Company description

EnrichLA is a community wellness non-profit organization that works to enrich the health and education of K-12 public school students by building organic, environmentally responsible gardens on school campuses within Los Angeles County. Focusing on schools found in low-income and under-served neighborhoods, our school gardens are inexpensive, promote community involvement, encourage respect for our delicate planet, act as outdoor classrooms, cheer up school campuses, help students build a good work ethic, and promote thoughtful and healthy eating habits. Since 2011, EnrichLA has built over 180 gardens throughout Los Angeles and offers a weekly educational Garden Ranger Program at 100 of those schools.

Job description

EnrichLA is a community wellness non-profit organization that brings edible school gardens to local public schools, focusing on low-income and underserved neighborhoods of Los Angeles. We are looking for Garden Rangers for the 2023-2024 school year. The program will begin September 2023 with training provided in August 2023.

The Garden Ranger is an educator and a gardener at school sites throughout Los Angeles. They serve at each school for four hours a week and work with students of all grades. They act as the school’s garden manager and teacher, work with the school site administration, and help develop lesson plans to maintain an educational garden. They maintain the garden throughout the duration of the school year. The Garden Ranger reports to the Lead Ranger and Executive Director.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Teaching

• Hold weekly classes at the time agreed upon at each school, rain (indoors) or shine, using the EnrichLA garden curriculum.
• Guide students in general maintenance of the garden with focus on composting, planting, and cultivation
• Mentor students in and out of class, model respect and curiosity for learning, and encourage students’ interests and talents

Lesson Development and Documentation

• Supplement the EnrichLA curriculum in creative ways that engage students in active learning in the outdoor classroom that is the garden, with a focus on STEAM-based learning.
• Keep track of garden growth and necessity for garden improvements

Garden

• Maintain a healthy and bountiful organic garden through seed starting, composting, maintaining soil fertility, pruning, irrigation, organic pest and disease management, successive planting, and planting with seasons
• Spend at least one hour of garden maintenance time per week at each school site

Communication and Outreach

• Keep EnrichLA administration apprised of the successes and needs of the garden program.
• Maintain healthy relationships with EnrichLA staff, school community and EnrichLA affiliates

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or higher.
• Commitment for the 2023-2024 school year (September 2023 to June 2024)
• 1+ year experience working with youth in any educational setting
• Experience working in and maintaining an organic garden
• Self-directed, energetic and enthusiastic
• Submit and pass TB Test and *background check (*Reimbursable). This is required by school districts since you are working with minors.
• Access to reliable transportation. Job requires you to travel to your assigned schools, which are located all throughout L.A.
• Ability to work legally in the United States. Applicants will filled out a W-9.

Desired Experience (Not Required but would make for a stronger applicant):

• UCCE Master Gardener Certification
• Leading volunteers in any work setting
• Classroom management skills
• Bilingual (Spanish)

Compensation:

• Garden Rangers are part time independent contractors.
• Starting rate of $31.25
• Rangers set their own schedule, though classes are mostly on weekdays in the morning hours (8am-12pm).

EnrichLA has gardens in over 180 schools and a Garden Ranger Program in over 100 those schools. To find out more information go to: enrichla.org

Positions are available throughout Los Angeles city, but we are specifically looking for applicants in the San Fernando Valley, South LA, West LA areas.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

August 16, 2023