Garden Educator, Climate Corps Education Outside

SEI is a teams-based, non-profit based in the Bay Area, CA dedicated to building leaders to drive sustainability solutions. For over 25 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. We are proud to provide a collaborative work environment filled with people who are driven to make a difference in our communities! 

OVERVIEW

Are you passionate about teaching and gardening? Are you interested in using school gardens as a learning laboratory for elementary environmental education?  SEI is seeking emerging education professionals to join our Climate Corps Education Outside AmeriCorps cohort to advance science and ecoliteracy in public schools.

IMPACT

Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO) is an 11.5 month, full-time (40 hour per week) program that offers emerging environmental educators extensive professional development and training as they advance outdoor science education in Bay Area public schools. 

As a CCEO Fellow, you will be placed at an elementary school and serve as the garden educator at that site, teaching 10-16 garden lessons per week to students in grades K-5 in the on-campus outdoor garden classroom. You will also maintain the garden and work to engage the school community in the space. As part of a cohort of approximately 30 CCEO Fellows, you will participate in a year-long training and professional development program designed to support you in your role. 

During the school year, Mondays through Thursdays are dedicated to teaching lessons in the outdoor classroom using provided CCEO curriculum while maintaining the garden space. Fridays are designated for cohort-wide trainings and site administration. Over the summer, you will work to improve curriculum and program resources, maintain the garden, 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 humility. While the field of environmental education has a long way to go, we strive for equity and inclusivity for Fellows, schools, and students.

Timeframe: 

The position will start on August 21, 2023 and end early August, 2024. 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.

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 a lens of cultural humility to all teaching and learning with students
• Adapt and implement the provided 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 as part of your lessons

Outdoor Classroom Design (10% 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 perennial plants for student exploration and long-term garden habitat
• Perform regular maintenance tasks such as weeding, watering, harvesting, and pest control
• Develop garden infrastructure to support learning outcomes
• Purchase garden supplies and instructional materials using provided site budget

Community Engagement (10% 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:

• Represent and manage the Climate Corps Education Outside program at your school
• Build strong relationships with community members 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 grants and donations to support the garden space

Professional Development (5% of time):

CCEO Fellows participate in bi-monthly program training sessions to support their growth as an educator. As a CCEO Fellow, you will: 

• Attend and actively participate in training sessions focused on supporting building your teaching, gardening, and community engagement skills
• Engage in quarterly lesson observations with your Regional Supervisor to discuss and implement feedback

Site Administration (5% of time):

CCEO Fellows track data about program implementation at their school site, which is integral to demonstrating impact to funders. As a CCEO Fellow, you will support organizational data collection by: 

• Tracking and inputting individual student attendance
• Tracking and inputting  completed lessons with groups of students
• Collecting and inputting data related to volunteer engagement and grantseeking
• Administering pre- and post- student assessments at the beginning and end of the school year

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications / CCEO Fellows must…

• Be eligible to work in the US without employer sponsorship
• Be 17 years old or older
• Pass state criminal and FBI background checks
• Be negative for tuberculosis
• Reside in the Bay Area by mid-August, 2023
• 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 (2-3 years work in education, gardening, or a related field)
• Experience teaching youth in an outdoor setting 
• 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
• Experience and/or comfort with public speaking, including with groups of children and adults
• Ability to be responsive to email, phone calls, and other means of communication
• Competency in Spanish or Chinese is a plus, but not required

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. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

You will receive a living allowance stipend of $2,915 per month (pre-tax amount), for a total stipend of $33,500 over 11.5 months. In addition, you will receive an AmeriCorps Education Award of $10,000 (pre-tax amount) upon successful program completion. Other benefits include: 

• Eligibility to enroll in SEI’s Kaiser healthcare plan at no cost
• Member Assistance Program (MAP), which provides free tele-health counseling services
• Eligibility for CalFresh, approximately $200/month in food stamps
• 10+ hours of individualized professional coaching and mentoring from SEI staff
• 100+ hours of training and professional development provided by CCEO
• Reimbursement for travel to trainings
• Ability to log hours for professional development experiences sought independently
• Professional networking opportunities with partner organizations and program alumni  

LOCATION

CCEO Fellows are placed at one school site located around the Bay Area. Candidates will indicate geographic preference for one or multiple of the following geographic areas where our schools are located. Final school count is subject to change.

• San Francisco, North/West (16 schools)
• San Francisco, South/East (7 schools)
• San Mateo, North (5 schools)
• San Mateo, South (4 schools)

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.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible by following link below:  https://jobs.climatecorps.org/listings/

Select the Climate Corps Education Outside posting and press “Apply Now.”

Applications accepted on a rolling basis, and positions opened until filled.