Youth Education Coordinator
Youth Education Coordinator
675-Hour UCC AmeriCorps Individual Placement Position
Organization and Job Description:
Summit Community Gardens (SCG) is a non-profit organization that operates a 1.5-acre community garden in Park City, centrally located just off Old Ranch Road at 4056 Shadow Mountain Drive in Park City Utah. Our mission is to empower our community to gather and garden at high altitude. We achieve our mission by offering gardening education, garden plot rentals, and community events for all to attend.
The Youth Education Coordinators are primarily responsible for developing and expanding the youth education programs, including our afterschool program, summer camps, and outreach education. The Youth Education Coordinators will be expected to be onsite for all youth camps and activities or have recruited, trained, and approved another instructor in their place.
The position requires strong leadership skills, self-motivation, and a passion for teaching youth about gardening, environment, and natural earth cycles. Through this position, the UCC AmeriCorps member will have the opportunity to learn about organic farming practice, outdoor education, sustainable food production, and professional non-profit work through hands-on experience.
Primary Responsibilities
Educational Leadership
- Develop engaging curriculum for youth education programs
- Create an inclusive community where kids can learn about gardening and the environment
- Collaborate with partner organizations to develop joint summer camp opportunities
- Recruit students and market summer camps in appropriate channels
- Teach all after school program, summer camps, and youth classes
- Develop a community-based education series to engage community gardeners and other residents
- Help recruit and manage other instructors and volunteers who will also teach classes and camps
- Work with a variety of garden partners on service-learning, garden, and education projects
- Lead group visits in the garden, and engage in community outreach
- Assist in the marketing and promotion of the education program through social media and other marketing platforms
Community Garden Program Stewardship
- Help plant, maintain, harvest, record, and distribute produce from all demonstration gardens
- Provide support to community gardeners as needed
- Assist with Summit Community Gardens and community events as needed, including: Garden Orientation Day (a Saturday in May), Family Night in the Garden (August 11th), Dinners in the Garden( throughout the summer),and garden clean up in October.
Qualifications
- Experience working with youth ages 6-12, particularly in an outdoor setting
- Experience with curriculum development
- Desire to teach adults as well as children
- Basic knowledge of sustainable, organic gardening OR strong desire to learn
- Organized, motivated, and able to work independently and as part of a group
- Desire to work outdoors in variable weather conditions
- Excellent communication skills, positive attitude, and ability to solve problems creatively
Other Preferred Experience
- Bachelor’s degree or degree in progress in related fields (education, agriculture, social work, environmental studies, etc.)
- Prior experience with teaching, gardening, farming, or communications
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications (Gmail and Google Docs)
- Ability to lift 25 pounds and work in the garden
- Fluency in Spanish
Minimum Qualifications
- Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident and eligible to serve an AmeriCorps State/National term.
- Must be at least age 18 by the start of their term and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Must undergo and pass a National Criminal History Check.
- Must commit to completing their Term of Service.
- Must be CPR/First Aid Certified or be willing to get Certified
Schedule
The Coordinators will work roughly 20 hours a week during the early garden season (April and May) and will work 30-40 hours per week in peak garden season (June - September). The Education Coordinators will finish up any hours in October. The hours will fluctuate with events, camps, and garden schedules. Summer camps will take priority, and the Education Coordinator will be expected to be onsite or have recruited, trained, and approved another instructor. We can be flexible with scheduling hours; however, we expect the Coordinators will establish and publish his or her schedule at least 2 weeks in advance and notify the Executive Director of any changes.