Company description

The NYC Department of Education’s Genovesi Environmental Study Center (GESC) is located in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn. The facility has over 200 animals and a one-acre food-producing urban farm. GESC also maintains several native species pollinator beds to support the Center’s honeybee colonies and serves as a community composting site. Inside the 7,000 square foot learning facility, GESC has four learning labs, a greenhouse which has several hydroponic and aquaponics systems, seed starting stations, and numerous fruiting trees.

As a premier informal science destination space, GESC’s mission is to deliver hands-on environmental science and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) instruction. Each year, students from schools across the five boroughs visit GESC for hands-on, immersive environmental science programming. Through targeted standards-based enrichment programs, the highly trained GESC staff teaches students to explore the urban habitats around them and become stewards for the environment. All programs are age and grade appropriate, and aligned to the NYC Science Scope & Sequence, Common Core Learning Standards, and New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards.

GESC incorporates all aspects of the urban farm into its programming for students at all grade levels. During spring and summer breaks, GESC works with NYC high school students who complete internships as urban farmers, learning all aspects of maintaining a farm. In a typical year, GESC and the interns produce and harvest half a ton of delicious produce!

Job description

About the position:

The Urban Farm and Greenhouse Assistant Manager is responsible for supporting both the Greenhouse Manager and the Urban Farm Manager. Inside the 1,200 square foot greenhouse, responsibilities include, but are not limited to, assisting with water quality testing, pruning, propagating, harvesting, troubleshooting, monitoring fish health, weighing crops, maintaining logs, harmful insect eradication, and regular cleaning and maintenance of equipment.

Outside on the farm responsibilities include, but are not limited to, assisting with garden design, crop planning, rotation, building support structures, propagation, cultivation, harvesting, weeding, monitoring for pests and diseases, maintaining records of harvest, and the robust compost program.

Other responsibilities include facilitating a variety of in-person and virtual student programming, designing and leading high school internship programs, working with and educating the public about composting, and providing assistance with the honey harvest process. Optional apiary training is offered for those team members that want to learn the art of beekeeping.

Additional responsibilities:

• Design and build assorted outdoor farm structures to help promote optimal plant growth and/or fruit yield
• Serve as program facilitator in an informal classroom setting
• Provide assistance with the care of the indoor animals
• Providing support and guidance to teams of high school interns to care for the greenhouse, urban farm, and teaching gardens
• Other duties and responsibilities as consistent with the position and needs of GESC

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline