Description
Seasonal Garden Educator
Organization Information
GrowNYC is a 53-year-old environmental nonprofit organization helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life. GrowNYC Programs include:
- Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and the work of GrowNYC Wholesale ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food.
- We blanket the five boroughs with resources like food scrap and clothing collections to make waste reduction, recycling, and composting easy for all.
- We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants and more.
- We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment.
Note to applicants on COVID safety: GrowNYC is committed to stopping the spread of Covid-19. All new hires are encouraged to take the COVID vaccine (as defined by the CDC) and we ask to submit proof to our HR department within 30 days of hire. Employees may be required to follow COVID safety protocols as the situation evolves, which may include daily health screenings, mask wearing, and other mitigation measures as deemed necessary by local conditions, mandates, and applicable guidelines.
Garden Educator (Seasonal):
Under the supervision of the Teaching Garden Program Manager, within the Green Space and Education Programs, the Garden Educator is responsible for assisting with the delivery of the Teaching Garden’s weekday school programing, weekend public programming, and the curricula and materials that support these. The Garden Educator will also assist with daily garden maintenance and with our weekly volunteer workdays. The Garden Educator will be responsible for managing our donation-based weekend farm stand.
Requirements
Primary Responsibilities
- With guidance from the Education Coordinator, lead regular hands-on garden-based lessons for visiting K-12 NYC public school students and active adults.
- With guidance from the Education Coordinator, support and co-lead professional development workshops for teachers.
- Coordinate daily site prep each morning and site clean-up/breakdown each afternoon
- Assist the education coordinator with documenting field trip outcomes and impacts through teacher and student evaluations and surveys.
- Develop and implement creative grade-level lesson plans, activities, and recipes for school field trips.
- With the guidance of the Farm Coordinator, participate in all aspects of intensive organic vegetable production: planning, planting, harvesting, record-keeping, pest/weed control, irrigation, and compost management.
- Assist with management and training of individual garden volunteers, and co-lead weekly corporate volunteer events in the Teaching Garden, (activities include bed building, watering, weeding, and painting).
Secondary Responsibilities
- Management of the weekend farm stand, including harvest, set-up, and breakdown.
- Interact with the public during the garden’s weekend open hours by encouraging participation in garden-based activities and providing information about the garden and GrowNYC.
- Engage with members of the public during our weekend open hours.
- Lead monthly urban farm tours and regular workshops for the public on Saturdays.
- Supervise and support interns and volunteers on the weekend.
- Meet regularly with Green Space and Education Program Directors and staff.
- Partner with other GrowNYC educational initiatives on programming and outreach.
Required Qualifications
- Knowledge of sustainable agriculture and urban sustainability.
- Experience with and desire to work with diverse groups of NYC students and active adults.
- Ability to commit for the duration of the 2024 season (April-November).
- Ability to work weekends (May – October).
- Able to work outdoors in all weather conditions (heat, rain, cold).
Ideal Qualifications
- Basic gardening and carpentry skills a plus.
- Ability to speak a second language a plus.
- An interest or knowledge of aquaculture, or hydroponics a plus.
Physical Requirements
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time and carry bulky and heavy items. Willingness to be in outdoor settings in hot/cold/rainy weather.
Schedule
35-40 hours a week. Monday - Friday in April, and November. Tuesday-Saturday from May to October. Flexible hours but generally ~9am-4pm, and 10am-5pm Saturdays.
Compensation
The position is a non-exempt, union eligible, full-Time position. It pays $25 per hour and includes only statutory benefits. This position is seasonal from April through November.
Location
Teaching Garden on Governors Island, and GrowNYC’s main office in Manhattan.
Applications
Qualified candidates for the Garden Educator (Seasonal) position should submit a cover letter, resume, and three references. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters, please.
Application deadline is March 15, 2024
Contact
GrowNYC
P.O. Box 2327
New York, NY 10272
212-788-7900
For additional information, please see our website: grownyc.org
GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.