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19 May 2021

Full-Time Youth Programs Director

Youth Garden Project – Posted by youthgarden Moab, Utah, United States

Job Description

The Youth Garden Project was founded in 1996 and our mission is to cultivate healthy children, families, and community through educational programs and connecting people with food from seed to table. We use our 1.5-acre farm and orchard to host a variety of youth and community programs. We serve over 1,000 unduplicated youth each year, in addition to working with over 100 adult volunteers annually.

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the Youth Programs Director will oversee all aspects of the Youth Garden Project’s dynamic preK-12th grade in and out of school garden-based programs. This position supervises a well-established Internship Program for aspiring outdoor educators and currently, two AmeriCorps roles (one State, one VISTA).  The Youth Programs Director collaborates with a range of community partners to meet the needs of Moab’s youth and schools, and ensures all programs align with the organization’s mission. This is a key leadership position, requiring someone who is flexible, collaborative, able to work independently, loves to work with people, exhibits strong leadership, and is enthusiastic about using a garden as a classroom to teach interdisciplinary academic and life lessons to youth of all ages and backgrounds.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Youth Programs:

  • Oversee the development and facilitation of all preK-12th grade youth programs including: preK-6 Garden Classroom Field Trips, After School Program, Summer & Spring Break Camp, Seed Crew High School courses, and more.
  • Remain up-to-date on Utah Core Curriculum Standards.
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with school administrators, staff, and families of program attendees.
  • Collaborate with Grand County School District and the district’s Career and Technical Education Department.
  • Implement and improve evaluation tools for all programs. Record and analyze program data and track budgets for grant writing purposes.
  • Provide a safe, active, and engaging environment for youth of all ages and abilities in collaboration with all YGP Staff.
  • Work with the Farm and Produce Managers to maximize garden-based education opportunities on the farm and integrate fresh produce into on and off-site youth programs.

Internship Program and AmeriCorps Supervision:

  • Recruit, hire and train four Program Instructor Interns.
  • Conduct training and provide materials for Programs Staff on YGP programs, youth development, teaching strategies, and outdoor education.
  • General management of interns, including but not limited to: goal setting, scheduling, and mentoring.
  • Hire, supervise, support, and train the AmeriCorps VISTA Garden-Based Curriculum Specialist and the AmeriCorps State Seed-to-Table Educator (full-time, year-long positions).
    • Comply with all GCSD Career & Technical Ed and AmeriCorps requirements
  • Facilitate an outstanding educational experience and provide a supportive learning environment for Programs Staff.

Other:

  • Educate and interact with the public and stakeholders about the mission of the Youth Garden Project and what we do. Be an enthusiastic representative of the Youth Garden Project at all times.
  • Collaborate with other staff to carry out fundraising events such as Garden Dinners, Annual Plant Sale, and Harvest Festival.
  • Work with the Executive Director to meet program income and expense budget goals.
  • Several evenings and approximately 1 weekend day per month for YGP events will be required during the growing season.

Benefits:

  • Annual salary (paid twice monthly) dependent on experience.
  • Paid sick leave (accrued at 8 hrs. per month)
  • Paid vacation (10 days/80 hours to start plus Dec 24-Jan 1); plus President’s, Memorial, Independence, and Labor Days.
  • An additional 1 day (8 hours) paid vacation given for each year of employment, (up to a maximum of 5 additional days/40 additional hours)
  • Option to enroll in small group health insurance plan (75% of premium company paid, 30 day waiting period)
  • Option to enroll in 3% matching simple IRA program after 90 days employment

Desired Skills and Experience:

  • A bachelor’s degree in elementary or secondary education, child development, or a related field. Lesser degrees, certificates, and/or equivalent experience will be considered.
  • At least one year of work experience in garden-based or environmental education.
  • At least two years’ experience working in a supervisory role preferred.
  • Basic understanding of agriculture/gardening and its seasonal variations.
  • Ability to work with, and enjoyment of working with, a diverse age range of youth. Experience working with youth that have experienced childhood trauma or are considered at-risk preferred.
  • Passion for supporting the career and personal growth of young adults.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Previous experience with fundraising and events is preferred.
  • Enthusiasm for learning and working collaboratively internally and in the community.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office software and G Suite.
  • Strengths in time management, prioritization, and multi-tasking.

The Youth Garden Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

How to Apply

Send a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Executive Director, Kaitlin Thomas, at [email protected]. Direct all questions regarding this job description to Kaitlin. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Deadline to Apply:  June 1, 2021. Start date: July 5, 2021.

Job Categories: Children & Youth. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: agriculture, experiential education, garden-based education, and program director.

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