Position: Garden Educator
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Reports to: Lead Garden Educator and Executive Director
Status: Part time (0.7-0.8 FTE), non-exempt hourly
POSITION DESCRIPTION
SGP seeks a creative and experienced educator to join our team and help expand educational program offerings during the 2017/18 school year. The successful candidate will work closely with the Education Program team to bring high quality garden and farm based learning to over 1,400 students throughout Lane County in grades 1-8. This person will be responsible for the planning and delivery of 4-7 educational programs in up to 5 schools. The primary responsibility is to successfully teach School Garden Project’s standards based Science and STEM in the Garden curricula to students during and after school between September and June. An important component of this position is effective management and support of volunteer educators at each program site. SGP Garden Educators support program site communities to sustain and grow their school gardens throughout the school year. In addition, the Garden Educator will work with colleagues and supervisors to plan programming and support all operational aspects of School Garden Project.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
-Lead SGP Science in the Garden classes with assigned grade level classes at 4 program schools
-Lead SGP STEM in the Garden afterschool classes at 1-2 afterschool programs
-With Lead Garden Educator, coordinate farm field trips with one program school
-Effectively communicate with and manage small teams of volunteer educators at each program school
-Maintain a safe, inclusive and academically rigorous learning environment
-Communicate in a timely and effective manner with any and all community stakeholders, including but not limited to: students, classroom teachers, administrators, additional school staff, parents, farmers and community members
-Engage community stakeholders to coordinate and increase year-round garden use at assigned program schools
-Use the SGP shared drive to gather and record programmatic data and maintain program logs
-With education team, plan and execute basic garden care at each assigned program school garden, including but not limited to: planting calendars, maintenance work party coordination and summer garden care
-Coordinate with program staff to share, create and maintain educational materials in excellent condition
-Maintain an up to date shared online calendar
-Assist Volunteer Coordinator to recruit, train and retain high quality volunteer garden educators
-Support plant propagation and distribution to program and supported garden sites as needed
-Meet and collaborate regularly with co-workers and supervisors to ensure a highly functioning organization and continuously improved programmatic offerings
-Assist and substitute for fellow Garden Educators when necessary
-Support SGP fundraising and outreach efforts
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
-Minimum of 2 years’ experience in the field of classroom and/or outdoor education
-Strong outdoor classroom management skills
-Working knowledge and familiarity with gardening in the Pacific Northwest
-Commitment to SGP’s mission and vision
-Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
-Ability to pass a criminal background check before beginning to work with children
-Current CPR and Basic First Aid Certification (within 30 days of hire)
-Food Handler’s Card (within 30 days of hire)
-Strong organizational skills
-Strong written and oral communication skills
-Timeliness
-Ability to develop and maintain relationships with program school staff and parents
-Basic computer skills including word processing and database management
-Access to a vehicle and ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends
-Ability to lift 25 pounds
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
-Undergraduate degree (or Associates Degree and equivalent work experience) in education, agriculture, food studies, life or earth sciences, or an associated similar field
-Demonstrated commitment to community involvement and/or community service
-Strong ability to work collaboratively and independently
-Bilingual Spanish-English
COMPENSATION & POSITION STRUCTURE
0.7-0.8 FTE, $14.00/hour
Benefits o Paid Time Off (10 days per year, prorated at assigned FTE)
Short term disability IF at or over 0.75 FTE
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Send a cover letter, resume and three professional references to employment@schoolgardenproject.org. In a cover letter not to exceed 2 pages, please address your interest in working with SGP, as well as your experience with education and gardening or farming. All application materials must be received by email no later than July 28, 2017.
Position is open until filled. Preferred starting date is August 28, 2017. School Garden Project of Lane County strongly encourages applicants to apply from communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in the fields of food, science and/or garden education. School Garden Project of Lane County is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to equity and diversity in the workplace
