Garden Educator with Climate Corps Education Outside

Are you passionate about teaching and using school gardens as a learning laboratory for elementary science education and environmental literacy? SEI is seeking emerging education professionals to join our Climate Corps Education Outside AmeriCorps cohort in the 2022-23 school year.

These are full-time fellowship positions based out of our Bay Area public school partner sites. Typical working hours are Monday-Friday, during the school day.

IMPACT

Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO) is a full-time (40 hour per week), 11.5-month AmeriCorps Fellowship program that offers emerging environmental educators extensive professional development and training as they advance outdoor science education in Bay Area public schools. We work with schools in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, and throughout San Mateo County.

As a CCEO Fellow, you will be placed at an elementary school site and serve as the garden educator for your site, teaching 10-16 garden lessons per week to students in grades K-5. You will also manage the on-campus garden and work to engage your school community. As part of a cohort of 32 CCEO Fellows, you will participate in an ongoing training and professional development program designed to support you in your role.

During the school year, Mondays through Thursdays are dedicated to teaching in the outdoor classroom and stewarding the garden space at your school site. Fridays are designated for cohort-wide trainings and site administration. Over the summer, you will work to improve curriculum, maintain the garden, replenish garden materials, and participate in other program projects.

CCEO Fellows serve a high percentage of low-income children and many English-language learners. Fellows must be committed to social justice and have cultivated or be willing to cultivate cultural competence and humility. While the field of environmental education has a long way to go, we strive toward an anti-racist future for our program, Fellows, schools, and students.

The position will start on August 22nd, 2022, and end on August 2nd, 2023. While this is a one-year commitment, we strive to maintain consistency for our school sites and prioritize applicants who can make a two-year commitment to their schools.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

We seek candidates that share SEI’s commitment to equity and environmental justice, who share a commitment to work and learn within an anti-oppression framework. Persons of color, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are strongly encouraged to apply.  SEI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity. We believe that a wide array of perspectives contributes to creative climate solutions where all communities thrive. We strive to reflect diverse communities, especially those most impacted by climate change and other kinds of environmental, social, and economic injustices. 

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

AmeriCorps members must…

• Have ability to work in the US
• Have a high school diploma/GED
• Be 17 years old or older
• Pass state criminal and FBI background checks
• Be negative for tuberculosis
• Be able and willing to commit to the 11.5-month service term

Additional Qualifications

A commitment to Climate Corps Education Outside’s mission and vision

• A commitment to social justice and anti-racism
• College degree OR equivalent experience
• Experience teaching and working with groups of students (especially ages 5-12) outdoors
• Experience working with children and adults from diverse backgrounds
• Experience with gardening or farming
• The ability to thrive in an environment characterized by significant growth, ambiguity, and constant change
• The ability to self-direct and juggle many tasks at once, fluidly shifting from one situation or task to another
• Experience prioritizing and managing projects
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Comfort speaking in front of students and working with groups
• Ability to be responsive to email, phone calls, and other means of communication
• Competency in Spanish or Chinese is a plus, but not required
• SEI requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Learning & Teaching Outdoors (70% of time)

CCEO Fellows provide garden-based lessons that help students practice science and connect to the natural world. As a CCEO Fellow, you will:

• Prepare for and teach multiple lessons per day to various grade levels
• Create a safe and positive outdoor classroom culture
• Apply equity and anti-racist lenses to all teaching and learning with students
• Adapt and implement the CCEO curriculum for your school site
• Collaborate with teachers to integrate indoor and outdoor learning experiences
• Coordinate harvesting, cooking, and eating in the garden with students
• Support organizational data collection by accurately collecting and tracking student attendance data
• Administer pre- and post- student assessments at the beginning and end of the school year

Community Engagement (15% of time)

CCEO Fellows build strong relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders, communicate about their work, and identify and support needs in the school community. As a CCEO Fellow, you will:

• Manage the Climate Corps Education Outside program at your school
• Build strong relationships with community members in order to serve the needs of the school and students
• Spread awareness of the program through conversations, presentations, photos, blogging, newsletters, bulletin board displays, etc.
• Engage parent and community volunteers in the garden
• Seek out donations and grants to support the garden space
• Support organizational data tracking by accurately collecting and inputting data related volunteer engagement and grantseeking

Outdoor Classroom Design (15% of time)

CCEO Fellows develop and maintain inviting, educational, and productive garden classrooms. As a CCEO Fellow, you will:

• Collaborate with your school community to maintain and improve the school garden
• Plant and maintain an edible vegetable garden
• Plant and maintain perennials for long-term garden habitat
• Perform regular maintenance tasks such as weeding, watering, harvesting, and pest control
• Develop site infrastructure to support learning outcomes
• Purchase garden supplies and instructional materials using provided site budget

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

SEI requires all employees be vaccinated against Covid-19 with exceptions for health & religious reasons. This position requires prolonged activity with some bending, stooping, and stretching; eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate garden tools, a keyboard, telephone, photocopier, calculator, and other office equipment. Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to communicate with students as well as maintain data records. Also requires flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment.

ABOUT SEI

SEI is a teams-based, non-profit organization based in San Rafael in the Bay Area, CA, with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, Sitka (Alaska), and the greater New York area, dedicated to building leaders to drive sustainability solutions. For over 24 years, SEI has partnered with schools, communities, and businesses to develop a sustainability leadership pathway from elementary school to early career. Our flagship programs educate and empower students, workers and emerging professionals to create thriving, resilient communities.

How to apply:

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a priority deadline of March 18th. Please note that we will not be contacting applicants before this date.

Interested candidates should apply online here: https://fm.seiinc.org/climatecorps/jobs/garden_educator_with_climate_corps_education_outside_E7501A.html