January 17, 2012

Cool Job: Mountaineers education manager Becca Polglase

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One component of Becca Polglase's job as education manager at The Mountaineers is to run youth outdoor-education programs. (Courtesy of The Mountaineers)

What do you do? I was hired in October 2010 by The Mountaineers (a Seattle-based nonprofit outdoor education, recreation and conservation organization) as education manager, a new position designed to work with volunteers on curriculum and course development and to develop youth and family outreach programs.

I spend most of my time working on youth programming, since it is fairly new to the organization and a major strategic initiative. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, I have been able to establish a Mountain Workshops program in partnership with youth-serving agencies like YMCAs and youth shelters, as well as a summer day camp and year-round teen adventure program.

What's a typical day like? There are no typical days, which is one of the reasons I love my job! I spend quite a bit of time at my computer communicating with youth group leaders, setting up classes or developing curriculum. I also meet with youth-serving organizations to develop strategic partnerships. The rest of my time is spent working with volunteers and running programs.

How does someone get a job like yours? I have a strong background in youth outdoor-adventure education. Outdoor, experiential and adventure education requires a skill-set that isn’t common to many professions, so having that background is essential to securing a management-level position in outdoor education. I also had a semester course with Outward Bound, a master’s degree in nonprofit management, four years of experience as the associate executive director at a YMCA, and about eight years of experience in leadership roles in various outdoor education organizations. In this job market, I’m not sure I would have even qualified for an interview if I lacked just one of those qualifications.

What surprises people about your job? Most of my friends are in the nonprofit or outdoor education world. They are always surprised to hear about the level of commitment shown by our volunteers. They are also amazed to learn that we are able to run an entire youth program with volunteers and without paid program staff. My friends in the for-profit world are usually surprised by the comparatively low salaries in the nonprofit world.

--NWjobs staff

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