Stories Project Environmental Education & Justice Specialist

The Loppet Foundation’s mission is connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community. We value anti-racism, collaboration, growth, inclusion, play, stewardship and well-being. The foundation provides quality programming for youth and adults, produces world class adventures and sporting events, and strives to create a welcoming and inclusive community in its operations in Theodore Wirth Park. The Loppet staff are dedicated and energetic individuals who work together leveraging the various aspects of the Foundation to create a whole that is more than the sum of its parts.

About the Stories of Connection Project: The Loppet Foundation’s Stories of Connection Project brings together community groups and others impacted by the life of the park to explore what Theodore Wirth Park means to people from the many different cultures that call Minneapolis home. This includes understanding points of inspiration and connection, as well as challenges faced by community members such as residents of BIPOC and lower income neighborhoods bordering the park. This multi-year project will tell these stories of connection to nature through art, media, signage, programming, and events throughout the community with the goal of increasing park usership and depth of experience as more people see their own stories reflected in the identity of Theodore Wirth Park.

Job Summary: The Loppet Foundation’s Stories Project Environmental Education & Justice Specialist will lead implementation of environmental education and justice curriculum for Loppet programming and lead Loppet’s environmental leadership pathways program for young adults. This position will work directly with the Stories Project Arts Curator & Community Liaison (new position) to co-coordinate project curriculum delivery in conjunction with the art, media, exhibits, and installations of the stories project that support year-round outdoor-indoor educational opportunities for North Minneapolis youth and families to connect with nature.

The Environmental Education & Justice Specialist is responsible for the following:

• Facilitate environmental education and justice programming for community groups (50%)
  • Lead teams of instructors to implement four-season outdoor/indoor environmental justice programs for multi-generational community groups of youth and families in Theodore Wirth Park and other Minneapolis green spaces and community centers.
  • Contribute innovative ideas and approaches to enhance learning experiences and engage students in nature connection activities that incorporate Stories Project voices and themes. This includes tailoring existing education resources, lesson plans, and curriculum materials to fit the needs of different groups following themes emerging from the Stories Project.
  • Manage communication, curriculum, logistics, equipment, and schedules of support staff, volunteers, and chaperones for these programs.
  • Lead the development, implementation, and analysis of evaluations to measure the impact, success, and areas of improvement for all educational programs.
• Facilitate environmental pathways young adult program for emerging environmental leaders (30%)
  • Facilitate the future leaders’ pathways program including assisting in hiring and overseeing paid high school, undergraduate, and graduate student employees.
  • Oversee pathways leaders in leading weekly programs for the young adults, including programming on evenings and weekends.
  • Work with stories Arts Curator & Community Liaison to recruit, grow, and retain young adult participants from the community in the environmental pathways program.
  • Manage communication, curriculum, logistics, equipment, and schedules of support staff, volunteers, and chaperones for the pathways program.
  • Incorporate regular assessment and feedback to make the pathways program stronger.
• Support development and installation of stories project art, media, exhibits, installations, and events (20%)
  • Work directly with the Arts Curator & Community Liaison to ensure that both Loppet program curriculum and themes and stories from art, exhibits, installations, and signage cross-pollinate, effectively growing stories of what nature and the outdoors means to the many cultures that call Minneapolis home.
  • Be present at exhibits and events, and work to steward relationships to nurture a sense of shared purpose and ownership among pathways participants, community groups participating in four-season programs, and the curated art, media, exhibits, installations, and events of the Stories Project programs.
• Participation within your team in advancing the Loppet’s Mission, Values and Strategic Equity Goals.
• Co-creating an Anti-Racist organization and helping to create an inclusive environment for people of all races, abilities, and economic backgrounds.

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental education, outdoor recreation, education, natural sciences, or related fields and two years of experience developing and implementing environmental education and/or outdoor recreation programs, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience if directly related to the duties and responsibilities of this position.
• Strong interest in working to improve access to nature and nature connection and strong desire to educate the community about the benefits of nature connection, challenges and barriers to urban nature, and opportunities to build bridges for nature connection using voices and stories from the community.
• Demonstrated experience: 
  • Delivering field-based education and/or crafting/managing cohesive group identity (e.g., supervising student group living, collegiate Resident Assistant, camp counselor, outdoor leader, etc)
  • Engaging in experiential learning and thematic teaching.
  • Effectively working with people from diverse backgrounds, including age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, and lived experiences, and navigating challenging conversations among diverse groups.
• Strong interest in working to improve access to nature and nature connection and desire to educate the community about the benefits of nature connection, challenges and barriers to urban nature, and build bridges for nature connection using voices and stories from the community.
• Preferred: 
  • Familiarity and connection with the vibrant north Minneapolis community, other BIPOC communities, or lived experience as a member of (or extensive experience working with people from) communities that are impacted by systemic environmental or social injustice. 
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish.

This is a full-time salaried two-year position, with potential for continuation, and compensation between $55,000 - $60,000 annually, depending on experience. Schedule and location are flexible with the understanding that a presence during regular business hours is important and that there are a variety of evenings and weekends which this role will be necessary to attend. 

This position reports to the Stories Project manager and includes the following benefits: Unlimited PTO, a 401(k) retirement plan with the Loppet Foundation matching employee contributions up to 3% of the employee’s salary, three health insurance plan options and dental insurance option. And the ability to work and play in the magnificent Theodore Wirth Park!   

We recognize the need for a diverse workforce and understand that traditionally underrepresented communities must be centered in the work we do. As a Foundation, we are committed to building a blended team that reflects the community we serve. Hence, we strongly encourage BIPOC, Indigenous, and Queer-identified individuals to apply.   

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email a resume and cover letter in pdf form with the subject line “Environmental Education & Justice Specialist” to hr@loppet.org. All applications received by August 5th, 2024 will be considered.

For background on the Stories of Connection Project, visit www.loppet.org/stories. Please contact stories@loppet.org with questions.