Nature-Based Preschool Teacher

Program Overview

The Field School of Hvar is an independent enrichment program located in Jelsa, on the island of Hvar, Croatia. We bring together children ages 3 through 15 from around the world for a year-round academic program grounded in experiential learning, close observation, and deep engagement with the natural and human world. Small groups, meaningful work, and genuine community are at the heart of everything we do.

Our summer program is more like camp than school — unhurried, place-based, and centered on the extraordinary environment of the Dalmatian coast. Children spend their afternoons at the beach, in our garden, and in the small seaside town of Jelsa. Ancient history and biology are our two recurring themes, woven into daily life through stories, encounters with the landscape, and the kind of open-ended inquiry that young children do naturally.

About the Role

We are looking for a warm, imaginative, and capable educator to lead our Early Years program for Summer 2026. This is a full-time seasonal role working with a group of six children ages 3 and 4 — a gentle, unhurried setting that rewards attentiveness and a love of young children.

The Early Years Guide shapes the group's daily rhythm: circle time, beach mornings, garden afternoons, stories, songs, and free play. You will receive a schedule, materials, and close support from the Academic Dean — and bring your own repertoire of games, rituals, and relational strategies to build a warm group culture over the course of each two-week session. While some children return for multiple sessions, the group will shift every other week, and no two sessions will be quite the same.

Typical Day

Each afternoon begins at the Learning Center, where Early Years joins the full school for an opening circle. Children sing a Croatian song, practice a few words, and then break off for their own program.

From there, the day unfolds in two parts:

At the beach: a welcome circle, phonics and numeracy games, a picture book, an SEL focus, a rotating invitation — scientific exploration, movement, or a story dramatization — and time for free play.

At the garden: a gardening activity, science stories, a nature walk, a game or creative invitation such as chalk painting or meditation, and a snack. The group returns to the Learning Center for book buddies with older learners before pick-up.

Faculty hour runs from 1:00–2:00pm and is used for material preparation, documentation, and check-ins with colleagues.

Field Trips

One afternoon each week is a field trip — most often a boat trip to Zečevo (Rabbit Island), a small uninhabited island nearby that offers a forest-school atmosphere. Whenever possible, field trips are led by parent chaperones, freeing the Guide for a working afternoon each week to host workshops for local children and adults, as well as time for planning and preparation.

Friday Showcase

Each Friday closes with an all-school showcase for parents. These are generally brief but grow longer at the conclusion of a project, when family participation is warmly invited.

Teaching Responsibilities

The Early Years Guide is responsible for:

• Ensuring the safety and well-being of six young children in indoor and outdoor environments
• Implementing a place-based curriculum tied to international learning standards and the Field School's educational mission
• Guiding children to articulate and uphold their own norms, using restorative justice strategies for conflict and maintaining clear communication with colleagues and parents around behavior
• Administering first aid and outdoor rescue as needed
• Parent communication follows school policy: the Academic Dean and Director manage individual family meetings when concerns arise. The Early Years Guide offers a positive and informative presence at pick-up and drop-off.

About You

We are looking for someone who brings several of the following:

• A degree in early childhood education, child development, elementary education, or a related field
• At least two years of full-time experience in an early years education setting — including work with a private family
• Experience caring for groups of young children in outdoor settings
• Patience, empathy, and a love of working with children ages 3 and 4
• Physical resilience for outdoor work in warm or unpredictable weather
• Familiarity with Responsive Classroom, Conscious Discipline, or similar frameworks
• Gardening experience and enthusiasm for nature-based learning
• Lifeguard certification and child first aid training (or willingness to obtain these before the start date)
• A curiosity about biology and ancient history — and a knack for making these subjects come alive for very young children

Fluency in English is required. Croatian is not required but warmly welcomed.

Position Details

• Start date: June 1, 2026 (training); program June 13 – August 22.
• Duration: Seasonal (12 weeks) with possibility of permanent role
• Location: Jelsa, Hvar, Croatia (in-person)
• Group: 6 children ages 3–4
• Hours: 1:00–9:00pm, full-time
• Compensation: €3,000/month, gross
  • Accommodation: Private, one-bedroom apartment on the sea within easy walking distance of the program and town OR additional salary of €2,100/month
  • Salary: €900/month
  • Tuition: full scholarship for one child
• Benefits: All protections in accordance with Croatian law
• Right to work: Candidates must have the legal right to work in the European Union

One full scholarship is provided for children and other close relatives of the teacher, wherever there is availability in the program. This has a monetary value of 6,500 euro.

Employees are entitled to all rights and protections in accordance with Croatian law.

English fluency is required.