Description

About Denver Botanic Gardens: Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs. 

For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.

Denver Botanic Gardens is currently seeking an On Call Plains Program Instructor in our Education Department! Read below to see if the requirements might be a good fit for you:

Position Summary

This position teaches or supports Denver Botanic Gardens education programs at Plains Conservation Center in Aurora and other locations. Programs include but are not limited to, school field trips, adult education classes, guided tours for all ages, overnight programming, and special events. Plains Program Instructors deliver both environmental and cultural content following established curriculum. Additional responsibilities include coordination of program logistics, material maintenance and accurate record keeping.

Requirements

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepares and delivers assigned programs, including but not limited to onsite guided tours, school field trips, scout programs, events, adult education classes, and offsite outreach. 
• Greets arriving students and touch base with teachers and chaperones regarding planned activities.
• Provides program introduction to groups of school-age students, teachers, and parent chaperones.
• Leads groups of students through program activities, following established curriculum.
• Prepares materials and equipment for assigned programs.
• Works in cooperation with City of Aurora staff to ensure program success. Follow established partnership protocols. 
• Keeps accurate records of attendance, programs, confirmations, or other matters as needed.
• Maintains a safe environment for visitors or participants and address first aid issues.
• Communicates with teachers, parents, and others regarding their child’s or children’s presence.
• Develops or updates programs or program curricula as assigned.
• Assists with other Denver Botanic Gardens programs as needed.
• Supervises students eating lunch or taking a break as needed.
• Travels to program locations in the Denver metro area to deliver programs.
• Follows established protocols to coordinate programs and volunteers as needed. 
• Assists with coordinating materials, schedules, and other matters as needed.
• Works to assure the highest quality experience for all Denver Botanic Gardens visitors.
• Maintains satisfactory working relationships with managers, co-workers and others.
• Maintains a positive, helpful, and solution-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving members and visitors.
• Regular attendance at the worksite may be required. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work. Remote work is at the discretion of management at all times.
• All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to be flexible in changing circumstances and high energy required.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Must be capable of moving and communicating for a long period of time.
• Must be able of working independently and in a team environment.
• Must have proven excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills in dealing with the public.
• Ability to maintain stability under pressure and able to deal well with stressful situations.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to modify plans, when necessary, throughout the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite products, specifically Word, Excel and Outlook and Teams.
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.
• Must be a positive representative of the Gardens both internally and externally at all times.
• Must work with respect and cooperation at all times with fellow employees and the public.
• Must be committed to working safely at all times.

Experience/Education:

• High school diploma / GED and/or combination of education and equivalent experience is required. 
• Previous experience in an outdoor education setting is preferred.
• Previous experience in a school setting or as a licensed teacher or as an environmental educator is desirable.
• Experience teaching biological, botanical, or environmental topics is desirable.
• Experience teaching cultural or historical topics is desirable.
• Minimum of 3 months of experience in teaching and managing a group of students (preK-12) in a formal or informal environment, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Position requires a valid driver’s license.

Travel:

Up to 10% travel required. Requires the ability to travel to remote locations (or other Garden locations) where environment may vary significantly.

Come work for a place that offers you SO much more than just a paycheck!