Camp Staff
2025 Camp Instructor Applications are open!
Application Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2025
Please review the position description and the camp details below. If this opportunity is a good fit with your summer plans, we look forward to receiving your application!
STEM Outreach Summer Camp Instructor
Summary
The NMSU STEM Outreach Center hosts annual summer camps for students who have completed grades 4-8. The camps explore a variety of topics each year. This year’s camps include agriculture, art, dance, drones, Esports, LEGO, robotics, and STEM careers, see specific camp descriptions and dates below.
All camps will take place on the NMSU Main Campus in Las Cruces, NM. Most camp sessions will be based in O’Donnell Hall. Many camps will take “field trips” to visit other departments or locations around campus.
Camp sessions run 8:30-11:30 am and 12:15-3:15 pm. Instructors are expected to be present Monday-Friday during their camp session(s). Instructors are expected to arrive prior to the session’s start time and may need to stay shortly after the session ends to clean up or prep for the next day.
Instructor Responsibilities and Duties
- Attend mandatory camp professional learning day in May 2025 (date TBD)
- Become familiar with camp curriculum before camp starts
- Co-plan and co-lead camp sessions with another certified instructor
- Adapt teaching methods and materials to meet the interests and learning styles of students
- Facilitate engaging, hands-on summer camps for students from grades 4-7
- Encourage camper exploration and creativity
- Encourage students to explore learning opportunities and career paths
- Maintain a tidy and orderly classroom
- Create and maintain a safe, respectful and inclusive classroom environment based on the Camp Code of Conduct
- Manage student behavior and contact camp staff in case of any discipline or emergency that arise
- Collaborate with other instructors, camp staff, and stakeholders to ensure effective camp implementation
Seeking Instructors with the following Qualifications and Skills
- Proven experience as an instructor
- Content knowledge and experience related to the camp(s) taught
- Classroom management skills
- Ability to implement lesson plans and successfully instruct students in various modalities
- Ability to effectively communicate with others and clearly express complex ideas
- Proficient active listening skills to understand and adapt to students’ various learning needs
- Knowledge of appropriate learning psychology, styles and strategies
- Excellent organization and time management skills
- Well-organized and committed to instructing the entire week of camp sessions
Preferred Qualifications
- NM Level I, II, or III teacher certification (or equivalent)
- Experience working with students in grades 4-7
- CPR and First Aid certified
- Experience working with STEM Outreach Center programs (camps or school-based OST programs)
Instructor Compensation
- $650 per week for a half-day of camp (1 session/week)
- $1,300 per week for a full-day of camp (2 sessions/week)
- Note: Payments will be made at the end of each week of camp. It may take up to 4 business weeks to process payments.
Camp Details
Please review the descriptions below to learn more about our 2025 STEM Outreach Camp offerings.
Camps are listed in alphabetical order.
Preference given to instructors who are able to lead camps for a full day.
Dates: June 2-6 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Dates: June 9-13 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Description: Agriculture in the Classroom is an exciting program that explores where our food comes from, how it's grown, and how it impacts the world. Through fun activities, experiments, and hands-on projects, you will discover the amazing science, technology, and teamwork that goes into farming, animal care, and food production.
Preference for instructors available both weeks.
Dates: June 2-6 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Description: Art Math Fusion invites incoming 5th–8th graders to explore the exciting intersection of creativity and logic through hands-on projects that blend artistic expression with mathematical concepts. Campers will dive into activities like designing geometric art, creating tessellations, and experimenting with patterns, symmetry, and perspective. By using math as a tool for artistic creation, campers will discover new ways to share their ideas and creations while also building skills to think and solve problems in cool, creative ways! This program inspires young creators to see the beauty in numbers and the structure in art, fostering confidence in both their creative and problem-solving abilities.
Dates: June 2-6 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Dates: June 9-13 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Description: Think you know how to fly a drone? Now it’s time to put your skills to the test! Can you navigate your way through a series of drone challenges? Work with your flight team to plan, navigate, and pilot your way over, under, around, and through drone obstacle courses. At the end of the week, challenge other teams to a course you design!
Preference for instructors available both weeks.
Dates: June 9-13 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Description: Unlock the world of fun and learning through our exciting NM State Esports Camp, designed specifically for young gamers! Campers will embark on a thrilling adventure filled with gaming, team building, and skill development. Dive into the virtual realms of Minecraft, Rocket League, and Mario Kart (grades 4/5) or Super Smash Bros (grades 6/7) - where creativity, strategy, and friendly competition collide! Expert instructors will guide campers through these popular games, fostering a love for gaming while emphasizing good sportsmanship. This camp goes beyond gaming; it's about building essential life skills. Through interactive activities and group challenges, campers will enhance their teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities together throughout the week. The digital world has become a playground for developing real-world skills, and here at NMSU, we have educating leaders ready to make your campers Pros!
