Farm-Based Education and Outreach Coordinator – Weston, MA
Organization: Land’s Sake, Inc.
Position Title: Farm-Based Education and Outreach Coordinator
Location: Weston, MA
Hours & Compensation: Full-time. Salary commensurate with experience..
Application Deadline: None posted.
Posted On: March 29, 2013.
Organization Overview:
Land’s Sake combines ecologically-sound land management practices with hands-on environmental education to model how public open space can be used and enjoyed by the community. A 501c3 nonprofit corporation, we run a public farm, host educational programming for all ages, maintain the town forest for recreational and production uses, and care for both public conservation and private land.
Our efforts are centered on three themes:
- Environmental Education
- Sustainable Land Management and Open Space Preservation
- Community-Building and Caretaking
Bringing people onto the land as visitors to our farm, as volunteers or youth workers, and through our active educational programs, we directly connect people to their local ecology. Our work uncovers the intrinsic value of the land around us and the importance of treating the land with respect.
Description:
This is a split position designed to be an integral part of both the Education program and Development operations. Time will be split approximately 50-50 between the two programs, although it will vary depending on the season and the program calendar. The successful candidate in this position will have a substantial impact on the delivery of Land’s Sake’s Educational programs and its ability to thrive as an organization. Collaboration and effective communication with the other branches of the organization are vital to this job. Along will all staff, the Education and Development Coordinator works diligently to carry out mission-oriented goals and objectives.
Education Coordinator (46%)
The Education Coordinator’s primary goal is to deliver high quality seasonal youth education programs. With support from the Education Director, he or she is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating the Farm and Dforest summer program, academic year programs, and Open Farm Yard. This position occasionally includes additional responsibilities as needed such as: assisting with Education Garden planning and maintenance, volunteer programs, group tours, hosting and participating in community events, festivals, camp fairs, peer professional development opportunities, and other tasks as assigned. The Education Coordinator works collaboratively with other staff to manage the inherent risks of working on a farm; maintain our unique farm aesthetic; teach and follow best practices for sustainable food production.
Development Coordinator (54%)
The Development Coordinator is primarily responsible for supporting Land’s Sake’s efforts to establish and build relationships with key supported, donors, and community members. The Development Coordinator will be instrumental in facilitating Land’s Sake’s transition to a customer relationship management system, managing data within the system, and using that information to support communications with Land’s Sake supporters. This position includes principal responsibility for thanking donors, as well as providing support to the Executive Director for other donor mailings and solicitations. With support from the Executive Director, other members of the team, and outside committees when appropriate, the Development Coordinator will produce fundraising events throughout the year, including bi-monthly Supper Club dinners, the annual Harvest Dinner in September, and periodic donor events. This position also includes principal responsibility for administrative communication with the outsourced bookkeeper, including processing invoices and payments in QuickBooks.
Responsibilities:
Education Coordinator:
- Coordinate and implement the following programs: Farm & Forest summer program (7-12 year olds), Open Farm Yard seasonal program (families with young children), and After School and Discovery Week academic year programs (preschool-5th).
- Contribute to planning and implementation of mission-based curriculum
- Assist with the development and training of summer staff.
- Support efforts to increase enrollment in all educational programming through creative marketing, community engagement, outreach events, and networking with parents and community organizations.
- Gather regular feedback from participants, parents, and constituents
- Maintain budgets and track weekly expenses
- Contribute to planning and program development for successive seasons
- Occasional support of other education program needs including: assisting with planning and maintenance of the Education Garden, management of livestock, group volunteer projects, educational tours and adult/family education programs or other organizational tasks when needed.
Development Coordinator Responsibilities
- Work with Executive Director, Board Members, and outside committees to prepare, promote, and implement Land’s Sake fundraising and community outreach events.
- Supervise and implement Land’s Sake’s process for thanking donors
- Assist with development and implementation of Land’s Sake mailings and donor communications via postal mail, email, and Constant Contact
- Manage processing of invoices and payments
- Coordinate with outsourced bookkeeper to update Quickbooks
- Communicate with outside vendors, suppliers, and customers to ensure smooth processing of financial transactions
- Conduct donor research as needed, including grant research, writing and reporting
- Support the process of identifying and implementing a CRM software platform
- Supervise and lead data migration for existing Quickbooks dataset to new platform
Qualifications:
- Enthusiasm and passion for educating and working with children, and building positive community relationships
- Bachelor’s Degree or greater in environmental science, education, or relevant field.
- 2 or more years of teaching and/or youth leadership experience in a school, camp, after school program, or other youth program or setting, with demonstrated ability around youth safety, group management and youth engagement
- Extensive knowledge of natural systems and working farm environments; experience in garden planning/management
- Ability to work occasional weekends and evenings when necessary as well as a flexible year-round schedule
- Professional character that is consistent, self-directed, well-organized, flexible, friendly, and is able to maintain composure in a changing environment.
- Comfortable with public speaking and networking
- Experience with management of a variety of livestock is a bonus
- Access to a car and valid driver’s license is required
- Must be able to pass CORI check
- First Aid and CPR certification is a plus
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite, Google Apps, Quickbooks, Constant Contact required. Eventbrite, Salesforce, and social media platforms a plus.
- Must be able to maintain visual and auditory awareness of a group
- Must be able to negotiate various types of terrain on the farm and in the forest
- Must be able to communicate (both written and verbal) clearly and effectively with staff, participants, and other constituents
- Must be able to lift and carry up to fifty pounds
How to Apply:
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; this position will be open until filled. Please send a resume and cover letter, detailing how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about the opportunity. Mail to Land’s Sake (c/o Douglas Cook), 27 Crescent Street, Weston, MA 02493 or email at [email protected].
Contact Information:
Land’s Sake, http://www.landssake.org
27 Crescent Street, Weston, MA 02493
