All-staff
All Staff Expectations
Attitude & Work Ethic
We offer a sliding scale fee, financial aid to all in need, we have great equipment and we pay people well. How can a small organization afford this? We work hard, we work until all gets done, and we get more done with fewer people. We do many jobs; cleaning, cooking, guiding, directing, helping others and fixing things. We take exceptional care of our equipment, so it lasts longer than usual. Resourcefulness plays an important role in our logistical base. We are proud of being frugal.
In addition, during program days teaching staff are with students 24 hours a day for the duration of the program. This includes sleeping in the same dwelling or campsite with the students.
During non-program days, staff may be asked to provide general support for our campus and other programs. When not teaching, we work 8 – 12 hours a day. People find that we work harder and longer hours at Kroka than in some other places. Only people who thrive on long hours of hard work thrive at Kroka.
Healthy Community
Healthy relationships are predicated on healthy communication. Therefore, we strive for open, direct, and honest communication. Our Code of Conduct, signed by all employees and students, lays out the guidelines for our community interactions. In addition, the Interpersonal Safety document outlines personal and emotional safety expectations between people at Kroka. We also encourage healthy community through the following:
New staff members are carefully screened by calling multiple references, a criminal background check, and obtaining a driving record.
We do not allow casual visitors or friends to be unaccompanied on our campus.
We create time and space for personal sharing and emotional connection between staff.
We practice our interpersonal communication skills with annual workshops.
A senior year-round, non-Director staff member serves as the human resources coordinator.
Conflicts of Interest with Other Organizations
As an employee of Kroka Expeditions, we expect you to uphold a professional responsibility towards sustaining our unique relationships, itineraries, and curricula. You will share in our unique body of knowledge and skills that so many people have worked hard for many years to develop and refine. This includes a knowledge of local wilderness areas that are suited for adventure expeditions, locations of safe and appropriate campsites for groups, and unique methods of integrating academic, social, and adventure curriculum. In addition, you will be developing professional working relationships that include schools, teachers, landowners, and peer organizations in the outdoor education field. This unique knowledge and these relationships are Kroka’s most important assets and we are pleased and honored to share them with you.
While we wish for you to make a lifetime commitment to Kroka, we know that at some point, circumstances may require you to move on to new places in your life. After you leave Kroka, we hope you will be able to capitalize on what you have learned here and continue working in the outdoor education field. We are reasonable, generous, and trusting, and ultimately we want for the students of today’s world to spend as much time outdoors as possible.
Out of respect for our continued efforts we ask that you make the following commitment to us:
At any point during or prior to a period of contracted employment at Kroka, if I am offered employment or consulting work with any other outdoor education or wilderness-based organization, I will consult in advance with Kroka’s Executive Director to discuss any possible conflict of interest. For at least three years after working at Kroka, if I am offered contracted employment or consulting work with any organization that has been a client or affiliate of Kroka during the past three years, I will contact Kroka’s Executive Director in advance to explore any possible conflict of interest. If I am a leader or member of any group trip or expedition that plans to use any wilderness campsites that are used by Kroka programs or any area where Kroka has an established land use agreement, I will consult with Kroka ahead of time in order to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts and to ensure the best stewardship of that area.
Legal Responsibility
All staff are expected to comply with local laws at all times while with a Kroka program or on duty as a Kroka employee. Staff leading programs or traveling for Kroka business are expected to be familiar with local laws in the areas they are traveling.
Hygiene and Clothing
When not on expedition, staff are expected to be clean, well-groomed, and presentable wearing clean and neat clothes. Mended patches speak better for who we are than holes. Staff are asked to wear a clean Kroka t-shirt on the first and last day of programs as well as when in public when representing Kroka.
Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct must be reviewed and signed annually by all employees. If there are any changes to the Code of Conduct outside the set review period, all employees must review and sign the updated Code of Conduct. A copy of the current Code of Conduct can be found in the Appendix and on KrokaDock.
