Job Title: Garden Teacher

Location: Cassidy Preschool, Santa Monica

Description: Job Description: Garden Teacher (PT)

Cassidy Preschool in Santa Monica is hiring a part-time / contractual gardening instructor to teach garden classes one day per week to children ages 2 ½ - 5. The Garden Teacher will lead hands-on, science-based, child-directed explorations to maximize educational potential of the garden classroom, and will also be responsible for maintaining a beautiful and productive edible garden. Instructor will see 12 groups of 10 children for 30 minutes each; hours are from 9am-4pm; garden is 72 square feet of planting space (raised beds, auto irrigated) and some containers with fruit trees. Full-time position is also available for “Outdoor Support Teacher”.

Garden Teacher:
Leads garden classes, incorporating pre-STEM, nutrition, and artistic concepts as they relate to the garden
Coordinates and oversees children’s hands-on experiences in the garden (including planting, harvesting, watering, fertilizing, etc.)
Generates fresh garden lessons and adds on to existing garden curriculum with focus on meeting goals of early childhood education
Manages the edible garden, including creating planting designs, sourcing plant material and supplies, planting, garden maintenance, and harvesting

Job Responsibilities:
Leads 12 garden classes for 30 minutes each to groups of 10 children, one day per week.
Prepares the garden classroom space in advance of each lesson, including cleaning the space and setting up for each lesson.
Sources and preps all necessary plants, seeds, or lesson materials.
Breaks down and cleans up after each lesson, including properly storing extra materials.
Maintains garden and tends to plants, including planting seeds, providing structural support (trellising), adjusting watering schedule as necessary, fertilizing, harvesting, etc.
Updates curriculum binder / files as necessary and creates digital and hard copies of each new lesson plan throughout the year.

Required Skills/Experience:
Experience teaching youths, preferably in an outdoor setting
Experience maintaining productive edible gardens, particularly home gardens or small scale urban gardens
Knowledge of and interest in topics including urban farming, botany, environmental science, ecology, biology, health and nutrition, food systems, food access, etc.
Strong oral and written communication skills, including public speaking skills
Strong time management skills
Ability to work independently, self-motivated, self-starter
Flexible, cooperative, able to improvise or adjust on the fly
Computer skills (proficient in Word) and project management skills

If interested please email a cover letter and resume to allison@cassidypreschool.com. Be sure to include any relevant professional agricultural or horticultural experience, as well as any experience working with or teaching young children.

Contact Person: Allison Fitzhugh

Email Address: allison@cassidypreschool.com

Closing Date: 8/1/2019