STEM Program Director​/Educator

Full job description

The Growing Great STEM Program Director/Educator teaches school and community hands‑on garden, science and nutrition informal education programs for grades PreK-12, oversees related grants, and is responsible to the Director of Education.

Growing Great is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to empower children to make healthy food choices through hands‑on science and garden education. We believe every community should have access to fresh produce and all children should experience the joy of growing fruits and vegetables in their own garden.

JOB TITLE:
STEM Program Director/Educator

STATUS: Non-Exempt Hourly Position

REPORTS TO
:
Director of Education

Job Overview: The STEM Program Director is a 30-40 hour/week non‑exempt position responsible for teaching hands‑on interactive garden, nutrition and science activities for PreK‑12 students, teachers, parents and caregivers. Growing Great programs are often taught outdoors. This position requires travel to and from teaching sites, before, during and after school, typically 3 times/week. Responsibilities include purchasing and assembling supplies (costs covered by Growing Great), preparation for activities, working in the garden or classroom, teaching, evaluation, and clean up.

In addition to teaching, the STEM Program Director builds long‑term relationships with schools and nonprofits and oversees related grants and impact reports, and informal assessments. Teaching sites and grade levels vary, but currently may include:
Boyle Heights, Culver City, Downtown Los Angeles, Glassell Park/ Los Feliz Schools, Hollywood, Inglewood, Lawndale, Pico‑Union and South Los Angeles. Travel time from home to sites and mileage (at Federal standard rate) are paid. When not traveling to sites, the position is remote except for a monthly in‑person staff meeting. The STEM Program Director occasionally partners with other nonprofit educators to create and lead presentations for national conferences such as the Association of Science & Technology Centers and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required:

• Hands‑on teaching experience in a school, garden, science center, museum or similar setting, for grades PreK-12
• Knowledge of and passion for science, garden and nutrition education and a commitment to the mission of Growing Great
• Commitment to serving low‑income families and communities where English is a second language.
• Ability to adapt teaching plans and techniques to the needs of different groups of young people — no two Growing Great classes are the same. Experience working with teens preferred.
• Knowledge of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education content and inquiry teaching techniques.
• Strong and effective oral and written communication/presentation skills.
• Self‑motivated; ability to work independently.
• Experience in team building and collaboration. Previous work in grant‑funded programs preferred.
• Willingness, flexibility and enthusiasm about pitching in to support all aspects of Growing Great.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution required.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years hands‑on teaching experience.

Skills: Hands‑On Teaching. Curriculum Development. Program Implementation. Planning and Organizing. Creativity. Customer Service. Action Oriented. Team Building. Collaboration. Excellent Communication. Gardening Experience preferred.

Physical Demands & Working

Location:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, bend and drive. This includes working outside in school gardens performing gardening tasks as well as in schools. Outdoor school garden locations include in‑ground and raised bed gardens and rustic garden access and pathways.

Job requires frequent verbal and…