Who can teach for Bright Lights?
A teaching certificate is not required to teach for Bright Lights. Approximately one-third of the teachers are community members who have a passion they wish to share with students. The remaining two-thirds teach at local elementary, secondary and post-secondary institutions.
Are teachers paid?
YES! We highly value what our teachers bring to the Bright Lights program and pay them a competitive rate for teaching our camps.
For specific salary numbers, please email TeacherRecruit@BrightLights.org as they vary depending on whether a person is teaching a half-day camp, a full-day camp, decide to co-teach a camp, teach an International Camp or take on extra Before Care or Lunch Care responsibilities.
Returning teachers are also eligible for a bonus when they return to teach the following summer, submit their Teacher Application by the deadline and fulfill their teaching commitment in the summer.
As an added bonus, teachers are entitled to one half-priced camp for each camp they commit to teach, and two half-priced camps for each full-day camp taught.
What is the schedule like?
Bright Lights offers five week-long sessions of camps each summer. Half-day camps are held from either 9 AM – 12 PM or 1 – 4 PM; Full-day camps are from 9 AM to 4 PM. Teacher interviews begin around mid-October and all teaching positions are confirmed before January.
What are the camps about?
The camp topics offered each year are a combination of new camps along with past favorites. The camps consist of a wide variety of topics and incorporate STEAM-based activities or curricula (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) in almost all of them, including the literature, social studies and outdoor education camps. The curriculum is created by the teachers and is based on their passions and interests.
Experienced returning Bright Lights teachers are eligible to teach our International Camps. The students in these camps are divided equally between American and Japanese students. The Japanese students are ninth graders from Senshu Middle School in Japan.
What if I have an idea for a camp?
Great! A teacher who is passionate about a topic/subject and has an idea to turn that into a camp is often a successful combination. Some things to consider:
What are your interests and passions? Do you have access to any specialized resources? What grade do you enjoy working with? It does not have to be the grade you currently teach. Hands-on activities and projects are encouraged over worksheets. Bright Lights does have curriculum resources to share if you do not have an idea for a camp.
Where are the camps located and how large are they?
Most of the camps are held at our main program site; however, community sites (UNL, other LPS schools, Holmes Lake, etc.) are used when this best meets the needs of the camp.
Camp size is generally 18 students for grades K – 2 and 20 students for grades 3 – 8. Full-day camps may vary. Camp size may be adjusted when co-taught.
Each camp has one or more Camp Assistants aged 8th grade to adult.
For additional information, please contact Renee Ford, Executive Director, at 402-420-1115, ext 41, or email TeacherRecruit@BrightLights.org.