Program Evaluation Consultant Teens For Food Justice
- Date Posted August 30, 2019
- Location New York, NY
- Category Education / Nonprofit
- Job type Freelance
Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) is a nonprofit organization that is galvanizing a youth-led food justice movement. TFFJ works within Title 1 middle and high schools in food desert communities throughout New York City to train students to build and maintain indoor hydroponic farms that can grow more than 20,000 pounds of produce per year. These student-built and -run farms serve as local sources for fresh food and centers for nutrition and health education in their schools and communities.
In collaboration with the schools we serve, TFFJ has designed a program that trains students in the science and engineering of cutting-edge hydroponic technology, providing them with enriched STEM education and urban agricultural job training as they build, manage, harvest, and distribute the farm’s produce. Through our program students develop leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills while becoming food justice advocates within their communities.
Job descriptionProgram Evaluation Consultant
Company: Teens for Food Justice
Position Title: Program Evaluation Consultant
Position Type: Consulting, Stipend
Reports To: Program Manager
Hours: Approximately 15-20 hours per week, with hours varying at different times throughout the project between September 2019 and July 2020. Work can be a combination of on-site and remote
Compensation: $10,000.00 - requires for full academic year commitment
Organizational Overview
Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) is a nonprofit organization that is galvanizing a youth-led food justice movement. TFFJ works within Title 1 middle and high schools in food desert communities throughout New York City to train students to build and maintain indoor hydroponic farms that can grow more than 20,000 pounds of produce per year. These student-built and -run farms serve as local sources for fresh food and centers for nutrition and health education in their schools and communities.
In collaboration with the schools we serve, TFFJ has designed a program that trains students in the science and engineering of cutting-edge hydroponic technology, providing them with enriched STEM education and urban agricultural job training as they build, manage, harvest, and distribute the farm’s produce. Through our program students develop leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills while becoming food justice advocates within their communities.
Position Overview
TFFJ seeks a Program Evaluation Consultant to help us evaluate our curricular day and afterschool urban agriculture, health and nutrition education, and food justice programming. This person will collect data on-site from our three current (and two upcoming) school partner sites within Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. Program evaluation tasks include: refining survey questionnaires; administering pre- and post-surveys of students; coordinating and facilitating focus groups with students, faculty, and community members; and analyzing and compiling the resulting data into a final, public-facing report to be completed by mid-July 2020.
The Program Evaluation Consultant will report to TFFJ ‘s Program Manager and will also work closely with administrators of each TFFJ partner school to execute evaluation activities. This person will access all necessary materials via TFFJ’s Google Drive, can contact all relevant staffers via email and/or TFFJ’s Slack channels, and may either maintain a workspace at TFFJ’s headquarters or work remotely to complete all activities not conducted on school sites.
The approximate work periods for this role are:
- Three weeks to administer surveys in each of the following months: September 2019, January 2020, February 2020, and May 2020
- Two weeks to administer focus groups in each of the following months: January 2020 and May 2020
- One to two weeks in September 2019 for training and potential revisions to existing tools
- Two to three weeks in February and three to five weeks in July 2020 to compile and revise the data reports
This role anticipates a commitment for the full evaluation period: September 2019 through July 2020.
Responsibilities and Essential Functions
- Designing and refining pre- and post-surveys, with help from the Program Manager
- Organizing and administering surveys and focus groups, with help from the Program Manager
- Participate in regular TFFJ team communications via in-person meetings and conference calls.
- Inputting and analyzing datasets in Excel or Google Sheets
- Regularly self-reporting to Program Manager on project progress and challenges
- Compiling a comprehensive, public-facing evaluation report each semester as a final deliverable
Required Qualifications and Competencies
- Ability to commit to a minimum of 15 hours per week and up to 20 when required during work periods described above
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and a strong ability to manage data and generate reports
- Proficiency in Word, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive to communicate regularly with TFFJ staff
- Strong interpersonal skills, particularly when interacting with students age 18 and under
- Keen observation skills and a strong ability to take low-inference notes
- Willingness to travel throughout the city on a daily/weekly basis during work periods
- Strong ability to effectively communicate through writing, email, text message and screen shares
- Ability to work independently and self-paced in order to meet deadlines
- Strong commitment to professional ethics related to data collection procedures
Desired Qualifications and Competencies
- Interest in working with teenage students
- Interest or experience in food, farming, urban agriculture, community health and nutrition, or youth development
- High energy and positive outlook