Jobs & Internships

OPEN: Board of Directors Post

Concrete Safaris currently has two openings with our board of directors. These are volunteer positions with a fundraising component, and a commitment of 2 years. Learn more HERE.

Apply for a position below HERE.

FULL-TIME POSITIONS (PAID) -- None available at this time. Please check back next year.

PART-TIME POSITIONS (PAID)

PART-TIME, SEASONAL POSITION (PAID)

Garden Program Lead Educator: June 27 - September 8, 2017

Job Summary

Under direct supervision of the Executive Director, the Garden Program Lead Educator is a high-energy position for someone who loves getting children and youth outdoors to design gardens and grow food, lead garden-based lessons, and/or perform other outdoor play activities at a high level while leading children and youth, interacts well with children, youth, families, and community agencies, has experience organizing events, and possesses superior behavior management skills. You will work with a team to deliver amazing youth-centered garden events. Directly oversee interns and volunteers. This position is part-time.

Duties and Responsibilities

The following statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other nonessential or peripheral duties that may be required. Concrete Safaris retains the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of the job at any time.

Concrete Safaris operates gardens across 9-acres of NYC Housing Authority property in two public housing developments. You will be responsible for ensuring that these gardens are thriving and well-utilized, and that participants are maximizing learning and volunteerism opportunities in a safe, fun environment.

During the summer, this position will involve 14 hours per week working with 50 after summer school students in the second - fifth grade to provide education in organic urban agriculture, ecology, and botany and to develop active living events to improve their community's health. You will create 1,000 square feet of new raised beds in existing garden plots with City Surfers After Summer School students, and develop Extreme Leadership Challenges and reward City Surfers students who exceed expectations and demonstrate strong leadership skills. You will lead garden maintenance activities contributing to increased production. You will track core competencies, complete program evaluations, and report results. You will lead brainstorming sessions with the students to design gardens for families in East Harlem. You will plan and lead field trips and participate in at least one multi-day wilderness retreat. You will work with our team to develop a long-term growth strategy for this program and help raise funds to make those plans a reality.

The part-time garden program educator will supervise up to seventeen 14-24-year-olds who may have non-violent, non-sexual criminal histories. Activities will involve training youth to lead garden programming, sustaining our gardens, and working with the community to beautify our spaces and distribute produce.

You will develop and deliver garden programming for and teach the interns to lead Concrete Safaris' field trip program to our gardens called Green Exercise Days serving 2nd - 5th graders in East Harlem. From time to time, you will lead group teambuilding games during these events with 50 - 500 children and adults. You will create and/or improve seasonal lessons incorporating grade-appropriate standards from New York City Science Scope and Sequence and New York State Common Core. You will lead garden maintenance activities contributing to the production of 3-4 tons of vegetables, herbs, and fruit.

You will maintain all garden tools and related gear, and track inventory.

You will work with the executive director to create program and event budgets, recruit and manage assistants, interns, and volunteers, and submit bi-monthly payroll reports for all interns in your program area. You will contribute to weekly social media updates of students' work in the form of video and pictures. You will compile and submit detailed reports and evaluations on garden, youth, and event outcomes, and write and submit participant and end-of-summer reports about your work with the children.

You will work with parents to develop initiatives that increase parent involvement in gardening, setup related equipment for events, activities and programs as needed, attend and participate in staff meetings and related activities, and participate in outside groups and committees as assigned. You will perform other related duties and responsibilities as required or requested.

Education, Experience and Training

Minimum Education and Experience: a) Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science, Horticulture, or related field AND b) Three years experience or more in a related field including administrative procedures OR c) Five years of experience in garden program education with children and youth.

Special Certification, Training or Experience: CPR for the professional rescuer, or ability to obtain within the first month of hire date. First Aid Certification, or ability to obtain within the first month of hire date.

Other Requirements: Must pass pre-employment criminal and sexual offender background check, and have the ability to work unsupervised in the presence of children, youth, and adults.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of: Garden and recreation programming including child and youth activities and development, special events, exercise, leadership, event planning, and fundraising. Principles and practices of supervision, training, and performance management. Knowledge and ability to apply rules and monitor program compliance with related laws and regulations. Knowledge of childhood and youth development principles and practices.

Ability to: Work with people from all walks of life. Plan, organize and implement fun, outdoor, garden-based social action programs and special events with a team. Teach botany, horticulture and landscape design, and vocational training. Work under stressful situations; stay calm; and have excellent problem solving skills. Participate in active recreation activities. Use mathematical reasoning. Provide administrative and professional leadership and direction for program personnel. Deal courteously and effectively with the public. Prepare and administer program budget and reports, and maintain records. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other professionals, subordinate employees, other organizations, volunteers, and the general public. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Must be available Monday – Saturday from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. with advance notice of scheduling. Schedule varies daily.

Skills to: Operate modern office equipment and current technology and applications, such as Microsoft Office computer applications, Excel, Word. 

Physical Requirements: Ability to conduct activities involving walking, standing, and general movement 75% of the time and sitting 25% of the time. Please note: special event days may require 10+ hours on your feet. Ability to lift and carry burdens weighing up to 50 lbs. Ability to grasp and manipulate office equipment as well as tools, equipment and materials used in the maintenance of garden facilities. Ability to use a computer for extended periods of time. Maintain a current annual health screening.

Hours/week: 25-29.

Please review www.concretesafaris.org before you apply to better understand what we do. No phone calls, please.

INTERNSHIPS - To apply for any position below, click HERE.