Gary Comer Youth Center: Having opened its doors in June 2006, the state-of-the-art Gary Comer Youth Center (GCYC) offers positive extracurricular alternatives in a welcoming and safe environment. The mission is to provide the support for all of our youth to graduate from high school, prepared to pursue college and careers. Located on Chicago’s South Side, the Gary Comer Youth Center draws its primary membership from the youth residing on the South Side of Chicago with a focus on Grand Crossing residents.  GCYC is the oldest and largest institution sitting on the Comer Education Campus which includes our organizational partners Gary Comer College Prep High School, the South Shore Drill Team and Gary Comer Middle School. For more information, please visit: www.garycomeryouthcenter.org.

The Urban Agriculture Instructor serves as a key member of the innovative urban agriculture initiatives at the Gary Comer Youth Center. The ideal candidate will have a strong background and interest to engage diverse youth with their local environment and to develop opportunities for future leaders in areas such as community development, food access, environmental and social justice, along with broader STEM fields. This is a year-round position within a five-member urban agriculture department. The Urban Agriculture Instructor will develop hands-on, inquiry-based programs for middle and high schoolers to be implemented during in- school and out-of-school-time settings. The instructor will lead teens in work-readiness programs in urban agriculture, landscaping, agriculture-based social enterprises, and related green careers. The Instructor will work alongside teens and young adults in the GCYC network of sustainable outdoor learning environments, which include:  a ¼ acre intensive rooftop garden; the Comer Campus, which includes an environmental education garden with woody plants, herbaceous perennials and a culinary garden; along with a 1.75-acre youth education garden featuring a fruit orchard, perennial beds, high tunnels and about 20,000 square feet of vegetable beds.