Company description

Lower Columbia School Gardens (LCSG) empowers our community by connecting kids and families with real food and hands-on learning. Through dynamic garden and cooking programs, we cultivate health, equity, life-long learning, and stewardship of the world around us.

After expanding and refining the one-acre garden at Northlake Elementary, our team of educators, students, parents and volunteers set out in 2009 to help other local schools create thriving gardens. Now with a presence in 20 elementary and middle schools in Longview and Kelso, our staff and volunteers garden and cook with hundreds of kids every week.

A few of the many aspects of our work:

LCSG develops curriculum, coordinates community partners and support, distributes food to families in need, and trains garden leaders from other communities.

LCSG has helped create and sustain 19 school gardens (for a total of over 150,000 square feet) in Cowlitz County.

Each year

• over 4,600 students are engaged in dynamic, hands-on cooking, science, and nutrition activities in School Gardens.
• over 450 volunteers support the gardens with their time, energy, knowledge and skills.
• over 5,000 hours are contributed by those volunteers.

Job description

Lower Columbia School Gardens is seeking to hire a Full Time School Garden Coordinator to begin prior to our Spring 2022 program season.

Find the full position description, and the link to the Spanish job description here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tY3gWOe2QBpKmPFQaaf4FF5p3e_MiEpl33IsoK1o1wo/edit?usp=sharing

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Garden Coordinator position is a full-time, 38-40 hour per week position with occasional evening and weekend hours.

Hiring is contingent on applicants passing the Longview and Kelso School District background checks. LCSG will assist selected applicants in the background check process. Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination is also required for this position, as well as willingness to comply with changing requirements from school districts.

This position is dependent on grant funding, which is currently secured through 2023.

Essential Functions:

• Facilitate hands-on learning for K-8 students in multiple school-based gardens. Lead groups of elementary and middle school students in a wide variety of gardening and cooking activities, including planting seeds, turning compost, propagating plants, watering, weeding, fertilizing, transplanting, harvesting, mulching, planting fruit trees and berry bushes, general garden maintenance, practicing safe kitchen skills, and making snacks from garden produce. Garden activities also incorporate a variety of socio-emotional learning strategies.

• Coordinate garden programming and serve as the lead garden facilitator at 2-4 schools. Communicate with teachers, school administrators, and volunteers to plan and schedule programs, develop teaching resources, share relevant updates about the garden and facilitate positive, productive partnerships between school district personnel and School Gardens.

• Assist with planting, harvesting, and processing fresh garden produce on a 1 acre farm and in our other 19 school gardens. Help distribute food to the community by delivering to farm stands, food banks, meal programs, non-profits, and summer school lunch pick up sites.

• Work with the rest of the LCSG team to ensure organizational programming and outreach specifically meets the needs of traditionally marginalized populations in the community and promotes equitable access to garden-grown food and to our programs. Conduct community outreach and engagement about our programs.

• Translate program, social media and outreach materials from English to Spanish.

• Assist with LCSG events such as fundraisers, volunteer appreciation events, harvest festivals, produce sales, after-school garden clubs, community outreach and others.

• Participate in program evaluation activities and data collection.

• Consistently collect and maintain data on volunteer and student participation and other metrics.

• Perform general garden maintenance tasks, including planting, watering, weeding, mulching, hauling soil & debris, spreading leaves and manure, turning compost, cleaning and organizing garden sheds and greenhouses, building trellises, propagating plants, and pruning. Maintain gardens using sustainable, renewable, and organic practices.

• Share in facilities maintenance responsibilities; such as cleaning, organizing, and servicing garden tools, kitchen equipment, LCSG vehicles, shared kitchen space, and our shared office/meeting space.

• Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the school gardens and educational fields.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, kind, creative, patient, and flexible, have a passion for outdoor learning and working with K–8 students and their families.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience working with diverse individuals and groups (families, teachers, school garden staff, community members, students)
• Flexible, and able to thrive in fast-paced, sometimes unpredictable settings
• Willingness to work year-round in an outdoor environment in a variety of weather conditions
• The ability to lift 25 lbs, operate garden tools (shovels, wheelbarrows, trailers etc.)
• Strong interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and the ability to function as part of a team as well as independently
• Engaging and dynamic teaching skills and a desire to mentor and nurture curiosity in children K–8 grade
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Openness to continuously examine and learn about how systemic issues including food insecurity, racism, climate change, poverty, and other social justice issues, intersect with our work
• Basic proficiency with computers and software programs including Google Drive, Microsoft Office
• Current driver’s license and willingness to drive LCSG-owned vehicles (If a candidate does not currently have a driver’s license, it will be required they obtain one shortly after securing employment with LCSG. We are happy to help!)
• Access to a personal vehicle that can reliably get to and from school work sites. There is some flexibility with this requirement, and mileage is reimbursed.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bi-lingual English/Spanish strongly desired
• High School diploma or equivalent experience
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in relevant field
• 2 years in environmental education or children’s program development, or equivalent experience and skills
• Demonstrated ability to develop successful outdoor education programs, and facilitate hands-on learning and dynamic programming for elementary through middle school children
• Experience with volunteer management
• Event planning and coordination experience

**Prior gardening or farming experience is NOT required**

Lower Columbia School Gardens is committed to the promotion of race, gender, ability and class equity through our hiring process. To this end we are an equal opportunity employer. Candidates from historically and presently underrepresented communities are highly encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Starts at $19/hr, or $20/hr for bilingual candidates in Spanish/English.

Benefits:

• Paid sick and vacation time
• Paid holidays
• Eligibility for LCSG’s health insurance plan (medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage)
• Eligibility for LCSG’s IRA retirement plan and 3% employer matching contribution
• Cell phone stipend

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $19.00 - $20.00

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline