The school garden coordinator will be responsible for bringing the vision of a working school garden to life. The garden will be a place for sustainable education, food equity and real-life skills. The garden will also serve as a therapeutic space and support a vision for sustainability and food equity in our community.
Service Activities
Plans and leads sustainable, organic, environmentally conscious garden activities for grades 5-8 students;
Assists in the design and maintenance of the school gardens and outdoor classroom space, supporting the preparation for garden work activities, planting schedule, and ensuring the care of tools;
Integrates environmental issues, wellness, and garden activities into school curriculum;
Develops a system for recruitment, training, coordination and tracking of volunteers;
Oversees and coordinates students’ hands-on experiences in the garden (planting, tending, harvesting and cooking);
Builds involvement in and commitment to the school garden within the school community, including teachers, administrators, students, parents and community volunteers;
Builds capacity within the school by co-teaching with classroom teachers, and developing teacher skills in outdoor classroom management techniques;
Leads a group of students in garden-related action projects through after-school programming;
Attends school wide staff meetings;
Leads after-school garden club;
Pursues grants to support the growth and development of the Garden Program.
Community Need Addressed
Engage and educate youth in environmental practices and gardening.
Position Outcomes
Increased academic skills, increased learning connecting to the land, leadership development, hands-on experiential learning.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
California for all education award, UC Climate Stewards Certificaton
Education Benefits
College Degree, GED/High School Diploma, Credential or Certification
UC Climate Stewards
Skills you will gain
Depends on the role, but public speaking, program development, garden education, teaching, program management.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Turn taking, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Drive decision making, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment