Environmental Education Specialist – School Based

Location: National City, CA – 2525 N Ave. National City, CA. 91950 & various elementary schools
Schedule: Full-time, occasional evening & weekends required
Reports to: Director of Youth Programs
Compensation: $19 - $22 per hour
Classification: Full-time, non-exempt position
Benefits:

• Eligible for health benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Vacation and sick pay, and 18 paid company holidays and office closure days
• Employer-sponsored 403(b) retirement plan
• Cell phone stipend
• Monthly and quarterly all staff professional development and team building opportunities
• Outdoor work environment
• Culture of learning, care, and community

Scope of Work: As part of the education team, this position is responsible for delivering garden and environmental science lessons for youth in elementary school gardens. This position is in partnership with National School District. Accountable to prepare and conduct hands-on lessons, support school garden maintenance activities, and update and develop curriculum as needed. As an organization rooted in community, this role requires active participation in anti-racist work and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Duties and Responsibilities (this does not include all tasks associated with this position)

Program Delivery:

• Leads weekly garden/environmental education lessons for students grades TK-6 grade at 5 school sites in an outdoor classroom setting.
• Assists in developing and updating hands-on garden and environmental science lesson plans for grades TK - 6th grade according to Next Generation Standards and Common Core curriculum.
• Prepares materials and supplies for lessons.
• Supports the implementation and facilitation of supplemental programs for youth such as the Garden Explorers program and Summer Day Camp.
• Supports interns and volunteers in the day-to-day operation of an interactive teaching garden.
• Collaborates with the youth programs team to coordinate planting and harvesting in line with educational activities.
• Reviews goals, objectives, and indicators for school garden programs.
• Supports development and distribution of program evaluation surveys and other data collection tools.
• Reviews and analyzes evaluation data to improve program curriculum and delivery.
• Prepares reports as needed for funding and marketing efforts.
• Maintains and submits monthly reporting.
• Uses a portion of weekly hours to maintain school garden(s), growing a diverse mix of seasonal crops and perennials.
• Continues to build school connections to the garden through garden work parties or campus beautification days, outreach to the PTA or Wellness Committees, recruiting and managing community volunteers to help with the garden, and by distributing produce harvested in the garden to the school community.

Communication and Outreach

• Communicates regularly with School-Based Program Team and attends monthly and/or weekly staff meetings focused on team building, staff development, and training.
• Collaborates with community partners.
• Represents Olivewood Gardens in the community at professional and community events.
• Provides support for annual Seedling Soirée fundraiser, community Day of Play event, and other events and programs as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum two years’ experience and/or training in garden education, gardening or farming, environmental education, teaching children or equivalent combination of education and experience in an outdoor or classroom setting.
• Proven ability to successfully design and deliver educational programs for children.
• Organized and detail-oriented with demonstrated ability to complete tasks on deadline.
• Project management and organizational skills including use of calendars and spreadsheets.
• Strong group facilitation skills including the ability to educate a diversity of audiences and ages.
• Commitment to healthy eating, garden education, and nutrition education.
• Commitment to diversity and equity.
• English/conversational Spanish preferred.
• Acceptable DMV record and valid driver’s license required.
• Upon hire must pass a background check.
• Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Comfortable working with a supervisor, staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Works cooperatively in group situations and work actively to resolve conflicts
• Flexible in fast-paced and unpredictable environments. Able to weigh multiple factors to act quickly, decisively, and diplomatically.
• Proven experience working with people of different cultures and backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate professionally in front of groups of children and adults.

Language Ability:

• Must be fluent in English and have at least conversational level of Spanish.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills:

• To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and basic social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram)

Certificates and Licenses:

• Acceptable DMV record and valid driver’s license required

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Ability to work with frequent interruption and to simultaneously supervise a variety of tasks
• Ability to stand, stoop, reach and bend. Mobility of arms to reach, dexterity of hands to grasp and manipulate large and small objects
• Ability to read small print
• Ability to stand for long period and walk long distances
• Ability to lift, push and/or pull objects, which may approximate 40 pounds
• Ability to work with and in the proximity of, equipment with moving mechanical parts
• Ability to work outdoors and tolerate varying weather conditions
• Frequent walking over uneven and unpaved areas, and/or standing is required
• Employee must talk and hear

About Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center: The mission of Olivewood Gardens is to connect and inspire youth and adults to be healthy and active citizens through organic gardening, environmental stewardship, and nutrition education. The organic gardens on the property have been cultivated for over 20 years, providing organic produce for the community. Now the site of our nutrition and garden education center, Olivewood champions health equity and food justice through education, access, and advocacy. The unique 8-acre property is located in National City.

Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, age, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, caregiver status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Olivewood, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experiences doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this position.

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