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Climate Corps Education Outside Fellow - Life Lab Educator
7/27/2021 8:27:27 AM Life Lab
Job
Fellowship
Life Lab
Monthly Stipend $2255
End of Program Award $10000
Location
SEI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity. We believe that a wide array of perspectives contributes to creative climate solutions where all communities thrive. We strive to reflect diverse communities, especially those most impacted by climate change and other kinds of environmental, social, and economic injustices. Persons of color, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community are strongly encouraged to apply. A commitment to work and learn within an anti-oppression framework is required. https://www.seiinc.org/dei.html
Join Climate Corps Education Outside
Are you passionate about teaching and using school gardens as a learning laboratory for science education and environmental literacy for elementary-aged students? We’re looking for emerging education professionals who share these passions to join our AmeriCorps cohort. We’re looking for skillful, energetic folks with a resilient mindset and a commitment to equity and social justice. We’re looking for independent problem-solvers who also value collaboration and teamwork. Most of all, we’re looking for dynamic, bright people who are ready to dedicate one to two years of their lives to advancing science and environmental education in public schools.
LifeLab Opportunity
For the 2021-22 school year, CCEO is excited to partner with LifeLab to expand our program to 7 elementary schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District. Life Lab seeks energetic, skilled and dedicated educators who have a passion for engaging elementary-age children, and a devotion to teaching experiential Garden Science and Classroom Cooking. The ideal candidate will help shape Life Lab’s programs for sustainability and future growth. If you are interested in this special position, working in partnership with LifeLab, please indicate this in your application and on your initial call with our staff.
About Life Lab
Life Lab is a dynamic and growing nonprofit organization located on the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Farm. Life Lab cultivates children’s love of learning, healthy food, and nature through garden-based programs.
Life Lab's Partner School Program strives to create a culture of garden-based learning in elementary schools to enhance science and nutrition education during school day instruction. We recruit, train, and support Life Lab Educators who co-teach with classroom teachers at our partner schools every other week at 7 elementary schools. We host Next Generation Science Standard garden classes for all TK-2nd graders and Kids Cook Nutrition Education and hands-on cooking classes for 3rd-5th graders. We offer free teacher workshops at our Garden Classroom site, facilitate school garden workdays, plant donations, and provide technical support. Our teachers support our programs and agree that our NGSS in the Garden Program improves students’ scientific knowledge, enthusiasm for learning, school pride, and connection to nature. In our Kids Cook Program, 60% of students try a new fruit or vegetable each class, and 71% of our students like or love our produce-heavy recipes.
Life Lab’s Core Values
Life Lab values collaboration, authentic communication, connection with people and nature, and open-inquiring minds. We also value individual initiative and cultivate a culture in which it can thrive. At Life Lab, we know that having a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives on our team improves our decision-making and programs. In addition, we recognize that staff members whose identities and lived experiences are relevant to those of the students we serve help us have the greatest impact. Therefore, we strongly encourage applicants who have experience working with Latinx populations from agricultural communities to apply.
About the Site Locations
Most of the Life Lab Educator’s work time will be spent at two of the following 7 school sites within the Pajaro Valley Unified School District with the following PVUSD Student Demographics represented. Some of our garden sites are co-managed with Fitness 4 Life after-school staff.
Responsibilities:
- Lead Next Generation Science Classes and Kids Cook Classes for TK-5th graders. About 15 classes per week.
- Maintain 1 physical Garden Classroom space. ~10 hours per week (depending on site).
- Continue Relationship Building within your School; including hosting community outreach booths at school-wide events and hosting community garden beautification days.
- Attend weekly individual check-ins with your Program Manager, weekly Life Lab Educator meetings, a monthly Life Lab Staff meeting, and Life Lab workshops (fees waived).
- Commitment to serve a minimum of 1,700 hours over a 11.5-month term
- Participation in one National Day of Service
- Active participation in ongoing meetings and professional development with the Climate Corps cohort of emerging education and sustainability professionals.
About Climate Corps Education Outside
Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO) is a 11.5-month AmeriCorps Fellowship program that offers emerging science and climate protection educators and leaders unparalleled professional development and training as they drive cutting-edge environmental solutions and advance science education in public schools, outdoors. We transform school gardens into lush, living laboratories, and use these laboratories to activate student learning. Climate Corps Education Outside engages our AmeriCorps cohort to bring this service to 13,000 students in the Bay Area.
The Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO) program serves public elementary schools and garden-based education providers in San Francisco, San Mateo County, Alameda County, and Santa Cruz. As a CCEO Fellow, you will lead garden-based science and environmental literacy education at a school for 11.5 months and work with students in grades K-5, serving a high percentage of low-income children and many English-language learners. CCEO fellows must be committed to social justice and have cultivated or be willing to cultivate cultural competence and humility. While the field of environmental education has a long way to go, we strive toward an anti-racist future for our program, Fellows, schools, and students.
The position will likely start on August 23rd, 2021 and end on August 3rd, 2022. While this is a one year commitment, we strive to maintain consistency for our school sites and prioritize applicants who can make a 2 year commitment to their schools. During the school year, Mondays through Thursdays are dedicated to teaching in the outdoor classroom at your school site and guiding science, sustainability, and other efforts with the community. Two Fridays a month are designated for professional development.
Basic Eligibility
- AmeriCorps members must:
- Have ability to work in the US
- Have a high school diploma/GED
- Be 17 years old or older
- Pass state criminal and FBI background checks
- Be negative for tuberculosis
- Be able and willing to commit to the 9-month service term
-SEI is a COVID vaccine-positive workplace, and all eligible employees are required to be fully vaccinated (unless they have an exemption for medical/disability or religious reasons)
Additional Qualifications
- A commitment to Climate Corps Education Outside’s mission and vision
- A commitment to social justice
- College degree or equivalent experience
- Experience prioritizing and managing projects
- Experience teaching and working with groups of students (especially ages 5-12) outdoors
- Experience working with children and adults from diverse backgrounds
- Experience with gardening or farming
- The ability to thrive in an environment characterized by significant growth, ambiguity, and constant change
- The ability to self-direct and successfully juggle many tasks at once, shifting from one situation or task to another fluidly
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Comfort speaking in front of students and working with groups
- Ability to be responsive to email, phone calls, and other means of communication
- Ability to live frugally with the modest AmeriCorps financial stipend.
- Competency in Spanish or Chinese is a plus, but not required
Benefits of Service
- Receive a living allowance stipend of $2,225 per month
- Upon the successful completion of your term of service, a projected AmeriCorps end of program education award of $10,000.
- Assistance with student loan forbearance
- Health care coverage
- Receive ongoing training & support from both Life Lab Science Program and Climate Corps Education Outside