Program Director/ Site Manager - Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS)

About Living Classrooms 

Founded in Baltimore in 1985, Living Classrooms Foundation is a Baltimore – Washington, DC nonprofit that disrupts the cycle of poverty and helps our community become safer, stronger, and healthier by building skills for life. Living Classrooms inspires children, youth, and adults to achieve their potential through hands-on education, workforce development, health and wellness, and violence prevention programming. Living Classrooms has developed a distinctive competency in experiential learning – learning by direct experience – or what we call “learning by doing.” We utilize our environmental campuses, athletic fields, community centers, and historic ships as “living classrooms.” We work with one child, one teen, one adult, and one family at a time to identify existing barriers towards success and provide resources and opportunities to help each person reach their full potential, thus supporting stronger family units and more resilient communities. 

While each of our program areas is distinct, in combination they create a powerful synergy. Our maritime heritage sites create opportunities for employment training. Our education programs use our environmental and maritime resources as living learning laboratories. Our employability programs create stronger communities that are better prepared to exercise environmental stewardship. 

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:  

• Coordinate recruitment, hiring, supervision, and professional development of all members of the BUGS staff. 

• Oversee the planning, equipment, staffing, and implementation of BUGS educational programs. 

• Oversee all aspects of MSDE 21st Century Community Learning Center grant and Family League of Baltimore City grant. 

• Oversee all BUGS equipment and facilities, including van, greenhouse and garden. 

• Coordinate, communicate, and maintain a good working relationship with partner school, MSDE and funding partners. 

• Coordinate in-house use of the LCF facilities with other LCF program directors. 

• Responsibly oversee the BUGS budget, including reconciliation of monthly accounting reports and the keeping of accurate spending records. 

• Assist with the creation and implementation of BUGS grants and all their associated reporting. 

• Act as liaison between LCF and educational partners in the community. 

• Welcome, communicate with, and encourage participation of parents in BUGS programs. 

• Oversee, the partnerships of Commodore John Rodgers Elementary, Waterfront Kitchen, and other entities.  

• Oversee coordination of all program events. 

• Long-range planning. 

• Purchasing, maintaining, and managing all BUGS facilities, equipment, and office supplies. 

• Ensuring that program goals and objectives are being met. 

• Working closely with Educators to ensure that all activities/lessons are engaging and provide opportunities for skill mastery and social and academic enrichment. 

• Collect and distribute all parent contact information to staff. 

• Assist instructors with student behavioral issues. 

• Ensure students’ safe transportation to the program.