Health and Wellness
Medical Insurance and Liability
All staff are required to carry medical insurance OR sign a release stating that they assume responsibility for any medical and emergency expenses during work at Kroka.
Staff are required to update the online MEDICAL/LIABILITY RELEASE AGREEMENT on an annual basis.
Paid vs Unpaid Health Days
If your staff benefits include health days, they will immediately be applied to any missed days of work due to illness or injury. Any subsequent days will be unpaid. An employee can request additional health days beyond your typical annual allotment from HR. If your staff benefits do not include health days, your days absent from work will be unpaid unless circumstances warrant paid sick or injury leave at the discretion of HR.
Workers Compensation
If you sustain an injury while at work, you must let the Business Manager know as soon as possible, preferably before receiving medical treatment. All work-related injuries require an incident report. If you sustain an injury while on an expedition program, Kroka will cover the costs of evacuation from your location to the nearest medical facility and/or back to the Kroka campus. If you are on an international program with travel insurance, Kroka will cover any costs not covered by travel insurance.
All Kroka employees are covered by a New Hampshire Workers Compensation insurance policy that will provide the following benefits in the event of a work-related injury: Weekly Indemnity Benefits, Temporary Partial Disability Benefits, Death Benefits, Payment of Related Medical Bills, Including Mileage to Doctors' Visits and Prescription Reimbursement, Permanent Impairment Award, Temporary Alternative Duty, and Vocational Rehabilitation.
Injury and Illness
If you have sustained an injury while away from work, are not feeling well, or have been diagnosed with a communicable disease, you must notify your supervisor and the Human Resources / Business Manager as soon as possible. If you are contagious you need to stay home! Co-workers are encouraged to support one another by noticing the onset of sickness and encouraging them to rest. If you live on-campus and share a space with others, you may need to quarantine yourself and take precautions to stop the spread of infection. Please ask the Facilities Manager for alternative housing.
Confidentiality & Disclosure
At Kroka we value our ability to share personally with each other and see this as an essential way to connect and build common understanding. Staff are required to maintain confidentiality of sensitive private information (health conditions, parental or student concerns, etc…) that they may have learned about students or other staff. If there is a disclosure that creates a concern for the wellbeing of self or others, staff need to bring their concern to the program supervisor or one of the Directors.
All individuals over 18 in New Hampshire are Mandated Reporters. Any concerns regarding abuse or neglect that fall under Mandated Reporting to the State must be reported to the Directors, who will take appropriate action.
Intimate relationships between staff members
Staff working at Kroka may naturally develop close friendships or even romantic relationships with one another; however, the enjoyment and outward expression of these relationships cannot interfere with teaching effectiveness and the overall social and emotional well-being of the community. To that end, staff will foster relationships that are inclusive and will respond to feedback about how their social life affects the group. Under no circumstances will staff enter into romantic or exclusive relationships with students- see separate policy. Any staff member under 18 years of age will follow all the student relationship protocols outlined in the code of conduct.
Intimate relationships between staff and students
Under no circumstances is it acceptable for staff to act on any feelings of intimate attraction towards students, or respond to any expressions of intimate affection from students before a program, during a program, or during subsequent continued employment at Kroka. Any staff member under 18 years of age will follow all the student relationship protocols outlined in the code of conduct.
Hiring of Family Members (Nepotism Policy)
"Family Members” are defined as adults who are an individual’s spouse, romantic partner, parents, step-parents, children, siblings, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, and in-laws (or partner’s family).
No Year-Round Kroka employee shall:
- Be part of the hiring decision to employ their own family member.
- Set the compensation rate for their own family member.
- Directly supervise their own family member on an ongoing basis (more than one program at a time).
If a decision is being made that may have an adverse affect on a family member’s employment, the year round staff member may be part of the discussion but may not be part of the decision.
Family members employed by Kroka are subject to all the same residential requirements, expectations and policies set forth in Campus Handbook as other staff in the same category and compensation level.
