Come work and play on the ocean in beautiful Midcoast Maine!
The 4-H Camps at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove provide environmentally focused summer camps and school programming for Maine youth in Lincolnville and Tenants Harbor. Programs emphasize community living, respect for others, fun, safety, responsibility, and the joy of being a part of the natural world.
Tanglewood is located near/in Camden Hills State Park in Lincolnville, Maine on the Ducktrap River just 2 miles from the ocean. Blueberry Cove is located in Tenants Harbor, Maine with direct access to the ocean for swimming, kayaking/canoeing, and paddle boarding. Both locations are near the towns of Camden and Rockland with access to community events, restaurants, and ample outdoor activities.
About Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove 4-H Camp and Learning Centers
Our mission is to teach youth from Maine and beyond to be effective and caring citizens of the Earth through affordable environmental education and nature-based experiences.
Program content areas include summer camps (day, overnight, teen leadership, and discovery trip programs) and immersive academic-year school programs through our Open Air Classroom.
The Employee Experience
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.
Ideal Candidate
We look for staff who recognize the importance of being a good role models, are committed to educating about the earth and sustainable living, and genuinely enjoy working with youth. Our staff come from a variety of backgrounds and come together to form a dynamic community and create an awesome experience for hundreds of children. All staff are educators, guides, caregivers, entertainers, musicians, ecologists, artists, mentors, athletes, and holders of “great mad skills.” In a nutshell, we look for people to be positive adult role models for the youth we serve.
Room and Board
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! Meals are provided when programming is in session and leftovers are often available. Shared kitchen facilities are available for any off-time cooking.
Employee Perks
Employment includes Includes rustic, shared housing, meals, laundry, and internet access.
Getting Here and Getting Around
We recommend bringing a personal vehicle so that staff can access our nearby towns and communities. However, it is possible to work at camp without a vehicle - usually, people are happy to share rides into town. We are happy to arrange pick-ups from our local bus stations in Rockland or Belfast.
For Fun
Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove are sandwiched between two great coastal towns of Rockland and Belfast with the nearby food and arts community of Camden nested in between. Lincolnville is home to a rocking General Store, several boutique bakeries, a public beach, restaurants, and more. Tenants Harbor is nestled down the St. George peninsula within a diverse arts and fishing community and has nearby access to sandy beaches, quarries for swimming, and ferry service to outlying islands. Tanglewood is located in Camden Hills State Park, which offers abundant hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and rock climbing opportunities. We are two hours from Maine’s hippest city of Portland, and under two hours from Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are 4 hours away, Boston five, Quebec City, and Burlington six.
How to Apply
The first step of our application process is to complete our online application form (or email a resume and cover letter). From there, we will schedule interviews with our shortlisted candidates and contact references. We encourage all interested applicants to apply, even if you feel you do not meet all the criteria for the position you are interested in.
Contact Info
- Jessica Decke
- jessica.decke@maine.edu
- (207) 789-5868
- extension.umaine.edu
