Company description

The Youth Farm Project is a farm-based social justice education organization. We offer on-farm programming and equitable food distribution.

Job description

Organizational Background: 

The Youth Farm Project is entering its 15th year as a not for profit in Tompkins County. We work on 20 acres of land in Danby, NY, 4 miles from downtown Ithaca. We grow annual and perennial crops, raise chickens, keep bees and cultivate mushrooms. The Youth Farm Project is unique in our area in that we are an education farm AND a production farm, growing a substantial amount of food for our community. We hold at the core of our work that food sovereignty is a need, and that growing food directly links us to our own liberation. Our programs are land-based, and center the experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of color on the land. 

 

Position:

The Lead Educator is part of a small team of core staff at the Youth Farm Project: the Lead Educator, Farm Manager, and Director. The Lead Educator is responsible for the development, facilitation and evaluation of the  on-going curriculum, the existing programming, and creation of  new programming at the Youth Farm Project. This encompasses all of our annual on-farm programming with youth ranging from pre-K to middle school, our 7-week teen summer program which serves high school youth, our Spring and Fall Social Justice Immersion, which gathers teens of color in an afterschool setting, and several on-farm workshops and events open to the community annually.

 

General Role Expectations: 

• Plan and coordinate all educational programming from inception to completion, including:
  •  7-week Teen Summer Program: recruit and interview teens, train crew leaders, organize afternoon programming, hire outside presenters, design and teach workshops, create a fun and supportive learning environment. Supervise seasonal staff. 
  • Spring and Fall BIPOC-only afterschool programs: recruit cohort, choose curriculum themes, contract outside presenters relevant to curriculum, act as teen mentor. Supervise support staff. 
  • Elementary-farm-to-school field trips: recruit and train volunteer and paid instructors, invite teachers and schedule class visits, communicate with staff and teachers, act as lead point person and educator during field trips. 
  • On-farm community workshops: with co-staff, design and implement 1-4 community workshops and events annually.
  • Other school field trips: communicate with teachers and Farm Manager to host several 1-day or seasonal weekly visits from middle school classes. 
• Demonstrate initiative and passion for the Youth Farm’s mission and vision.
• Work independently to manage all daily duties and tasks. 
• Work as part of a small, tight team. 
• Supervise  people related to programming, including seasonal staff, teens, interns, volunteers, and guest presenters. 
• Create and maintain a safe emotional and physical space on the farm for young people to be able to learn and work. Serve as a mentor to teens and interns. 
• Set program objectives and ensure that they are met. Create and implement self and program evaluations for each program. Keep thorough records of each program, including goals, metrics, attendance and summaries of evaluations and assessments. 
• Maintain and build connections throughout the community.  Attend community events, visit schools, collaborate with community partners. 
• Participate in farming related activities to support daily farm operations.
• Facilitate transportation to and from programs for teens. This may occasionally mean driving participants to events or to the farm, in the farm vehicle, or your personal vehicle. 
• Help plan, provide support for and attend fundraisers as needed.

 

Requirements: 

• Experience educating youth, especially teens in outdoor or experiential spaces. 
• Experience creating, implementing and evaluating educational curriculum. 
• Experience working with youth and ability to relate easily to high school aged youth and support their growth.
• Farm work experience. 
• Anti-racism training and/or lived experience.  
• Ability to stand, lift, and bend for extended periods of time.
• Ability and willingness to work outside in all weather.
• A driver's license in good standing, and a clean driving record. Reliable  transportation is needed to ensure you arrive consistently on time for programming and farm responsibilities. We acknowledge that accessible, efficient, affordable, and safe alternatives to car travel, and especially to driving solo, are not currently available to get to and from the farm. The bus route we are on is limited, and is not effective at meeting the transportation needs for this job. 
• A flexible schedule including evenings  during the SJI program and occasional other weekends/evenings 
• Satisfactory background and reference checks. YFP runs background checks for the safety of vulnerable populations in an educational setting. People with criminal records other than sexual assault and/or child abuse will be considered equally. 
• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to work with a high level of productivity and attention.
• Reliable cell phone communication.
• Ability to legally work in the USA.  

 

The ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following:

• Experience working with natural, ecological, organic, and/or indigenous agriculture operations, gardening, or nutrition.
• Interest and/or knowledge in some or all of these topics: social justice, anti-racism, black liberation, consent, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, indigenous sovereignty and community organizing.
• Capable of and committed to cultivating a safer space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and LGBTQ+ youth.
• Ability to solve conflicts and solve problems. 
• Skills related to communications (website maintenance, writing newsletters and social media posts)
• Beekeeping, forest farming, mushroom production, seedkeeping, medicine making and other land-based arts and skills are welcome! 

This is a non-exempt role.

 

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $35,568* - $50,000

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline