Keystone Science School has also been nominated Best Place to Work in Summit County!
Keystone Science School is honored to have been nominated as the Best Place to Work in Summit County! In the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic increase in staff, expanding from 6 full-time and 10-25 seasonal staff to 22 full-time staff and over 65 seasonal staff members depending on the season. The staff at Keystone Science School is what creates KSS Magic! While there are some new buildings on campus, buildings are not the reason campers, students, and teachers return year after year, it’s the amazing staff! The nomination comes not only because of the attention to culture within the organization but also because of the work environment. We are intentional with community building, a physical work environment, and organizational policies.
In March, we moved into an open office space in Tieken Place for the first time. The open office allows us to have a more easily accessible and collaborative work environment and to see much more of each other than we did before. With an open office, there really are no secrets at KSS! 😊
This community building approach is not just because of a building, but also the intentional action taken to build community. Our staff meetings are more than just understanding the ins and outs of what’s happening during the week. They’re an opportunity for us to show appreciation for one another by giving beads for a variety of things from collaboration to something we like to call “KSS Magic”.These actions help us kick-off our week and keep that positive momentum all week-long. Departments participate in a variety of team-building activities throughout the year. Every fall we host a staff retreat during which everyone gets to know each other a little better.
We advocate for a strong work-life balance for every staff member, and this is exemplified by something as simple as our handbook policies. While “policy” can be a boring approach, it allows us to support each and every staff member. Some policies and opportunities supporting our positive culture include volunteer and powder day policies. As much as our nonprofit organization enjoys having volunteers on our campus, we offer volunteer hours to those employees who choose to take a day to volunteer within the community too. And when the snow flies, we offer powder days where employees can take the morning or afternoon off to go snowboarding or skiing. Keystone Science School understands that people move to Summit County not just to work, but for our community and outdoor activities too.