Communications with Students and Parents
Our student programs are based on safe, appropriate and professional relationships between staff and students, and between the students themselves. To ensure a healthy group culture:
All programs with adolescent students include a “code of conduct” at the beginning of the program to clarify our clear boundaries and create a safe and appropriate group culture.
All programs are visited and observed by a senior staff member in order to assess the safety and social and pedagogical atmosphere.
While on program, intentional one-on-one conversations with students such as emotional support, code of conduct, or counseling /mentoring will be held within sight of others in order to protect the safety of both staff and students.
We seek ongoing feedback from parents, both in person and via written or electronic forms: Feedback is sought within two weeks of the completion of each program, as well as via a 3-month follow-up check-in for our semester program families.
Post Program: Following the conclusion of a program, staff may wish to remain in communication with students and families with whom they have worked. It is not uncommon for staff to develop a long-term connection with participants and families of participants and to continue to serve as a mentor to students after the conclusion of the program. These relationships must be managed professionally and in accordance with the below Kroka guidelines:
All communication with students under the age of 18 must be with the knowledge and permission of a parent(s) regardless of communication type (phone, email, social media, etc…).
Any post-program communication with students and families should be from a Kroka email address or from the Kroka office telephone. Do not use your personal email or phone.
Staff are welcome to keep in touch with students over the age of 18 via social media; however, staff should not initiate this communication. Do not accept a social media friend request of anyone who is under the age of 18.
If a current or former staff member receives inappropriate or unwanted communication from a former student at any time, this must be reported to Kroka's Directors.
Equipment, Vehicles & Travel:
Responsibility
Any loss or damage to Kroka vehicles, equipment, or supplies must be immediately reported in person to the Facilities Manager or Expedition Director where appropriate. This conversation should result in an understanding about responsibility and next steps for repairing the damage. Staff or students who hold responsibility for loss or damage will be expected to share in the effort (time and/or expense) of repairing that damage.
Use of Equipment
Kroka staff are allowed to borrow equipment for personal use at the discretion of the Expedition Director or Gear Manager when it is not being used for programs. All equipment must be physically signed out with the signature of Director or Gear Manager and returned fully repaired.
Camp Store Purchases
Staff can purchase camp store merchandise at specially discounted staff prices (typically wholesale cost). Staff discounts are only available to staff during the duration of their contract. All camp store purchases need to be made through Facilities Manager during regular business hours and paid for at the time of purchase.
Clothing
Two Kroka shirts are provided per staff member per year. Staff members can purchase additional Kroka shirts at cost (see Camp Store Purchases).
Pro-purchase
The pro-purchase benefit allows all staff to purchase equipment at Kroka’s cost through certain individual vendors as well as Outdoor Prolink. See the Business Manager for details.
Use of Kroka Vehicles
Kroka trucks, vans and minivans are not available for personal use. Some special exceptions may be made for senior staff and foreign staff but mileage must be reimbursed at the current mileage reimbursement rate.
Use of Personal Vehicles
With the exception of student train/airport trips, all use of personal vehicles must be pre-approved by a Director. Staff must submit a Mileage Reimbursement Form signed by a Director. If you are planning on using another staff member’s private vehicle, you must make arrangements directly with that person.
Kroka sometimes relies upon the generous use of staff personal vehicles to help cover short-term transportation needs. When personal vehicles are used for Kroka business (shuttle vehicles, groceries run, etc), staff may be eligible for mileage reimbursement to cover the cost of gas and vehicle wear and tear. As of 1/1/2024, the mileage reimbursement rate is $0.35 per mile.
When Kroka requests use of a personal vehicle for a standard round-trip student transportation errand [Manchester Airport, Concord Bus Station, or Bellows Falls Train Station], Kroka will automatically provide reimbursement at the standard rate. There is no need to request reimbursement.
