Community Outreach Coordinator

The University of Washington Botanic Gardens was established in 2005 to unite the gardens and programs of the Washington Park Arboretum and Center for Urban Horticulture. As part of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and College of the Environment, UW Botanic Gardens is an international hub for plant science and ecosystem research, teaching, and stewardship.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, we value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, fairness, and opportunity for all. We see implicit and explicit exclusion from green spaces like botanic gardens as an injustice that shapes our past and present and must be countered as we move into the future.

As a community, we believe that working to achieve equity and promote inclusion is both crucial and complex; we embrace the continuous commitment, the collective growth mindset, and the humility required to make meaningful transformation.

For the full statement of commitment, visit https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/

The Community Outreach Coordinator is a new role at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens to lead our outreach to community organizations serving historically underrepresented people. Leading with a race and social justice lens, this position will play a key role in shaping UW Botanic Gardens public service mission by developing new programs and adapting existing program to expand the organization’s outreach to key community members. We envision this position will help form lasting partnerships with communities and conceptualize and develop programs at UW Botanic Garden sites and/or locations accessible to community members. This will require working with program leads and UW development staff to identify resources and funding needed to implement and sustain these programs.

The successful candidate will have shared lived experiences with diverse communities of Seattle and will identify, build, and maintain on-the-ground relationships with organizations and communities in the Puget Sound region. In this role, the Community Outreach Coordinator will regularly listen to community needs, inform the community of opportunities at UW Botanic Gardens programs and facilities, and when appropriate, solicit feedback to help shape programs and characterize factors influencing equitable access to programs and services. The goal for this position is to develop on-going collaborations with organizations to deliver high-value, inclusive outreach and educational programs that serve the needs and interests of community members and align with UW Botanic Gardens mission and strengths. This position will report to the Associate Director and work closely with leadership and unit supervisors of the UW Botanic Gardens and Arboretum Foundation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with other UWBG staff to understand who our programs currently serve, understand what communities that UWBG does not serve, and identify potential partner organizations. Meet with community groups and their representatives to develop an understanding of interests and needs of these groups and communicate the opportunities and resources of the UW Botanic Gardens programs and facilities. This will include attending occasional outreach events and other activities hosted by these communities as well as one-on-one interactions.
• Collaborate, form enduring relationships, earn trust, and act as a liaison with stakeholders who have common goals in the areas of community outreach, community engagement, ending systemic racism, and building more equitable opportunities in environmental and outdoor education, careers and enrichment.
• Identify new and existing programs collaborations with community partners. This will require coordination with UWBG and AF staff to identify potential programs and outreach efforts that align with our mission and competencies and an understanding of the resources needed to develop the programs.
• Develop concept for programs to serve these communities. We anticipate this will include off-site programs and events located within local neighborhoods as well as at Washington Park Arboretum and Center for Urban Horticulture. Programs may include professional development and job training in horticulture, environmental education or other topics within UW Botanic Gardens suite of expertise, participatory community engagement such as community food production and skill learning, and enrichment programs related to nature and health. In addition to in-person program and events, community collaborations may include development of written materials, signage, social media content and creation of video content.
• Work with UW Advancement and AF Development Lead to identify potential grants and funding sources to support development and implementation of programs and apply for grants. Assist with preparing grant application material.
• Other duties as assigned to support community engagement

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public affairs, public administration or related field.
• Minimum of three years of experience in community outreach, community relations or public relations that includes projects and outreach within a diverse urban community.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience leading with a racial equity lens to liaise between organizations and communities and develop inclusive community outreach and engagement programs.
• Ability to effectively communicate concepts, strategies, goals and perspectives to diverse audiences.
• Ability to adapt approach and demeanor to meet the demands of different situations and audiences.
• Use of Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, and Teams.

How to apply:

Click here to Apply at UWHires Req# 204550