How do I apply and what can I expect from a summer at the Sunset Bay Wharf
If you are already familiar with our operations and wish to apply for a position this summer or beyond, please follow this link to our online application: https://form.jotform.com/220135711683147 and send us an email here to let us know to review your application sunsetbay@sunsetbaywharf.com We will get back to you promptly to schedule a call or additional information.
Sunset Bay Wharf is a fast growing organization with student enrollment increasing every year. We have new career and seasonal positions every year with resume building opportunities for young people with a passion for the outdoors and empowering the next generation. There is simply no more valuable, fun, and rewarding way to spend a summer or beyond than at the Sunset Bay Wharf, living and working with young people from around the country and the world.
Sunset Bay Wharf - Summer Program
Summer teaching staff receive round trip air fare from anywhere in the country, $3,500 stipend, food and lodging, and free time use of boats and gear, so that at the end of the summer you are more than likely to have your entire paycheck still in the bank. For those considering grad school or returning to college, our off season program makes it possible to pursue your higher education goals while incurring little or no additional student debt, and also serves as an incubator for recent grads wanting to try out Seattle or build up their resume with teaching and non-profit experience prior to applying to grad school.
The Sunset Bay Wharf's Beach Camp program consists of two staff training weeks and 8 week long student sessions with pairs of Sunset Bay teaching assistants leading an age specific student group for the week. Like any manager within an organization, our educators instruct, lead, and motivate their group to accomplish a wide variety of missions each week. And like any modern organization manager, leadership is accomplished through fun and encouragement. But what is unlike a typical management trainee job, our leaders live and work with young people like themselves from around the country and the world, and get a fresh start each week with a new group of students to try out new things and work toward finding their best leadership voice. Beach Camp educators leave with friends and connections across the globe, and with leadership experience equal to many years or many jobs in a typical organization.
I'm not sure what I want to do next, what can Sunset Bay do for me?
The mission of the Sunset Bay Wharf is two-fold. To educate and empower our students with marine science and outdoor education life skills. And, to educate and empower our staff by helping them develop the type of soft skills necessary for success here or in any field they choose to pursue.
It goes without saying that you can accomplish a lot more with an organization behind you. But it’s a lot harder to work within an organization because it requires special “soft skills” that take time and opportunity to develop. The three main soft skills for getting along and advancing within organizations are “managing up” (dealing with your boss or bosses), “managing down” (dealing with your subordinates), and “managing across” (dealing with your peers in the organization). All three take real world practice to develop. There’s no book that can do it for you, and there is no one single way to be. Everyone needs to find their own voice, and the Sunset Bay summer program offers a unique opportunity for young people to practice these soft skills in a forgiving and low stress environment.
The ability to start afresh each week leading an entirely new group, and being able to work with different staff members each week, is experience that would take years to replicate in a typical job with the same co-workers and customers year after year. And the Sunset Bay Wharf is small enough that all educators have daily one on one interactions with the directors, giving them experience “managing up” which would take years to replicate elsewhere.
At the end of each summer season, teaching staff in good standing are eligible for year around positions with favorable odds. And for staff members where a career match is not in the cards, the Wharf may still be able to offer subsidized housing and hourly work sufficient to allow part time staff to support themselves while attending college or grad school or launching another career path job search.
Although it is never easy for young people to obtain meaningful work and financial independence right out of school, the Sunset Bay Wharf offers a well trod path and supportive environment for young people to grow, learn, relax, and pursue their dreams.
Look us up!
Sunset Bay Wharf, 14725 Norma Beach Road, Edmonds, WA 98026
206-324-6715 Main