Company description The Youth Garden Project (YGP) is a non-profit organization located in the breathtaking red rock scenery of Moab, UT. Our mission is to cultivate healthy children, families, and community through educational programs and the profound act of connecting people with food from seed to table. Job description

Term of Service Dates: September 2020 -September 2021

Position Overview:

Under the direction of the Youth Programs Director, the Garden-Based Curriculum Specialist will collaborate with Youth Garden Project (YGP) staff, community partners, and Elementary & Middle schools to help build the capacity of our youth programs. We are looking for an individual who is flexible, collaborative, able to work independently, exhibits strong leadership, and is enthusiastic about using the garden and profound process of growing food to teach academic and life lessons to youth of all ages and backgrounds.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The Garden-Based Curriculum Specialist is responsible for the development and assessment of youth program activities in the following areas:  

Grand County Middle School Programs

• Develop and teach elective courses such as: Environmental Science and Urban Farming
• Collaborate with any and all teacher(s) to create and lead garden-based lesson plans or units aligned with their curricula

Garden Classroom Field Trips with Elementary Schools

• Help to organize and update materials 
• Assist in scheduling field trips
• Develop pre and post field trip curricula for Preschool-6th grades
• Update or develop new Garden Classroom Curriculum based on teacher, intern, or Youth Programs Director feedback and/or change in State Standards

Garden-to-School Nutrition Education

• Research Farm to School organizations/nutrition education projects nationwide to gather resources and ideas to potentially pilot
• Work with the Grand County School District Child Nutrition Programs staff to design educational materials and/or other programming within the schools
• Create lessons focused on eating in season, healthy eating habits, and generally centered around nutrition education

Afterschool Programs

• Create and lead one workshop per trimester with Grand County Middle School BEACON Afterschool Program
• Facilitate and plan for the winter Garden Thyme after school program

Other Youth Program Duties

• Build relationships with the schools and teachers in addition to families of program attendees
• Design alternate outdoor learning opportunities if needed due to COVID-19
• Work with admin staff to build on YGP’s current volunteer program to include more youth
• As time allows, develop new programs (beyond those listed above) by assessing community/school needs, identifying potential areas of growth, and conducting research
• Develop & administer program evaluations and interpret data with Youth Programs Director
• Track numbers and compile other data for reporting & grant writing purposes

General YGP Responsibilities

• Assist with YGP community and fundraising events occasionally beyond normal work hours  
• VISTA members are expected to work 40 hours per week; all YGP staff are required to work some weekend and evening hours in order to participate in special events, fundraisers, and garden chores.

Benefits:

• End of service award ($6,195 education award voucher or approximately $1,800 cash stipend)
• Living allowance ($513.94/every other week)
• Healthcare allowance/child care (if applicable)
• Relocation/settling in allowance
• Non-competitive eligibility status for federal jobs (i.e for 1 year after service VISTAs can be non-competitively selected for federal jobs, like those with the Park Service, BLM, or other agencies. Applicants do not have to compete, and the hiring process can be much easier!)
• VISTA members will be certified in CPR and First Aid; certification opportunity will be provided if applicant is not already certified
• For more detailed information, visit (https://www.vistacampus.gov/in-service/benefits-service)

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Hands-on agricultural experience and general knowledge preferred
• Experience working directly with youth in school and/or school-garden settings, designing curriculum, and/or working in non-traditional education spaces
• Graduate of an accredited university or college
• Strengths in time management, prioritizing/prioritization, delegating tasks, multi-tasking, general ability to work collaboratively in a fast paced work environment
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills with external and internal audiences across all populations
• Highly organized through prep and execution of programs including data collection, participation tracking, and evaluation
• Record of sound job performance and project management based on results
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and G-Suite

Compensation this position is : salaried Application instructions DeadlineAugust 31, 2020