CITY PARKS FOUNDATION (CPF) IS THE ONLY INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO OFFER PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC PARKS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE BOROUGHS OF NEW YORK CITY. AT CPF, WE ARE DEDICATED TO INVIGORATING AND TRANSFORMING PARKS INTO DYNAMIC, VIBRANT CENTERS OF URBAN LIFE THROUGH SPORTS, ARTS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR ALL NEW YORKERS. OUR PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY BUILDING INITIATIVES - LOCATED IN MORE THAN 350 PARKS, RECREATION CENTERS, AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY - REACH 425,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR.

• We present the largest free, outdoor performing arts festival in NYC through SummerStage, presenting artists of the highest quality across multiple disciplines and genres, and marionette puppet theater in all five boroughs with our Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and the roving PuppetMobile.
• Partnerships for Parks, a public-private program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks, supports and champions a growing network of leaders who care and advocate for the transformation of their neighborhood parks.
• We connect youngsters to nature in the urban environment with education programs that provide learning experiences through classroom and hands-on activities in parks, urban forests, coastal areas, gardens, and recreation centers.
• Free golf, tennis, track & field, soccer, and fitness programs bring high-quality instruction and equipment into areas where few organized athletic opportunities exist. We offer leveled training, year-round scholarship coaching, and special pro events.
  Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks reflect thriving communities.

POSITION SUMMARY

City Parks Foundation Learning Gardens brings year-round, field and school-based science learning to NYC school children and community members. Our gardens are outdoor classrooms that provide vibrant green space in some of New York City’s most densely populated neighborhoods in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Using our garden partner sites, CPF presents engaging interdisciplinary lessons to expand student learning around urban ecology, horticulture, soil science, and sustainable urban food systems. Students in 2nd – 8th grade and their teachers receive resource materials, curricula, and tools to enhance their understanding of ecosystem services and address the unique challenges of growing food in an urban environment. High School interns are trained in garden instruction and horticultural techniques throughout the spring and then work alongside Learning Gardens staff throughout the summer.
City Parks Foundation seeks part-time educators to work this school year with our Learning Gardens School Day program. The Seasonal Lead Educator reports to the Senior Manager of School Partnerships and would be in charge of implementing established lesson plans in CPFs current curriculum as part of the school day program through June. This includes sessions in the classroom and outdoors as part of field experiences for elementary grades 2nd-5th and/or middle school grades 6th-8th.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Agriculture, Sustainability, Environmental Education/Science, Environmental Studies or equivalent direct experience in environmental science education in non-formal settings
• A minimum of two years of teaching experience with outdoor and experiential learning
• Demonstrable classroom management skills including the ability to instruct different types of learners
• Experience instructing elementary and/or middle school-age students
• Demonstrated success working with diverse students, especially youth from low-income communities
• Excellent written and verbal communication as well as problem-solving skills
• Strong proficiency in Google Drive and Office applications (docs, sheets, slides, sites)
• A strong interest in teaching culturally relevant gardening lessons and promoting sustainable eating
• Willingness to travel alone on public transportation to sites throughout New York City
• Driver’s license and willingness to drive in NYC a plus
• Willingness to work outdoors in sometimes uncomfortable weather conditions
• Willingness and ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Self-starter with a positive, can-do attitude and consistent follow-through
  Only potential candidates will be contacted. No calls, please.

• Serve as a part-time educator for Learning Gardens school day elementary program spanning October - May with regularly scheduled classes over approximately 25 weeks in gardens and school classrooms
• Implement a curriculum in person, which includes indoor and outdoor sessions with hands-on activities including small animal handling, gardening activities, and food preparation
• Contribute to workshops and professional development sessions with Learning Gardens partners
• Work with the Senior Manager of School Partnerships and other staff to help shape curricula by providing relevant feedback
• Continually investigate best practices through your own professional development in topics such as child development, environmental studies, and pedagogy
• Assist in maintaining education department resources including gardening tools and supplies
• Implement assessment tools to measure the learning outcomes of the program
• Provide logistical support and complete general administrative duties as needed including record-keeping for reporting requirements
• Assist with maintenance tasks in Learning Gardens growing spaces including weeding, transplanting, direct seeding, compost, etc