Learning Gardens School Day Educator

Position Summary

City Parks Foundation Learning Gardens brings year-round, field and school-based garden science learning to NYC school children and community members. Our gardens are outdoor classrooms that provide vibrant green space in some of New York City’s most densely populated neighborhoods. We provide programming in various community gardens in four boroughs. Using our garden partner sites, CPF presents engaging interdisciplinary lessons to expand student learning around urban ecology, horticulture, soil science, and sustainable urban food systems. Students in 1st – 8th grade and their teachers receive resource materials, curricula, and tools to enhance their understanding of ecosystem services and address the unique challenges of growing food in an urban environment. High School interns are trained in garden instruction and horticultural techniques throughout the spring and then work alongside Learning Gardens staff throughout the summer.

City Parks Foundation seeks Part-Time Educators to work this Spring with our Learning Gardens School Day program. The Part-Time Educator would be in charge of implementing established lesson plans in CPFs current curricula as part of the school day program through June. This includes sessions in the classroom and outdoors as part of field experiences for elementary grades 1st-5th and/or middle school grades 6th-8th. The Part-Time Educator reports to the Associate Director of Environmental Education.

COMPENSATION: Commensurate with experience and ranging from $25 - $27/hour

Responsibilities

• Contribute to workshops and professional development sessions with Learning Gardens partners
• Serve as a part-time educator for Learning Gardens school day elementary program spanning March - June with regularly scheduled classes in gardens and school classrooms
• Implement assessment tools and analyze data to measure the learning outcomes of the program
• Continually investigate best practices through your own professional development in topics such as child development, environmental studies, and pedagogy
• Implement a curriculum in person, which includes indoor and outdoor sessions with hands-on activities including small animal handling, gardening activities, and food preparation
• Assist with record-keeping and reporting requirements
• Contribute to our Learning Gardens google site and seasonal newsletter
• Assist with maintenance tasks in Learning Gardens growing spaces including weeding, transplanting, direct seeding, compost, etc
• Work with the Associate Director of Environmental Education and other staff to help shape curricula by providing relevant feedback
• Assist in maintaining education department resources including gardening tools, and supplies as well as animals
• Provide logistical support and complete general administrative duties as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Agriculture, Sustainability, Environmental Education/Science, Environmental Studies or equivalent direct experience in environmental science education in non-formal settings
• Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination
• Excellent written and verbal communication as well as problem-solving skills
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team is essential
• Strong proficiency in Google Drive and Office applications (docs, sheets, slides, sites)
• Demonstrated success working with diverse students, especially youth from low-income communities
• Willingness to work outdoors in sometimes uncomfortable weather conditions
• A minimum of two years of teaching experience with outdoor and experiential learning
• Willingness to travel alone on public transportation to sites throughout New York City
• Strong experience with elementary and/or middle school-age students
• Strong/solid classroom management skills and the ability to instruct different types of learners
• A strong interest in teaching culturally relevant gardening lessons and promoting sustainable eating
• Self-starter with a positive, can-do attitude and consistent follow-through

About City Parks Foundation

At City Parks Foundation (CPF), we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming New York City parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through arts, environmental education, sports, and community building programs for all New Yorkers. Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks mean thriving communities.

Community engagement includes Partnerships for Parks, a public-private program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks, which supports and champions a growing network of community leaders who care and advocate for the transformation of our neighborhood parks and the Parks and Open Space Partners-NYC coalition of conservancies and alliances. We also administer the NYC Green Fund, a regranting program for parks and open space nonprofits and grassroots organizations.

We produce SummerStage, the iconic free, outdoor performing arts festival in NYC, presenting world-class artists from across the globe and our own neighborhoods on our mainstage in Central Park and in local parks in all five boroughs, and our Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and roving PuppetMobile present marionette puppet theater throughout New York City.

We connect youngsters to nature in the urban environment through progressive, experiential teaching. Using parks as classrooms, we provide learning experiences and hands-on activities in urban forests, coastal areas, and gardens.

Free golf, tennis, track & field, soccer, and fitness programs bring high-quality instruction and equipment into areas where few organized athletic opportunities exist. We offer leveled training, year-round scholarship coaching, and special pro events.

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