a Canoe Trip Leader involves long days. At times trips can be challenging both physically and emotionally; when you are on trip there is ‘down’ time, but there is no ‘off’ time. We are committed to being flexible, creative, and collaborative in finding ways to support everyone while in their role.
Typical Day in the City
When not out on a canoe trip, staff could be doing a number of different things:
Trip preparation - packing gear and food for trip, getting to know your co-leaders, planning programming and activities for on trip, or learning more about your youth group.
Logistics support - laundry, gear cleaning and repair, restocking First Aid Kits, assisting with an evacuation, etc.
Urban program facilitation - helping to facilitate a day program with one of our partner organizations.
Professional development - mid-summer training opportunities and sessions.
Typical Day on a Canoe Trip
Things don’t always follow the “typical day” on a canoe trip, which is what makes them so magical! But, here is a look into the general daily flow while on a PC canoe trip. To the left is a snapshot of a page from a group journal. The group journal is shared with youth as a resource and place of reference while on their trip. A new experience for most youth is that we pack up camp each morning, and spend each day travelling to a brand new campsite!
FAQ
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A love for the outdoors and working with youth are key assets and what we look for. On top of that, any of the following experiences would be helpful but are not required:
Outdoor education facilitation
Organizing, planning, and leading canoe trips
Experience working with young people, particularly youth facing barriers
Knowledge and experience working with marginalized, underrepresented, and diverse communities (e.g. 2SLGBTQA+, newcomers, BIPOC, individuals/families facing economic barriers).
We encourage people who have not worked in outdoor education before to apply. Our extensive training program is designed and developed to support learning for everyone at all levels of experience.
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We require staff to have two certifications prior to starting to work with us: Advanced Wilderness First Aid with CPR-C (~40 hours) and RLSS Bronze Cross (or higher). You do not need these just to apply, as long as you are willing to obtain them before the summer.
We offer staff subsidies to obtain certifications, as well as occasionally host them within the GTA in a TTC accessible location. We also offer support in finding other available certifications through our networks.
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Applications generally open up in January. Please check back to our open listings for information and a link to our application.
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We open our applications up in January. All interested applicants are asked to submit our staff application during that period which asks you for a resume and a few questions to get to know you. We do not require a cover letter.
Once submitted you will receive a confirmation email that it was received. We will invite a selection of applicants for an interview and make decisions shortly thereafter. We will reach out to all applicants, regardless of whether or not we offer an interview.
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Yes! Please do! We have a variety of ways to get involved throughout the year in a volunteer capacity.
Volunteer on one of our committees
Volunteer for our Outdoors Club
Join in on our Leadership Series (for 16-23 year olds)
Become a Bingo Volunteer
Would you like to learn more?
If you have any questions or want to connect about what it is like working with Project Canoe before applying, fill out our connection form below to have a chat with our Program Director John.