Travel Food Allowance
If Kroka is sending an individual for business travel (i.e. conferences, teaching assignments, scouting, outreach, etc…), Kroka will provide food for snacks and meals or reimburse for food-related expenses following these guidelines:
For LOCAL TRAVEL DURING THE PROGRAM SEASON, staff are expected to pack food from the Kroka bulk food room and farm supplies. Our expectation is that staff will act frugally and cook rather than purchasing whenever possible. Receipts must be submitted in order to receive reimbursement or food purchases.
For LONG-DISTANCE or OFF-SEASON travel, staff will purchase food using their own funds and submit receipts for reimbursement up to a maximum of $20 per day as of 1/1/2024.
Photography
Taking and sharing high-quality photographs during an expedition helps participants remember and share the experience later, and is essential to Kroka’s marketing and outreach efforts. Kroka relies on expedition leaders who have invested in a high-quality digital camera and in a carrying case and expedition-grade protection for it, use it skillfully to take great photographs during an expedition, and share those images after the expedition.
One staff member per program will take digital photos. This includes a group photograph.
At the conclusion of each program, teachers will submit their camera or SD memory card to the Program Coordinator who will manage their photographs. If the card contains more than 200 photos, program teachers will be asked to review their images and select only the best photographs (typically 50 from a one-week program or 100 from a two-week program).
Camera Reimbursement
Using your camera on a Kroka trip carries some risk of the camera being lost, stolen, dropped, broken, and worn-out. You can amplify that risk by doing foolish things like lending your camera to immature students or placing it unsecured on the bow of your canoe while paddling down rapids. Kroka cannot insure your personal camera against damage or loss, and we will unfortunately not be able to replace it if it were to get lost or damaged on expedition. However, we can provide one of the following each year:
50% reimbursement payment (up to a maximum of $300) towards any purchase of any qualifying camera that is purchased by a full-season employee prior or during contracted work and used on Kroka programs for at least one full season. This benefit may only be used once every two years.
$50 stipend per year for use of any existing qualifying personally owned camera on Kroka programs. Cannot be used within the same year as the purchase benefit.
Examples of Qualifying Cameras: - DSLR (any make and model, 50-200mm lenses) or mirrorless (Sony Alpha A60000, Fuji X-A2, Olympus XZ-2). Pocket instant cameras are not acceptable.
To receive reimbursement, submit a pink slip to the Business Manager at the conclusion of your teaching contract. There is a $100 award for a photograph that appears on the front cover of a Kroka summer program brochure.
Professional Support:
Mentoring
All staff will receive mentoring support from senior staff members, or, in the case of the Directors, from the Board of Trustees.
Directors will be mentored and evaluated by the Board of Trustees.
Year-round staff can choose a senior staff mentor to meet with as requested. In addition, all year-round staff will receive an annual review from the Directors.
For seasonal staff, mentoring is primarily with the course director supervising programs. Meetings with the course director will include moderated self and peer evaluations.
At the end of each contract, each staff member will have an exit interview and receive a verbal evaluation with suggestions for professional development. This will also include an opportunity to evaluate their Kroka experience.
Curriculum and Program Development
Program teachers are encouraged to develop new programs and scout new routes and amazing places to bring students! When you are scouting for a new program or new itinerary, the organization can support you in the following ways:
Supply you with food (see Travel Food Allowance) and pay for gas in a Kroka vehicle.
Provide a Kroka vehicle, when available. If a personal vehicle is required, Kroka will reimburse for mileage (see Use of Personal Vehicle Policy).
Pay for maps and guide books.
Scouting trips must be planned in advance in consultation with a course director, Managing Director, or Expedition Director, with a written agreement authorizing any reimbursable costs that you may incur.
For new programs, senior lead teachers are expected to scout and develop their curriculum prior to the season’s start. Compensation may be available for specific preparation tasks, such as preparing craft materials. Compensation should be arranged with the Managing Director prior to beginning preparation work.