CSJ School Grown Facilitator

We are currently seeking the ideal candidate to fill the position of:

School Grown Facilitator

At FoodShare we advocate for food justice by supporting community-based food initiatives and through ongoing advocacy and public education. Our vision is a Toronto where all people can feed themselves their loved ones and their communities with dignity and joy. We operate on a people-first model that values fair compensation policies that respect a work/life balance and the contributions of our team members at all levels.

Overview

School Grown is a schoolyard farming social enterprise that provides paid employment and school credit opportunities for high school youth. Operating on 3.5 acres at Burnhamthorpe CI Farm we grow fresh local food while fostering leadership and community connections.

As a School Grown Facilitator you will facilitate seed weed harvest and sell produce at local farmers markets. Youll also lead the weekly workshops on cooking food justice and anti-oppression. Working alongside the School Grown Coordinator you will support the care and maintenance of our market gardens orchards shelterbelts pollinator gardens and community compost exchange programs.

The School Grown Facilitator is a leadership this role you will supervise and mentor high school youth within a supportive staff team.

This position is funded through the Canada Summer Jobs Program and requires that the applicant:

• Be between 15-30 years of age (inclusive).
• Be a Canadian Citizen a permanent resident or a person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• Be legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial legislation and regulations.

Duties include (but are not limited to):

• Supervise and support the youth employees in daily tasks and activities.
• Facilitate a weekly workshop on gardening food justice and urban agriculture topics relevant to youth participation.
• Work collaboratively with the School Grown Coordinator and other FoodShare staff to develop educational programming for youth staff co-op students the school green industry group and university interns.
• Engage students in general on-site market garden tasks working alongside youth while prepping garden beds for planting; weeding seeding and transplanting seedlings; watering and setting up irrigation; harvesting and processing produce; and helping maintain our compost system.
• Run shifts at the farmers market which includes mentoring youth and supporting them in handling cash merchandising produce and delivering friendly customer service.
• Support the maintenance of the pollinator garden orchard and shelterbelts as directed by the Farm Coordinator.
• Supervise all aspects of farmers market operations including setup and takedown inventory supply customer engagement and volunteer support.
• Support the compost program once a week by turning compost collecting data and maintaining accurate records.
• Support with maintaining records such as planting logs crop yields pest management notes orchard schedules volunteer hours and other farm-related data.
• Ensure the tool inventory is up-to-date and well-maintained.
• Support and assist other community food-growing initiatives at Sunshine Garden Flemo Farm and through the Community Compost Program.
• Attend FoodShare staff meetings team training and complete administrative tasks such as timesheets and reporting requirements.
• Other Duties: Perform additional tasks as assigned to support the programs success.

Required Qualifications Knowledge and Experience:

• Youth Engagement: At least 3 years of experience engaging and collaborating with youth in community educational or garden settings.
• Facilitation: Minimum of 2 years of facilitation workshops or discussions with youth in outdoor settings and diversity topics on urban agriculture and food justice.
• Growing & Gardening Experience: Minimum of 2 years of experience in vegetable gardening food production or working with plants.
• Composting: Minimum of 1 year of experience managing a small-scale or backyard compost system.
• Customer Service: At least 1 year of customer service experience preferably in a market or community setting.
• Community Involvement: Demonstrated interest in community-led food projects urban agriculture or neighbourhood-based organizing.
• Equity & Food Justice: Proven commitment to the principles of food justice equity and inclusion.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to work effectively independently and as part of a diverse team engaging people of different ages abilities and cultural backgrounds.
• Facilitation & Leadership: Strong facilitation skills with the ability to lead diverse groups think on your feet and creatively problem-solve during workshops tours or activities.
• Communication & Organization: Excellent verbal communication organizational and time management skills.
• A valid G Drivers License is considered an asset.

Job Requirements:

• Must meet Canada Summer Jobs Program eligibility criteria (as outlined above).
• Comfortable performing repetitive physical tasks including bending crouching lifting and reaching.
• Able to work full shifts on your feet in an outdoor environment.
• Experience with or willingness to learn the use of hand tools and small-scale farming equipment.
• Willing to work outdoors in all weather conditions including heat sun rain and cold.
• Physically capable of lifting and moving items up to 40 pounds.
• Occasional evening work may be required with advance notice provided.
• Must follow all health and safety guidelines and practices for farm operations.
• Available to work Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. On Thursday from 12:00 pm to 7:30 pm as a market day

Please note that the successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check. FoodShare will cover the cost of this requirement.

Total Compensation & Benefits:

• Salary: $25.55/ Hour
• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract fixed hours (35 hours per week)
• Duration: 8 week
• Reports to: School Grown Coordinators
• Vacation: Vacation in pay (8%)
• Location(s) of Position:Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute Farm - 500 the East Mall and other Community Food Growing locations such as Sunshine Garden Flemo Farm and Compost.

Available positions: 1

*Note: As part of FoodShares commitment to equity salaries and benefits are non-negotiable

TO APPLY: Please submit your resume and cover letter by 5:00pm on Wednesday April 22 2026

Selection Process:

• FoodShares recruitment process involves the anonymization of all resumes prior to their being screened by the hiring committee. This step removes applicant personal details (names email addresses) educational & employment institutions years of work experience and personal interests to reduce potential for bias. Please make sure to detail your experience in your resume/cover letter to ensure the committee has the information they need to assess your qualifications for the role. This process takes at least 3 weeks from the application deadline.
• The hiring committee will review anonymized versions of the applications that pass the initial screening and decide which to invite to interview. This process usually takes about 1 week.
• The hiring committee will conduct first round interviews with selected candidates. Candidates will be sent the interview questions 48 hours in advance of their scheduled interview. Candidates are welcome but not expected or required to send any questions they have for the hiring committee in advance of the interview. These usually occur about 4 weeks after the application deadline.
• In recognition of the time and labour of preparing for and attending an interview FoodShare financially compensates interviewees at a fixed rate of $75 per interview.
• HR will conduct reference checks for the candidate they intend to extend an offer to. This process usually takes about 1 week.
• HR will send the selected candidate an Employment Agreement which the candidate will have at least 3 business days to review and return.

Thank you for your interest in joining our team! FoodShare is a food justice organization. This means that we are committed to working to identify and dismantle systemic forms of oppression that cause and perpetuate food security inequities.

Racialized people and others from equity-seeking groups are over-represented in food insecurity and poverty statistics but are significantly under-represented in community based food organizations. We believe that those most affected by an issue must have access to paid positions in organizations tasked with challenging poverty and food insecurity. FoodShare strives to create a workspace that reflects the diversity of identities and lived experiences that exist within the communities we work alongside. If you see yourself reflected in 80% of the requirements for this role please consider applying.

If you require accommodation when navigating the application process please contact: