Garden Educator
Grow Public Schools · Shafter, CA · 3 wk ago
On-siteEducationFull-time
About the Role
The Garden Educator teaches garden classes and maintains a year-round productive and educational organic garden.
Responsibilities
- Maintains garden as stated in the garden handbook
- Ensures garden produces ample yield for the Kitchen classroom
- Facilitates small group rotations in garden classes, guiding students through age-appropriate activities (e.g., propagation, harvesting, cultivation, composting, greenhouse production, and garden maintenance)
- Provides feedback on the design of grade-appropriate garden activities
- Assists with soil fertility, composting, garden planning, seed supply, pruning, irrigation, pest and disease management, and small-scale chicken husbandry
- Maintains garden records and equipment
- Communicates with kitchen staff about garden production and available produce
- Plans and executes events at fall, winter, and summer camps, as well as seasonal school-year events
- Supports the Lead Garden Educator in daily lessons and ESY camps (fall, winter, and summer)
- Maintains garden facilities, equipment, and inventory (e.g., tool shed, chicken coop, greenhouse, hand tools)
- Assists in the kitchen as needed
- Participates in staff meetings, garden walk-throughs, and professional development days
- Performs other related duties as assigned
Requirements
- Ability to work with elementary and middle school students in an educational environment
- Ability to maintain order and safe working practices in garden and kitchen settings with young students
- Strong knowledge of gardening principles
- Ability to interact positively and effectively with students, co-workers, parents, and teachers
- Ability to work collaboratively
- Ability to work safely in summer weather (100°F+)
- Ability to stand, stoop, reach, and bend for long periods
- Ability to lift, push, and/or pull objects up to approximately 50 pounds
- Ability to read small print
- Ability to work near equipment with moving mechanical parts
- Ability to work outdoors in a physically demanding environment
- Ability to smell, taste, and feel to determine the quality of raw food products
- Ability to work around loud noise
Qualifications
- Gardening experience preferred
- Bachelor’s degree preferred
- Background in agriculture, horticulture, liberal arts, education, or related fields preferred