Garden Educator

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:

This position is responsible for offering opportunities to teach hands-on, garden-based lessons for school-aged children

and young adults while supporting the upkeep of the gardens in an urban setting. The Educator will work in gardens,

greenhouses and classrooms to assist with season-long tasks and deliver hands-on programming for a diverse audience.

The work is performed under the general supervision of the Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Equity and

Engagement. Does related work as required.

As a Gardener:

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES (Illustrative only):

• Leads weekly tasks, including direct seeding, transplanting, mulching, pest monitoring, pruning, trellising,

weeding, harvesting and coordinating watering schedules;

• Participates in maintenance of sheds, tools, pathways and signage;

• Ensures that educational garden sites reflect best practices in organic agriculture and remain accessible to program

participants and visitors;

• Documents activities through garden logs, spreadsheets and photographs;

• Provides guidance to new gardeners and builds relationships with program participants;

• Develops weekly garden-based learning opportunities with assistance from the Program Manager;

• Runs afterschool garden clubs and programming;

• Participates in weekly staff meetings and collaborates with supervisor and stakeholders across programs;

• Represents Farm to School at public events and community gatherings;

• Assists with gathering materials, workshop preparation and delivery as needed;

• Assists in communicating activities through social media throughout the district and community;

• Performs related work as required.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Working knowledge of plant botany, life cycle identification and basic horticulture; Ability to develop and implement

garden-based lessons and facilitate group activities for students from diverse cultural backgrounds; Excellent time

management skills; Highly organized and detail-oriented; Ability to multi-task and coordinate needs across garden sites

and programs; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; ability to lift 50 pounds.

SALARY: Minimum Salary $50,000/year

LOCATION: Multiple

A) Possession of a Bachelor’s degree* in Horticulture, Agricultural Sciences or a related field and one (1) year of

experience in an educational or childcare setting; OR

B) Possession of an Associate’s degree* in Horticulture, Agricultural Sciences or a related field and three (3) years of

experience in an educational or childcare setting; OR

C) Graduation from high school or possession of an equivalency diploma and five (5) years of experience in an

educational or childcare setting.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AT TIME OF APPOINTMENT:

• Must possess a current New York State Driver’s license and must maintain such license throughout the duration of

employment.

NOTE: *Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized

agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your

degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide

independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the

Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.