Background
Our mission: Urban Sprouts plants the seeds of social equity to build healthy and thriving neighborhoods through community and garden-based education.
Urban Sprouts supports school and community garden sites for youth and residents in the southeast sector of San Francisco. Our school partnerships include June Jordan School for Equity (JJSE), International Studies Academy (ISA), and Log Cabin Boys Ranch in La Honda, CA as well as community housing facilities located in Sunnydale (Vis Valley) and Bayview neighborhoods.
Each year we work with over 500 youth and families to grow, harvest, prepare and eat vegetables from their respective gardens to support academic achievement, healthier living, and connect with the environment and each other. Our community health education program engages over 1,300 individuals through family cooking classes, community-based events, and our partnership with the Mission Community Market. Students are also engaged in long-term skill building for job preparedness and entrepreneurship.
About the Partnerships
San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department: As one of San Francisco’s Juvenile Justice facilities, Log Cabin Boys Ranch is a residential facility that houses up to 24 young men of San Francisco for a minimum of 8-month adjudication. This site is located approximately 1.5 hrs south of San Francisco, in the small rural community of La Honda, CA. Since 2009, Urban Sprouts has partnered with the SF Juvenile Probation Department at Log Cabin Boys Ranch to deliver a vocational garden-based educational program. Three times a week we provide an experiential learning experience focused on food justice, nutrition, and garden-to-table entrepreneurship. Our programmatic approach focuses efforts on building job readiness skills, with an emphasis on soft skill development for successful reentry into the community.
At the Ranch, we utilize approximately 1/3 of an acre of growing space to grow food for both garden-to-table and garden-to-community production. Program days are devoted to building and maintaining these garden areas for the purposes of educating the young men about healthy food choices, life choices, and entrepreneurship. We also partner with San Francisco Unified School District teachers and staff on-site as well as the San Francisco Conservation Corps program team to help execute successful programming and support the residents in accomplishing their residency goals.
Mercy Housing: Since March 2014, Urban Sprouts and Mercy Housing have partnered to activate the Sunnydale Community Garden for use and management by Sunnydale residents.
Our presence supports the ongoing efforts to engage community residents in gardening and restorative living right in front of their homes. Education is focused on garden engagement, food justice education, basic urban gardening, and practical applications of garden harvests into everyday living. We work in the garden while creating a safe and fun environment for families and individuals to engage in their community through this medium.
About the Position
Urban Sprouts is seeking a highly qualified and motivated Lead Educator to bring their talents to the programming in the Sunnydale housing development in the southeast of San Francisco and at Log Cabin Boys Ranch in La Honda, CA. This position is designed to implement the programming centered on resident engagement on both locations through garden and community-based education models. The position is designed to work primarily with adjudicated youth residents at Log Cabin along with creating a job pathway for these young men through continued engagement into the Sunnydale location (where applicable). Simultaneously, this position will also manage and deliver programming directly with residents of Sunnydale.
The ideal candidate for this position will have a strong background in working with under-resourced and incarcerated populations in the context of urban agriculture or outdoor experiential education. This position demands an individual with a high level of programmatic functioning and expertise in holding strong relationships and partnerships with multiple agencies and working in communities with higher risk of stress and trauma.
Job Description: The Lead Educator will deliver hands-on garden-based education on both sites as well as fulfill administrative duties as they apply to reporting and maintaining high quality programming with Urban Sprouts. Programming times are generally Wednesdays- Fridays, 8am-5pm, with the occasional night and weekend for special events.
Skills and Experience Required
At least 4 years youth development and outdoor education experience with under-resourced populations. Experience with incarcerated youth a plus.
Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, including at risk youth and adults, particularly in high stress and trauma populations.
Basic knowledge and/or experience with juvenile justice facilities, housing projects, and cultures associated with these populations is a plus.
Demonstrates high functioning leadership and ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment.
Knowledge around social and racial justice, particularly issues around resource equity in San Francisco communities.
Demonstrates ability to build and maintain successful relationships between multiple agencies and stakeholders, which include community residents.
Demonstrates an understanding of working with and can exemplify tools or strategies for maintaining self-care and personal well-being
At least one year of organic gardening and/or farming experience (formal or non-formal), knowledge and skills in small-scale urban gardening including farm-to-market business knowledge, basic science, biology, and nutrition.
Should be physically fit to meet the demands of gardening such as weeding, harvesting, digging, and able to lift a minimum 50 lbs regularly. Should also be physically fit and able to drive long distances weekly, posses a valid driver’s license and good driving record.
Ability to work independently and work positively in teams.
Possesses a high level or organization and communication skills.
Knowledge around food and farm business, marketing, and entrepreneurship a plus.
Can demonstrate effective and creative ways of preparing healthy meals or meal alternatives using the garden harvest. Has some knowledge and experience teaching cooking classes.
Conversational Spanish speaker a plus
Creativity and flexibility towards culturally relevant programming
Patience, consistency and positivity
Responsibilities
Execute programming on required days and times with each site partner
Provide a safe and fun learning environment for all program participants
Manage the facilities gardens, plan and prepare for garden work activities, manage crop plan, coordinate tools and other necessary materials
Develop and maintain strong relationships with program participants and community stakeholders, especially site partners
Be self-sufficient and resourceful in accomplishing program goals while recognizing areas where support is needed from other staff members and partnering agencies
Be extremely open and flexible in creating strategies for optimal performance on the grounds, particularly in close collaboration with the facility’s staff and support people
Be open to ideas, mentorship, and dialog around challenging aspects of programming
Report program outcomes as required via virtual pathways shared amongst staff.
Oversee program expenditures in accordance with program budgets
Report to staff and leadership accordingly and function as a good team player
Supervise program interns who assist with garden work activities
Participate in staff meetings and occasional evening advisory board meetings when applicable
Participate in organizational development as needed
Collaborate with staff on program management as it relates to the larger organizational infrastructure as well as day-to-day needs
Participation in fundraising efforts as needed or desired
Participation in media outreach and external communications as needed or desired
Have reliable and consistent access to a connected computer/laptop as well as cell phone
Urban Sprouts will provide a vehicle for transportation (via car share service) to and from the Log Cabin Ranch site or will reimburse for mileage.
This is a part-time position working an average of 25 hours per week, $21-$24 per hour DOE and includes vacation (accruing after 6 months) and sick leave. Urban Sprouts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position.
Urban Sprouts is a project of the San Francisco Parks Alliance.
To Apply: Deadline to apply for this position is Friday, June 17th, 5pm (PST). Applications are being taken on a rolling basis. Please no phone calls. Please send cover letter and resume (as one .pdf file) to hiring@urbansprouts.org. Please include in the subject line, “Lead Educator (LCR/Sunnydale)”.