Youth Program Educator 2019

[Haley Goldblatt]

We are so excited to post a new position with us for the summer, our Youth Program Educator!

About New Haven Farms

New Haven Farms’ nonprofit charitable mission is to promote health and community development through urban agriculture. We transform vacant urban land into vibrant and productive organic farms. Our Farm Manager, garden captains, youth crew, and volunteer corps cultivate 7 urban farms, and our harvest is made accessible to low-income families who struggle with diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity. Families attend our Farm-Based Wellness Program and receive produce baskets combined with farm education, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition education on a weekly basis. We also run a weekly farm stand in the Fair Haven neighborhood. For more information about New Haven Farms, visit www.newhavenfarms.org.

 

Position Description

The Youth Program Educator will develop and lead the Youth Farm-Based Wellness Program on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the Fair Haven and Hill neighborhoods of New Haven, Connecticut. The Youth Program Educator is responsible for creating and delivering weekly curriculum for a group of children and youth (ages 3 – 14 years old), supervising interns, and volunteers. This position will work directly with the Program Manager, the Farm Manager, and the Farm-Based Wellness Program team.

The purpose of our youth program is to give youth a chance to explore, play, and learn about the environment, food system, and nutrition through an experiential education model and on-farm activities. The youth program occurs Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30pm throughout the months of late May to early October, as parents attend the adult Farm-Based Wellness Program.

 

Program Responsibilities

• Create weekly lesson plans, activities, and recipes while maintaining communication with the Program Manager
• Organize and obtain all materials necessary to deliver the youth program (i.e. arts and craft supplies, gardening tools, recipe ingredients, cooking equipment)
• Lead the youth program in gardening and cooking lessons, and activities from 5:30-7:30pm Tuesdays and Thursdays to a diverse age range of youth (ages 3 – 14 years old)
• Manage the youth garden at the Phoenix Press & Ward Street Farms
• Record keeping of lesson plans and attendance
• Effectively manage group behavior during the program delivery
• Attend monthly team meeting and report on the progress of the youth program

 

Skills & Experience

• Experience delivering educational programming with youth of diverse ages in a dynamic outdoor environment
• At least 1-2 years facilitating or leading experiential education activities with youth (ages 3 - 14 years old)
• Proven ability to manage volunteers and interns
• Proven experience in managing group dynamics with young people of varying ages
• Flexibility and creativity to problem solve in an urban farming environment
• Knowledge or interest in gardening, environment, science, health and nutrition, and food systems
• Bachelor's degree preferred; or in process of obtaining a degree in education, environmental science, nutrition and dietetics, or public health.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred
• Experience with G Suite

 

Compensation  

$14-$17/hour, commensurate with experience. This is a seasonal, part-time position. The Youth Program Educator will be expected to work 10 - 12 hours per week for a total of 22 weeks starting in May and ending in October, (with 5-10 hours weekly in late May and early October). Each week, a few work hours will be alloted to lesson preparation and for obtaining any necessary supplies. All remaining hours will be spent on setting up and delivering the Youth Farm-Based Wellness Program on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30pm beginning in June and ending in early October. Hours in May will be dedicated to program planning. Overtime is not available for this position. There are no explicit employment benefits associated with this position, though access to fresh produce to bring home will be available during the growing season (June onwards). Workers compensation insurance is fully covered by New Haven Farms. Part-time employees are not entitled to any paid holidays.

 

Our Hiring Process & Timeline

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to Haley Goldblatt at [e-mail]. Please include the title of the position, Youth Program Educator, in the subject line of your email. Applications accepted up until April 1st, 2019.

• We will review applications on a rolling basis.
• Initial screenings will begin in early April and plan to hire a candidate by end of April.