Farm and Forest Based Educator
Position Title: Farm and Forest Based Educator
Supervisor: Director of Farm Based Education Youth Programs
Employee Status: Year Round / Full Time
Location: Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vermont
Start Date: Immediate opening
Who We Are
Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world. Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded homelands—Ndakinna—of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.
What We Do
- Engage youth and people of all ages in equitable learning experiences that inspire them to build diverse, resilient, caring communities.
- Steward our working lands and heritage buildings as we embody values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources.
- Collaborate with educators and other local, national, and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide
Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services. Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities. We are passionate about building and sustaining a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.
Who We’re Looking for
As an Educator on our team, you will teach and support education programs on and off the Farm, primarily school programs and summer camp. Depending upon your skills and experience, you may also support preschool programs, afterschool programs, our educational farmyard, visitor services, adult and public programs, and/or teacher professional learning. You will also provide leadership and mentorship for undergraduate interns and post graduate fellows, alongside other educators. While your primary responsibility will be to teach and provide direct service education, other education projects, materials preparation, curriculum design, and support duties will be incorporated. We’re looking for someone who will communicate effectively with coworkers to create a respectful work environment and someone who is excited to grow through self reflection and receiving feedback from groups, peer educators, and mentors.
What You’ll Do
- Plan and teach custom and themed on site elementary school field trip programs. (4-5 days/week during school year).
- Plan and teach our on site, summer day camp for preschool, elementary, middle and high school aged campers. (5 days/week; 9-10 weeks).
- Participate in and/or provide support for seasonal special events, family, and public programs (which may occur on occasional evenings and weekends).
- Plan and teach on site preschool programming. (½-1 day per week).
- Connect people and animals in the Farmyard through hands-on education.
- Attend planning meetings and spend time preparing lessons and materials.
- Participate in Education Team meetings, Shelburne Farms all staff meetings, and professional development.
- Serve as a leader and role model of educational pedagogy and best teaching practices along with the education staff.
- Offer mentorship to undergraduate education interns and post graduate education fellows along with the education staff.
- Support a continuous effort to build and sustain a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.
- Attend and support safety training and maintain safety standards.
- Bring your curiosity, enthusiasm, skills, and gifts to Shelburne Farms programming and community at large.
Core Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
- Commitment to equity, justice, and inclusion within teaching practice and work environment
Additional Valued Qualifications
- Experience with: farm-based, place-based, and environmental education; early childhood education; and education for sustainability pedagogy.
- Classroom teaching experience (curriculum design is a bonus).
- Experience teaching preschool and/or summer camp programming.
- Experience in interpretation and/or public programming.
- Experience in mentoring and coaching.
- First Aid and CPR certification (advanced certification preferred ex: Wilderness First Aid/ Responder).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong communication and collaborative skills with co-workers, youth, chaperones, teachers, and visitors.
- Positive and flexible attitude with co-workers, youth, chaperones, teachers, and visitors.
- Solution-oriented mindset when faced with challenges.
- Desire to take initiative in programming, your growth as an educator, and the care of our teaching spaces.
Work Environment & Physical Demands
- Indoor and outdoor work environments.
- Varied weather conditions.
- Ability to move over uneven terrain.
- Comfort working with and around farm animals.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Covid Safety: We recommend all staff be fully vaccinated. We require that all staff share their Covid vaccination status. If you are not vaccinated, then you are required to do routine testing and wear a mask at all times.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary/Wage: This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Benefits:
- We offer medical coverage with a Health Reimbursement Account, a Flexible Spending Account for medical and dependent care expenses, company paid long term disability, a 401(k) with the potential for company match and paid time off to recharge.
- Additionally, we offer a 30% discount on Farm products.
Term: Year Round
Time: Full Time, with some weekend and evening hours
To Apply
Please submit a resume and your response to the questions listed below to jobs@shelburnefarms.org with “Full Time Educator” in the subject line. Your response to these questions below are not meant to be a writing exercise but rather a way for you to further engage with Shelburne Farms and this role.
All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential.
In your response included with your resume, address:
- Take a look at our school program offerings and provide an example of a time you were teaching a topic that would connect with one of our offerings?
- How your experiences, values, and/or efforts demonstrate your commitment to the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in your teaching experience
Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply. The duties and responsibilities described herein are not intended to be a complete and comprehensive list; additional tasks may be assigned to this position from time to time, and the scope of the position may change based on operational demands.