Environmental Educator After School Programs

Job Description: Environmental Educator - After School Programs
Location: National City CA various elementary schools
Schedule: Part-time up to 25 hours per week evenings & occasional weekends required. Lessons for this program typically during afternoons.
Reports to: Youth Program Manager - School-based program
Compensation: $20 - $22 per hour
Classification: Part-time non-exempt position
Benefits:

• Accrued Vacation and sick pay
• Employer-sponsored 403(b) retirement plan
• Cell phone stipend
• Monthly and quarterly all staff professional development and team building opportunities
• Outdoor work environment
• Culture of learning care and community

Scope of Work: As part of the education team this position is responsible for delivering garden environmental and nutrition science and cooking lessons for youth in after school programs. This position is in partnership with National School District. This position is accountable to prepare and conduct hands-on lessons support school garden maintenance activities and update and develop curriculum as needed. This position may also support all programs as required. As an organization rooted in community this role requires active participation in anti-racist work and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Duties and Responsibilities (this does not include all tasks associated with this position)

Program Delivery:

• Leads weekly garden/environmental and cooking/nutrition education lessons for students grades TK-6 grade at school garden sites after school classroom settings as well as on-site at Olivewood Gardens when required.
• Assists in developing and updating hands-on garden environmental and nutrition science and cooking lesson plans for grades TK - 6th according to Next Generation Standards Common Core curriculum and CA Health Education standards.
• Prepares materials and supplies for lessons.
• Supports the implementation and facilitation of supplemental programs for youth such as the Garden Explorers program and Summer Day Camp.
• Supports interns and volunteers in the day-to-day operation of an interactive teaching garden.
• Collaborates with the youth programs team to coordinate planting and harvesting in line with educational activities.
• Reviews goals objectives and indicators for school-based programs.
• Supports development and distribution of program evaluation surveys and other data collection tools.
• Reviews and analyzes evaluation data to improve program curriculum and delivery and assess program impact.
• Prepares reports as needed for funding and marketing efforts.
• Maintains and submits monthly reporting.
• Uses a portion of weekly hours to maintain gardens including hydroponic units growing a diverse mix of seasonal crops and perennials.
• Continues to build school connections to the garden through garden work parties or campus beautification days outreach to the PTA or Wellness Committees recruiting and managing community volunteers to help with the garden and by distributing produce harvested in the garden to the school community.

Communication and Outreach

• Communicates regularly with School-Based Program Team and attends monthly and/or weekly staff meetings focused on team building staff development and training.
• Collaborates with community partners.
• Represents Olivewood Gardens in the community at professional and community events.
• Provides support for annual Seedling Soire fundraiser community Day of Play event and other events and programs as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum two years experience and/or training in garden education gardening or farming environmental or nutrition education teaching children or equivalent combination of education and experience in an outdoor or classroom setting.
• Proven ability to successfully design and deliver educational programs for children.
• Organized and detail-oriented with demonstrated ability to complete tasks on deadline.
• Project management and organizational skills including use of calendars and spreadsheets.
• Strong group facilitation skills including the ability to educate a diverse audiences and ages.
• Commitment to healthy eating garden education and nutrition education.
• Commitment to diversity and equity.
• English/conversational Spanish preferred.
• Acceptable DMV record and valid drivers license required.
• Upon hire must pass a background check.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Comfortable working with a supervisor staff interns and volunteers.
• Works cooperatively in group situations and work actively to resolve conflicts
• Flexible in fast-paced and unpredictable environments. Able to weigh multiple factors to act quickly decisively and diplomatically.
• Proven experience working with people of different cultures and backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate professionally in front of groups of children and adults.

Language Ability:

• Must be fluent in English and have at least conversational level of Spanish.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written oral or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills:

• To perform this job successfully an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Office Google Suite and basic social media platforms (Facebook Instagram)

Certificates and Licenses:

• Acceptable DMV record and valid drivers license required

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Ability to work with frequent interruption and to simultaneously supervise a variety of tasks
• Ability to stand stoop reach and bend. Mobility of arms to reach dexterity of hands to grasp and manipulate large and small objects
• Ability to read small print
• Ability to stand for long period and walk long distances
• Ability to lift push and/or pull objects which may approximate 40 pounds
• Ability to work with and in the proximity of equipment with moving mechanical parts
• Ability to work outdoors and tolerate varying weather conditions
• Frequent walking over uneven and unpaved areas and/or standing is required
• Employee must talk and hear

About Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center: Olivewoods mission is to nourish communities and cultivate a deep connection to the environment through nutrition education sustainable urban agriculture collective advocacy and intergenerational leadership. The organic gardens on the property have been cultivated for over 20 years providing organic produce for the community. Now the site of our nutrition and garden education center Olivewood champions health equity and food justice through education access and advocacy. The unique 8-acre property is located in National City.

Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race color religion national origin ancestry gender sex gender identity or expression age medical condition sexual orientation marital status citizenship pregnancy physical or mental disability genetic information veteran status military status caregiver status or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

Dont meet every single requirement Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Olivewood we are dedicated to building a diverse inclusive and authentic workplace so if youre excited about this role but your past experiences dont align perfectly with every qualification listed we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this position.