West Virginia University Science Adventure School

Be a part of a life-changing adventure for kids.

Science Adventure School is an adventure-based, outdoor science school dedicated to empowering and educating West Virginia’s youth. We integrate adventure sports-driven STEM curriculum with a hands-on, engaging environmental curriculum.

In southern West Virginia, just down the road from the New River Gorge National Park.

About West Virginia University Science Adventure School

Science Adventure School is an adventure-based, outdoor science school dedicated to empowering and educating West Virginia’s youth. We integrate adventure sports-driven STEM curriculum with a hands-on, engaging environmental curriculum at the world-class Summit Bechtel Reserve, Jackson's Mill 4-H camp and WVU's Outdoor Education Center. We are a mission driven organization that works primarily with rural, low-income, public school students and their teachers to offer high quality, life changing outdoor experiences that they normally would not have access to.

The Employee Experience

We will be spending a lot of time together, so a positive staff culture is important to us, and we want every member of staff to understand how much we appreciate them. We spend a lot of time, particularly early in training, focusing on everyone getting to know each other. Additionally, we view our staff as a team and value honesty and feedback at all levels. While every year and situation are different, many of our previous staff have formed close bonds with each other while working at SAS that lasts well beyond the season.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is able to be flexible. SAS is a fairly new program. In one aspect, this is great, because staff have the ability to make a lasting impression on what we do and how we do it. However, that also means that not much is set in stone yet and sometimes problems come up that we couldn't have foreseen that need to be solved on the fly. We are also still experimenting to figure out what works best for students, teachers, and staff. This means some parts of the program could be different from week to week. Staff who can adapt and give us good feedback and suggestions for improvement are a huge asset.

Room and Board

Shared lodging is provided in the form of sturdy canvas tents, yurts, and/or cabins for the duration of your contract including weekends and days off. All locations have running water and showers. Laundry and internet are also provided at no cost. 

Getting Here and Getting Around

All of our locations are considered front country and within 15-20 minutes from town. We are able to assist with transportation to site from the airport/bus/train station but recommend you bring your personal vehicle for weekend travel off site. 

For Fun

During the main part of our season, we will be living just outside of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. This area offers world class rock climbing and whitewater paddling. There is a vast community of outdoor enthusiasts with lots of great food and live music on the weekends. Since SAS staff have weekends off, we encourage staff to explore the surrounding area and embrace all that West Virginia has to offer. 

How to Apply

To Apply, just follow the link below and select the job you're interested in applying for and fill out the application. 

For questions, please contact Alice Morgan at SAS@mail.wvu.edu. Well qualified applicants can expect to hear back from our team within seven days of application submission. We're excited to receive your application!


Contact West Virginia University Science Adventure School