Community & Youth Garden Educator

Community & Youth Garden Educator

Holden Forests & Gardens connects people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants, to inspire action for healthy communities. When you join HF&G, you join a team of professionals who are passionate about improving Northeast Ohio's communities through our mission-driven programs.

Opportunity:
The Community & Youth Garden Educator position is responsible for the presentation and development of engaging informal education programs (school field trips, Scouts badges, public programming, internship learning experiences) based on horticultural and environmental science concepts, skills, and activities. Based mostly at Cleveland Botanical Garden (CBG), the Community & Youth Garden Educator is a dynamic role which supports the Education Department with an array of K-12th grade-focused initiatives throughout the year, including:

• Supporting Green Corps high school interns from April – November as they participate in nature-based experiences, plus college and career readiness workshops
• During the growing season, work under the direction of HF&G horticulturalists to maintain a small CBG garden
• Throughout the school year and summer, facilitate guided programs for school groups and families at CBG and in the community
• In the winter months, assist with the delivery of educational programming during the winter exhibition
• This position is based at the Cleveland Botanical Garden campus in Cleveland, OH and includes travel to offsite locations throughout the greater Cleveland Area, plus occasional travel to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, OH

A flexible schedule is necessary to support programming, including maintaining a Tuesday through Saturday work schedule, plus occasional evenings and Sundays, and rarely, working on holidays during the summer.

Key Responsibilities:

The key responsibilities of the Community & Youth Garden Educator include, but are not limited to:

• Supports Holden Forests & Gardens' mission, vision, and values
• Facilitate garden discovery in indoor and outdoor settings throughout Holden Forests & Gardens' campuses, in addition to off-site locations like schools, recreation centers, and community-hosted events
• Thoroughly prepare for and enthusiastically lead existing programs and events for PreK – 12th grade students and community members of all ages related but not limited to botany, ecology, phenology, endangered species, and more
• Create positive work experiences for interns, variable instructors, and volunteers by leading trainings, coordinating schedules, outlining tasks, and preparing materials
• Work in collaboration with the Horticulture & Collections staff and outside partners to facilitate intern garden learning experiences that include watering, weeding, mulching, pruning, propagating, etc.
• Collaborate with other departments as needed to assist in developing new programs and activities
• Ensure safety and build rapport by employing class/group management techniques when working with the public, program participants, HF&G staff, and volunteers
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills: ability to interact with the public, parents/guardians, teachers, community partners, and staff with tact, courtesy, and respect
• Observe all safety protocols and always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) required for positions and/or specific activities. Report any hazards or unsafe conditions immediately to your supervisor
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skills:

• Demonstrate a passion for people and nature
• Bachelor's degree in environmental education, natural sciences, horticultural studies, or related fields
• Significant practical experience in a related field or type of work will be accepted in lieu of a degree
• Two or more years of programming experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds
• Must enjoy working with middle and high school age youth
• Highly proficient with the use of Microsoft 365 products, specifically Teams, Outlook email and calendar
• Effective and appropriate verbal and written communication
• Ability to work within a team and be self-motivating when working independently
• Ability to take the initiative and problem-solve
• Valid driver's…