Dates: June 2-6 @ 8:30 am – 3:15 pm (2 sessions)
Description: Calling all aspiring dancers! Join us for an exciting summer dance camp at New Mexico State University, where creativity and movement come alive. Explore a World of Dance:
- Diverse styles: Dive into a variety of introductory dance forms, including jazz, hip-hop, modern, ballet, and improvisation.
- Fundamental training: Develop core dance skills like coordination, rhythm, and flexibility.
- Experienced instructors: Learn from talented dance educators who are passionate about sharing their love of movement.
- Creative expression: Explore self-expression through dynamic choreography and exciting performances.
- Fun and inclusive environment: Make new friends, build confidence, and have a blast!
Dates: June 2-6 @ 8:30 – 11:30 am (1 session)
Dates: June 9-13 @ 12:15 – 3:15 pm (1 session)
Description: LEGO Nemos Drive Lab Camp, is a hands-on camp. “Nemo” means nobody in Latin, a car driven by no one would be called a “nemobile”, call them “nemos” for short. You’ll build your very own self-driving robots designed to dodge obstacles and even help with daily tasks like delivering supplies. With creativity, teamwork, and a dash of coding, you’ll become part of the future of robotics and create helpful bots that make life easier. On the final day of the camp, students will then compete with their robots, showcasing all the hard work they have accomplished throughout the week.
Preference for instructors available both weeks.
Dates: June 2-6 @ 12:15 – 3:15 pm (1 session)
Dates: June 9-13 @ 12:15 – 3:15 pm (1 session)
Description: Do you know what a biologist, chemist, or physicist does? Join us to find out as we investigate different areas of science and use the principles of science to solve real-world problems! We will explore how six different careers use and relate to biology, chemistry, and physics.
Preference for instructors who would also lead STEM Explorers (June 9-13) or STEM Sisterhood (June 2-6) morning camp.
Dates: June 2-6 @ 12:15 – 3:15 pm (1 session)
Dates: June 9-13 @ 8:30 – 11:15 am (1 session)
Description: Join us for an exciting STEM Robotics & Coding Camp where students dive into hands-on activities in robotics, coding, and design! Sixth and seventh graders will kick off with Dash and Altino robots, tackle Spheros coding mazes and battles, create with Dobot Arm and Nao robotics, and try 3D design in Tinkercad and soldering guided by AIS student mentors. Meanwhile, fourth and fifth graders will explore Ozobots, Dash, Dobot Arm robots, and Altino cars, and end the week with Tinkercad projects. With additional tools like Cubelets and Micro, this camp promises a fun, immersive experience for all skill levels!
Preference for instructors available both weeks.
Dates: June 9-13 @ 8:30 – 11:30 am (1 session)
Description: Rising 7th-8th graders are invited to become part of the STEM Explorers, make lifelong friends, and imagine the possibilities of a STEM career. We will meet with students and staff from various NMSU and DACC departments and learn about the STEM skills involved in exploring robotics, aviation, medicine, and more! We will also hear first-hand experiences of people of diverse backgrounds who are in various STEM fields and will engage in interactive STEM activities in NMSU and DACC labs. Come meet other middle school students and discover a world of possibilities through exploration of STEM!
Preference for instructors who would also lead Science in the Summer afternoon camp.
Dates: June 2-6 @ 8:30 – 11:30 am (1 session)
Description: Rising 7th-8th grade girls are invited to become part of the STEM Sisterhood, make lifelong friends, and imagine the possibilities of a STEM career. We will meet with students and staff from various NMSU and DACC departments and learn about the STEM skills involved in exploring robotics, aviation, medicine, and more! We will also hear first-hand experiences of women of diverse backgrounds who are in various STEM fields and will engage in interactive STEM activities in NMSU and DACC labs. Come meet other middle school girls and discover a world of possibilities through exploration of STEM!
Preference for instructors who would also lead Science in the Summer afternoon camp.
Questions? Contact us at stemoutreach@nmsu.edu (Summer Camps in the subject line) or 575-646-1397.
*New Mexico State University (NMSU) is dedicated to providing equal opportunities in our employment and learning environments. NMSU does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, or protected veteran status in its programs and activities as required by equal opportunity/affirmative action regulations and laws and University policy and rules.