Full-Time Lead Outdoor Classroom Educator

Job Title: Lead Outdoor Classroom Educator (Full-Time)

Reports to: Education Director

The Friends of Holly Hill Farm is the nonprofit educational organization that manages Holly Hill Farm, a certified organic vegetable, flower and herb farm in Cohasset, MA. The farm serves as the outdoor classroom for thousands of children, adults, and families who visit every year for school field trips, educational workshops, community events, farm to table dinners, field trips with scouts, church, or other community groups and much more. 

Our mission is to provide healthy, organically grown food for the local community, and to foster good stewardship of the land by educating all ages about the practices of conservation and sustainable farming in a welcoming environment. An outgrowth of the mission to educate on the farm is a network of partnerships with 30 local schools where the Friends provide hands-on education programs in school garden settings for students.

About the Position

We are seeking a full-time Outdoor Classroom Educator who will be responsible for facilitating educational programs on the farm and at school gardens throughout the school year (including winter) and summer. The educational curriculum on the farm ranges from such topics as basic plant parts and needs, organic farming, composting and vermiculture, and resource use to ecosystems, seasons, weather, geology, engineering, cooking, and more. These programs are age-appropriate and include many facets of science, math, language arts, and arts. Off-site lessons focus on the school gardens and the lessons happening within grade-level classrooms. This may include plant parts, insects, soil, and more with a series of curriculum resources that are provided.

Expectations and Responsibilities

General

• Maintain an up-to-date calendar and timesheet.
• Communicate with staff, partners, and community in a timely, professional manner.
• Adhere to the schedule created for programs on and off the farm.
• Help maintain all education materials and spaces.

Off-Site School Programs

• Provide a safe, happy, engaging, and inclusive environment for youth to learn.
• Communicate with independent schools and school districts in order to build stronger and new partnerships.
• Help manage the school garden planting plan and maintain the look and feel of an attractive, engaging, and functional school garden with a variety of edible crops, flowers, and native species throughout the growing season using sustainable and regenerative gardening practices.
• Teach new and established programs to students at local schools indoors, outdoors, and in school gardens
• Create and record existing and new curricula in a form consistent with standard lesson formats and save in appropriate Google Drive folders.
• Document lessons and gardens via photos and formal reflections for marketing, educational feedback, and school communication.

On-Farm Teaching

• Teach new and established programs (seasonal, field trips, summer camp) to students at Holly Hill Farm.
• Provide a safe, happy, engaging, and inclusive environment for youth to learn.
• Document lessons and gardens via photos and formal reflections for marketing, and educational feedback.
• Help write weekly newsletters.
• Help care for the Educational, Charter, and Accord garden areas.
• Help care for the animals.

Skills Required

• Proficient at communicating ideas and goals, verbally and non-verbally
• Excels as a teacher and facilitator
• Professional in communication with staff, schools, and community
• Takes initiative, is able to work independently, and is self-driven
• Exceptional at task management, reliable, and punctual 
• Able to work outdoors in all types of weather
• Able to lift 50 pounds and push heavy wheelbarrows
• Computer literate in Microsoft Office suite, Google suite, and data systems

Job Qualifications

• BA/BS degree, in Education preferred
• First Aid certified preferred
• Experience with outdoor education working with children pre-K through high school
• Interest and experience in organic farming, gardening, and other sustainable and regenerative practices preferred
• Access to reliable transportation.
• Ability to comfortably speak in front of large groups of people (especially young children)
• Ability to work as a team and appreciate the importance of outdoor education and positive and safe “visitor experience.” 
• Comfortable working with farm animals
• Ability to walk and be on foot for up to 3 hours
• Good organizational skills
• Must pass CORI/SORI check 
• Equipment, machinery, and tools used

Friends of Holly Hill Farm is dedicated to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment to all and prohibits discrimination and harassment against any member or visitor of our Farm community on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, sex, personal appearance, economic background, political affiliation or military service, in accordance with applicable federal state and local laws. Please join us in respecting everyone.