Explore Ecology
School Gardens Program
Bilingual Garden Educator
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Explore Ecology School Garden Program
Garden Educator (GE)
Full time
A School Garden Educator’s primary role is to engage and educate students while maintaining the school's garden and outdoor classroom. Main duties include: planning and teaching lessons in outdoor classrooms for TK-8th-grade students; planting, harvesting, and maintaining organic garden space. The School Garden Educator reports to the Garden Program Director.
Pay and Benefits
- Starting Hourly Pay: $19.00 per hour
- Bonus Potential: Annual increase opportunity and bonuses based on performance
- Full Time Employees: 30-40 hours per week
- Health benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
- 2 weeks per year of paid vacation
- 9 days per year of sick time off
- 8 Paid Holidays per year
Role and Responsibilities
- Lead weekly garden education lessons in your school’s organic garden for TK-8th-grade students in both English & Spanish. Some or all of the school sites you will be teaching at will be at Dual Language Immersion (DLI) schools
- Maintain and submit weekly/monthly reporting on lessons and produce harvesting
- Use a portion of your weekly assigned hours to maintain your school garden(s), growing a diverse mix of seasonal crops and perennials
- Continue to build your school’s connection to the garden through garden work parties or campus beautification day, and by distributing produce harvested in the garden to the school community
- Communicate regularly with the Garden Coordinator/Director, attend monthly and/or weekly staff meetings focused on team building, staff development, and training
Work Environment
- Outdoors and on a school campus
- Standing, bending, and stooping, for extended periods of time (up to 8 hours)
- Extensive contact with the public and children
- Unassisted heavy lifting (up to 40 lbs.)
Scheduling
- Shift Work Exclusively.
- Full Time: 30-40 hours per week / 5 shifts
- Part Time: approximately 15-25 hours per week / 3 shifts
- Must be able to work occasional evenings and weekends (Saturday and/or Sunday), as scheduled.
Additional Qualifications and Education Requirements
- Degree in relevant subject, including but not limited to Environmental Education, Elementary Education, Horticulture, Botany, Biological Sciences
- Experience working with groups of elementary-aged students
- Must pass LiveScan (fingerprint background check) and TB test
- Spanish Speakers are encouraged to apply
Preferred Skills and Characteristics
- A passion to cultivate children’s connection to nature, healthy food, and culture through hands-on garden-based education
- Experience teaching and working with elementary-age students
- Experience with growing a variety of produce
- Organic or regenerative farming practices
- Ability to work independently, setting own schedule, while maintaining clear communication with assigned Garden Coordinator
- Strong organizational skills
About Explore Ecology
Explore Ecology is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization that educates over 38,000 children each year, inspiring them to engage with the natural world, think critically, and appreciate the value of environmental stewardship. Explore Ecology programs include the Art From Scrap Creative ReUse Store and Gallery, Environmental Education, Watershed Resource Center, and School Gardens.
Explore Ecology actively promotes an environment of respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We support all employees regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, race, ethnic origin, color, religion, national origin, creed, marital status, disabled veteran status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, and/or physical disability that does not inhibit the performance of the specific core tasks of this position.
To view more open positions at Explore Ecology, please visit our website: https://exploreecology.org/get-involved/job-listings/
Pay: $19.00 - $20.50 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
