Company description

Natick Community Organic Farm (NCOF) is beloved fixture of the MetroWest (Boston) community. Founded in 1975, we are a non-profit, certified-organic working farm offering year-round educational programs for people of all ages and abilities. Our farm-based, outdoor programs focus on joyful play, purposeful work, and connecting with nature and one another.

Job description

Come grow with us, in a summer job with a purpose!

As a Summer Educator, you’ll:

• join our diverse, energetic and passionate year-round team caring for our land and our livestock
• develop leadership, creative thinking, and collaboration skills that will serve you well beyond summer
• work hard and have fun while enjoying our beautiful farm property, and
• make new friends- two and four-legged!

For Summer 2023, we are seeking a diverse group of energetic educators for our 11-week program. We encourage people of any race, background, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or economic status to apply to join our team.

Reviews from our 2022 Summer Staff:

• “I would tell someone planning to work here that working here is joining a community - it's not just a summer job - but a way to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about working with kids and farming!”
• “I really appreciate how accessible help was throughout the summer… it truly felt like every single person on the farm was happy to help. I also really love how much freedom teachers are given to make plans. It was lots of fun to see what interested the children, and make plans based on those interests. Everything about the farm felt supportive, flexible, and this summer was all around a great experience.”
• “The training we received was wonderful, not only to help us feel prepared going into the first week but also for team building.”

The Role:

NCOF programs are rich in community and connection, both with each other and the natural world. Educators lead activities with children and youth ages 1.5-15. Program groups have a maximum of 12 participants, and educators with larger groups will work with a co-teacher.

Depending on group age and educator interest, activities may include:

• Visiting our beloved farm animals and/or doing farm chores- collecting eggs, feeding hay, and much, much more!
• Exploring our crop fields and woodlands
• Leading simple (or not-so-simple!) science and nature lessons such as compost critter hunts, seed dissections, and discussing livestock diets
• Creating art using found objects and farm products- wool roving, sticks, pinecones, and more!
• Harvesting (and sampling!) our delicious, organic produce
• Exploring the farm’s water features- splashing in the brook and learning at the pond
• In programs with older youth, educators will be leading farm production projects, including field and livestock chores; having fun while working hard!

Qualifications:
We are looking for people who have experience working with youth and are excited about exploring farming with them. Teaching experience and/or experience in agriculture is not required, but is a plus.

In short: if what we’ve described above sounds fun, we want to talk with you! We support our educators in many ways- including an initial training week plus ongoing support and learning, pre-built lesson and activity plans, education materials, and more.

Ideal candidates are energetic and enthusiastic about kids, the future of farming, and environmental education, and can adapt on the fly while prioritizing safety for all (humans and animals). While our educators are independent and creative, they’re also part of our all-farm team, so we seek individuals who communicate effectively, ask questions when they don’t understand, and are eager to help where needed.

Logistics:
This summer role runs from June 5 - August 18. The week of June 5 is a training week, with programs running from June 12 - August 18.

Compensation range is $15.00 - $17.50/hour with an anticipated range of 32-37 hours weekly for a full-time schedule. Total hours will vary somewhat depending on each educator’s programs, and we’re happy to discuss all of this with you early in the interview process.

Ideally, you’ll be with us full-time for all 11 weeks, but we will consider part-time and/or part-summer arrangements.

The position also includes a paid week of on-farm training, CPR/First Aid/AED training, and, for folks on a full-time schedule, a one-hour paid lunch break (there are no programs during lunch).

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline