Garden Educator

POSITION OVERVIEW & KEY ATTRIBUTES FOR SUCCESS

Gardeneers’ Garden Educators are the primary point of contact for all of Gardeneers’ /- 15 garden and farm sites in Chicago’s south and west side communities. They develop strong working relationships with school administration, teachers, and community members, successfully growing vegetables and turning their space into an outdoor classroom. 

This community-focused, educator leads with emotional flexibility and adaptability in the following key areas:

• Self-reflection, resilience, and fortitude when facing challenges and conflicts 
• Ease in and comfort with: 
• Ambiguity and handling unexpected demands 
• Adapting or changing strategy 
• Asking for assistance and leaning into areas of growth 
• Personal and professional growth through critical feedback 
• Personal accountability 
• Possesses a continuous improvement mindset and proactively looks for opportunities to increase efficiencies, refine processes and streamline costs and efforts throughout the business.
• Strong ability to excel in unconventional environments.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Deliver Gardeneers’ curriculum while collaborating closely with the Director of Curriculum & Learning on all aspects of planning, execution, and ongoing improvement of program content and delivery. Responsibilities include:
• Preparing for and leading elementary school and high school level After School Matters (ASM) garden programming by creating or following educational lesson plans as discussed with the Director of Curriculum & Learning, being responsible for communicating and/or acquiring all materials and supplies for the current lesson plan, and ensuring successful execution of lessons. 
• Building and maintaining strong relationships through regular communication—via email, phone, and in-person meetings—with teachers, principals, administrators, school staff, volunteers, community members, and parents. 
• Coordinate and lead community engagement events such as farm stands, resource fairs, and Community Days; ensuring they are well-organized, inclusive, and reflective of the needs and interests of the surrounding community.
• Maintain accurate records on each assigned school, including, but not limited to; program surveys, school and volunteer contact information, providing Weekly Updates that include pictures of students and gardens, and updating harvest logs with properly recorded harvest data.

• Ensure beauty and productivity of school garden spaces; properly open the garden at the beginning of the spring season, steward the garden through the fall, and properly close gardens at the end of the season. 
• Develop a crop plan for your assigned school's garden space - this includes mapping where and when you will be planting specific plants. 
• Work with the Operations team with questions and concerns regarding the health and structure of the garden throughout the entire season. 
• Develop and implement effective post-harvest handling practices that prioritize food quality, safety, and the reduction of waste; with a focus on distributing harvested produce within a one-mile radius of each garden site.
• Attend weekly team meetings, and maintain ongoing communication and collaboration with the team to ensure alignment and support across all garden and program areas.
• Ensure credit card purchases are submitted and receipts are uploaded within 1 week with the appropriate coding applied.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in youth education and agriculture
• Bachelor's degree in Education, Agriculture, Youth Development, or a related field preferred (Experience considered in lieu of degree).
• Demonstrated expertise in developing / delivering culturally appropriate curricula and instructional materials for diverse youth populations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively and proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite platforms. 
• Ability to work as part of a team in a collaborative environment. 
• Ability to pass any criminal background checks required for employment.
• Ability to work effectively in both indoor and outdoor environments, and to perform essential duties—with or without reasonable accommodation—in varying weather conditions
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the role, which may include standing for extended periods and engaging in tasks such as bending, lifting, and other physical activities, with or without reasonable accommodation.

COMPENSATION BENEFITS:

• Salary: Starting at $52,000 per year, plus experience (with an additional $35 per check for travel reimbursement)
• Paid Time Off: Minimum of 10 PTO/sick days, paid holidays, and additional staff days off as per the staff handbook.
• Health Benefits: $400 per month towards health insurance with options for dental and vision coverage.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for paid professional development.

Gardeneers is committed to equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, without regard to race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status or familial status, veteran status, military status, source of income, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by law.