Early Childhood Education Garden Coordinator

The Explore Ecology Early Childhood Education Garden Coordinator’s (ECEGC) primary role is to develop and lead Garden Explorers, our early childhood education training and materials program. The Garden Explorers program is designed and delivered to increase garden education in early childhood education (ECE) settings, primarily throughout Santa Barbara County.  A full-time ECEGC will report to the Garden Program Director.

*TO BE CONSIDERED, PLEASE APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/jCKGnvwWDiY7QsWGA

Pay and Benefits

• Pay Range: $21.00 to $25.00 per hour DOE
• Full Time Employees: 40 hours
  • Health benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
  • 2 weeks per year of paid vacation
  • 9 days per year of sick time off
  • 8 Paid Holidays per year

Role and Responsibilities

• Program Development and Garden Support
  • Coordinate, design, and facilitate seasonal trainings for early childhood educators and directors
  • Research, purchase, and organize educational materials
  • Order seasonal plant starts and seeds and distribute them  to participating facilities
  • Build relationships with ECE centers throughout Santa Barbara County (occasional travel to Oxnard/Ventura and Santa Maria)
  • Gather feedback from early childhood educators
  • Collect data and information necessary for grant reporting
  • Work directly with Program & Development directors to find additional funding sources to sustain Garden Explorers programming
• Program Support & Organization
  • Report weekly to the Garden Program Director on planning and implementation of Garden Explorers programming
  • Assist with community outreach, collaboration opportunities, and networking events
  • Assist in grant writing and other fundraising efforts
  • Manage Garden Explorer volunteers/interns, as needed
  • Assist with assignments and administrative tasks, as needed

Qualifications 

• A degree in Early Childhood Education, Environmental Education, Environmental Studies, or related equivalent field experience
• Understanding of ECE settings, requirements, challenges, etc.
• Excellent rapport with children; experience with preschool setting; and familiarity with curricular standards and classroom activities
• Experience working outside with children ages 0 – 5
• Experience working with adults in a professional development setting
• Strong organic gardening, organic horticulture, permaculture experience, or equivalent; ability to care for a diverse array of plantings including annuals and perennials, food crops and native plants
• Comfortable working from multiple locations and traveling between job sites and Explore Ecology offices
• Reliable and prompt transportation and proof of insurance
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Canva, Padlet
• Ability to commit to at least 30 – 40 (full time) hours per week, including occasional weekends
• Excellent written & oral communication skills (Spanish language skills desirable)
• Flexible, adaptable, highly organized, and able to manage multiple responsibilities, set timelines and prioritize
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to see the big picture and simultaneously focus on the small details. Reliable and consistently produces high quality work
• Must be in good physical health; able to lift up to 40 pounds and comfortable using tools such as a shovel, wheelbarrow, and other common gardening equipment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work independently and in groups. Able to work with people of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and committed to equitable and inclusive practices in all phases of your work
• Must pass a LiveScan (fingerprint background check) test

Work Environment

• Standing, bending, and stooping for extended periods of time (up to 8 hours)
• Outdoors in school garden and outdoor classroom spaces
• Extensive contact with the public and children
• Walking and climbing as required
• Unassisted heavy lifting (up to 40 lbs.)
• Primarily Santa Barbara County, but full range from Oxnard to Santa Maria

About Explore Ecology

Explore Ecology is a Santa Barbara based non-profit organization that educates over 38,000 children a year, inspiring them to engage with the natural world, think critically, and experience the value of environmental stewardship. Explore Ecology programs include the Art From Scrap Creative ReUse Store and Gallery, Environmental Education, Watershed Resource Center, and School Gardens.

Explore Ecology actively promotes an environment of respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We support all employees regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, race, ethnic origin, color, religion, national origin, creed, marital status, disabled veteran status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, and/or physical disability that does not inhibit the performance of the specific core tasks of this position.

Underrepresented people are less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of a job’s requirements. We believe in hiring people, not checklists, and encourage you to apply even if you do not check all of the boxes.