Children and adults gathered around an outdoor table with a colorful rainbow design on its side, engaged in a group activity involving scoops or small tools, with trees and bushes in the background.

Join as an Educator

Teach in Nature. Lead Your Own Program. Join the Salty Sunflower community.

The Salty Sunflower Nature Collaborative is a nature-based education platform where educators design and lead their own outdoor learning experiences for children and families.

We support independent educators who want freedom, flexibility, and alignment with child-led, nature-immersed learning.

You bring your expertise. We provide the platform, community, and structure.

What is a Salty Sunflower Educator?

A Salty Sunflower Educator is an independent 1099 contractor who designs and leads nature-based classes, workshops, or programs for children and families.

Educators operate their own offerings under the Salty Sunflower umbrella while maintaining creative and instructional autonomy.

You are not an employee—you are a partner building your own program within a shared ecosystem.

WHAT YOU CAN TEACH

Your Program, Your Expertise

We welcome educators with a wide range of backgrounds, including:

  • Nature-based early childhood education

  • Outdoor exploration & adventure learning

  • Surfing, movement, or water-based programs (for qualified instructors)

  • Science, ecology, and environmental education

  • Art, storytelling, and creative nature immersion

  • Social-emotional learning in outdoor environments

  • Forest school / play-based learning models

If your work connects children and families to nature, we want to hear from you.

HOW IT WORKS

Simple 4-Step Process

  1. Apply
    Tell us about your background, experience, and program ideas.

  2. Connect
    We’ll do a short conversation to explore alignment.

  3. Design Your Offering
    You create your class structure, age group, and schedule.

  4. Launch
    We support you in getting your first program up and running.

Children and an adult planting or gardening in the soil near a small garden bed.

WHAT WE PROVIDE

What Salty Sunflower Offers Educators

  • A platform to host and grow your programs

  • Brand visibility within a trusted nature education community

  • Parent/family outreach support

  • Simple onboarding + contracting system

  • Insurance structure guidance (once finalized)

  • Optional collaboration opportunities with other educators

We are building a network—not a hierarchy.

Children climbing and playing on a large, twisted tree with sprawling branches and rough bark, in a sunny outdoor setting.

WHAT WE EXPECT

We Look For Educators Who Are:

  • Grounded in child safety and emotional attunement

  • Comfortable leading outdoor learning environments

  • Self-directed and organized

  • Aligned with nature-based or play-based education

  • Excited to build something independently within a shared ecosystem

You do not need a traditional teaching credential—but experience working with children is essential.

A woman and a young girl are looking at plants inside a greenhouse. The woman is smiling and wearing glasses, and the girl has her hands on her neck. They are surrounded by green plants and are bending down, closely observing something.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

This is for educators who want:

  • Freedom in how they teach

  • Flexible scheduling

  • Creative ownership of their programs

  • A nature-centered teaching life

  • A platform to grow their own educational offerings

This is NOT for those seeking a traditional classroom job structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. You can apply with an idea—we help you refine it.

  • No. Educators are independent 1099 contractors.Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.

  • Outdoor and nature-based locations in approved areas.We combine a thoughtful, human-centered approach with clear communication and reliable results. It’s not just what we do—it’s how we do it that sets us apart.

  • We review applications based on:

    • Experience working with children

    • Alignment with nature-based, play-based learning

    • Safety judgment and responsibility

    • Ability to design and lead independent programming

    • Overall fit with the Salty Sunflower philosophy

    Not all applicants will be accepted, especially during the initial launch phase.

  • Yes—but we prioritize readiness.

    If you are newer, we may recommend starting with:

    • Co-led sessions

    • Shadowing opportunities (if available)

    • Smaller pilot programs before expanding your offerings

    We are building for safety and quality first, not volume.

  • We ask educators to share their preferred pricing structure during the application process.

    This may include hourly rates, per-session pricing, or program-based pricing depending on your teaching style.

    We are currently building our educator model and use this information to help shape fair and sustainable program structures.

    We are currently developing a range of program formats, so flexibility in pricing structures is appreciated.

  • Yes. You design your own program within safety guidelines.

  • Educators should have experience working with children in some capacity (formal or informal), and a strong comfort level leading groups in outdoor environments.

    We are looking for individuals who are:

    • Confident supervising children in natural settings

    • Able to hold group safety and awareness outdoors

    • Emotionally attuned and developmentally appropriate in their approach

    • Comfortable working independently as a contractor

    Formal teaching credentials are not required, but relevant experience is essential.

  • Not necessarily. However, depending on your program type, we may require or strongly recommend:

    • CPR/First Aid certification

    • Relevant outdoor, surf, or safety certifications (if applicable to your program)

    • Background clearance (required for all educators working with children)

    We evaluate experience, judgment, and alignment more than formal titles.

  • Yes. Educators must be at least 18 years old.

    Certain programs (such as water-based or higher-risk activities) may require additional experience or qualifications beyond age minimums.

  • At this time, Salty Sunflower provides the primary program liability structure once active. However, educators may be required to maintain their own supplemental liability coverage depending on program type.

    We will clarify requirements during the onboarding process.

Ready to Join?

We are currently accepting applications for our first cohort of educators.

👉 Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please fill out our educator application below & we will be in touch with next steps soon!