Garden Educator

Description

The Garden Educator manages the in-school environmental education program at John Muir Elementary, one of our primary Western Addition sites, and is responsible for planning and teaching 8-10 one-hour garden and nutrition education classes a week. The Site Manager will be responsible for managing Koshland Garden and supervising interns and volunteers.

Successful candidates will have a demonstrable track record of working effectively with youth of color in low-income communities, strong classroom management skills, experience in gardening or urban agriculture, and passion for food, social and environmental justice. The ideal candidate will have a degree in early childhood education, a minimum of 1-year teaching experience, and a minimum 1- year managing a farm or garden. The best candidate will have a true love for working with young children.

Responsibilities

Program Delivery (35%)

• Plan lessons and curriculum for gardening classes using the Next Generation Science Standards and OST best practices
• During the academic year, teach seven in-school classes at John Muir Elementary School and two to three afterschool garden or cooking classes a week during the school year. Teach six to seven classes a week during the summer
• Develop, organize and coordinate at least one schoolwide gardening activity per academic year
• Co-lead field trips to local farms, gardens and other sites 
• Oversee monthly Salad Day at John Muir Elementary 
• Support CommunityGrows general activities and operations, including providing classroom support to our BEETS (Band of Environmentally Educated and Employable Teens) program as needed

Garden Maintenance (25%)

• Oversee garden maintenance at Koshland Garden
• Organize & keep track of tools and gardens sheds
• Create garden maintenance schedules
• Coordinate and oversee community gardeners
• Assist in the maintenance and stewardship of partner gardens

Coordination & Relationship Building (20%)

• Schedule garden class schedules with teachers for the fall and spring semesters
• Collaborate with teachers and partners to create dynamic curriculum that suits different age groups
• Provide program and organizational updates to principal and teachers on a timely basis
• Serve as point of contact to the Green Team, the teachers, principal and parents of the school
• Represent ComunityGrows and advocate for the Garden Program at outreach events in the community

Supervision (10%)

• Supervise volunteers, BEETS and interns who assist you in teaching classes and with garden maintenance
• Act as a mentor and co-teacher in BEETS sessions, as needed

Administration (10%)

• Keep accurate attendance records and evaluations of classes and curriculum taught and share results with staff, teachers and partners
• Input data as needed
• Communicate clearly with all CommunityGrows staff on a weekly basis 

Required Qualifications

• At least 1 year teaching experience, especially with youth ages 5-12
• Experience in urban agriculture, gardening and/or food education 
• Excellent classroom management skills
• Strong relationship building skills and ability to communicate effectively with teachers
• Significant experience working in multicultural communities of color
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Good writing skills and computer proficiency
• Strong collaboration, mediation, and team-building skills
• Familiarity with theories of environmental justice; knowledge of environmental principles and issues.
• Pass a background check and a TB test prior to start date

Desired Qualifications

• BA or equivalent experience in early childhood K-5 education, urban agriculture, science, nutrition and health or similar field
• Knowledge and practice of restorative justice principles
• Demonstrated experience in curriculum development, ideally garden based
• Spanish and/or Japanese Bi-lingual
• Experience living and/or working in the Western Addition
• Experience supervising and managing volunteers/interns
• Possess a valid CA driver’s license
• First aid and CPR certification

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

-Able to navigate multiple sets of steps

-Bend, stoop, kneel, sit and/or stand for extended periods of time

-Able to lift up to 50 lbs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

-Must be able to navigate local travel

-Must be able to work outdoors in different and sometimes inclement weather conditions

-Must be able to teach in a garden setting, which may be dusty or dirty, or have slippery surfaces

HOURS

Full time.

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS

$18-$20 to start. We offer full medical benefits with options for vision, dental and flexible spending accounts; 10 paid holidays a year and paid vacation time.