Environmental Educator - Inclusive Curriculum Specialist

Job Purpose:

The Environmental Educator and DEI curriculum specialist is a new position at Thorne will act as an instructor to teach and support Thorne’s Pre-School, In-School, After School, Field Trip, Summer Camp, and Community Programs with a particular attention to helping Thorne design, develop and implement programs that support the inclusion of children and families from diverse backgrounds, identities and abilities. Programs typically run in-person and work with elementary aged students.

Principal Responsibilities:

75% Teaching Responsibilities:

• Teach In-School and After School Programs, including up to 5 programs/day, 4 days/week throughout the school year which may include occasional weekend programming
• Maintain and foster personal nature connection and participate in group nature connection modalities
• Act as a back-up Instructor for programs including the Thorne Nature Preschool as needed
• Assist Volunteer Manager in training interns and volunteers for BVSD and SVVSD 2nd grade Field Trip programs as needed

• Assist with curriculum development, evaluation for programs, and supply management
• Assist with trainings for new education staff
• Participate in Thorne Nature Experience special events and outreach activities
• Instruct for all weeks of Summer Camp (except for one vacation week)

25% DEI Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of curricular and pedagogical practices that facilitate the inclusion of students with diverse backgrounds, identities and abilities to participate in Thorne educational programs
• Assist in the development and implementation of community programs to support low-income and Latino/a/x populations of Boulder County to foster more meaningful time outside

Desired Behavioral Traits and Attitudes:

Thorne is looking for someone who is a team player, passionate, empathetic, efficient, organized, creative, resourceful, critical thinker, results-oriented, and self-motivated. Passionate about Thorne’s mission, environmentally concerned and aware, and a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion.

Desired Skills and Abilities:

Thorne recognizes that there are many paths to building professional skills and that not all applicants will have experience with every item listed. Passionate individuals who do not meet all these criteria are strongly encouraged to apply.

· Experienced Instructor, especially in an informal and outdoor setting

· Passion for nature and the outdoors

· Strong communication skills with adults and children

· Good knowledge of Colorado ecology and natural science

· Understanding of Social Emotional Learning techniques preferred

· Experience working with diverse, low-income, or underserved communities

· Good organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks and roles, patiently and professionally

· Proficient with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and Google Drive

· Experience relating to and communicating with diverse audiences, especially Latino/a/x participants and families

· Fluency in conversational Spanish is required

· A minimum of 460 hours of environmental education experience with elementary-aged children (reach out to us to see if you meet this requirement, this can be fulfilled using a variety of experiences)

· Two higher education courses in education, human services, or related field.

Thorne Nature Experience is a non-profit organization committed to building Earth stewardship by connecting youth to nature through joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences.

Equitable Recruiting Policy Statement: Our goal is to increase diversity amongst our staff at Thorne. We do so by providing equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. It is the policy at Thorne to attempt to reach diverse pools of applicants throughout the hiring process by following the Equitable Recruiting Procedure.

TO APPLY:

Please submit your cover letter and resume to Sandra@thornenature.organd include “Environmental Educator ICS - Your Name” in the subject line. All applicants will receive an email acknowledgment that their information has been received by 10/31/23. Those candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted directly. If you are interested or have any questions, please reach out to us.

For more information on Thorne, please visit our website at www.thornenature.org.