School Garden Program Coordinator

The School Garden Program Coordinator will oversee and provide support to Lowell Public Schools’ Garden Leadership Teams in accordance with Mill City Grows’ School Garden Model including identifying potential school garden partners, facilitating school garden leadership team meetings, building garden leadership capacity through MCG’s Garden Coordinator Institute, and encouraging networking between schools. This position will also support MCG’s Education Model by coordinating/facilitating our robust afterschool and summer programs. This is an exciting opportunity to help build the growing Farm to School Movement in Lowell.
This position reports to the Director of Education.

Position Responsibilities
Coordinate school garden leadership teams:
- Coordination and support of 10 school garden leadership teams including biannual meetings with each team, facilitating creation of school year and summer maintenance plans, making community connections to benefit the school garden, and communicating any challenges or successes to the Director of Education

Expand School Garden Leadership Capacity:
- Recruit school garden leadership team members at new schools; encourage existing leadership teams to recruit new members for their teams; recruit Garden Coordinator Institute participants from new and existing school garden leadership teams
- In partnership with Community Program Manager and Director of Education, deliver Garden Coordinator Institute, including updating materials and curriculum as needed

Build Garden Network across the District:
- Produce monthly School Garden Leadership newsletter
- Develop annual School Garden Leaders gathering
- Encourage school community participation in MCG programs and events (i.e.
Gardener
Training Program workshops, farm volunteerism, Seed Swap, Harvest Festival)

Develop new school gardens at LPS partner schools:
- Work with the Director of Education to identify new school garden partners
- Collaborate with Operations Manager to oversee new garden design/ installation each spring season
- With School Garden Leadership Team, facilitate planting and harvesting days at new schools

Systems and Evaluation
- With Director of Education, continue development and clarification of Mill City Grows School Garden & Food Education model
- Collect and deliver accurate school garden and summer education data including number of teachers engaged in garden activities, pounds harvested, etc.

Supporting Garden and Food Based Education Model
- In collaboration with the Director of Education, oversee MCG’s afterschool program at Lowell Public Schools
- Supervise afterschool program educators insuring high quality program delivery at all school sites using MCG afterschool curriculum; implement pre/post surveys of all afterschool participants
- Coordination and facilitation of Summer Education programs at Mill City Grows’ urban farms in July and August

Qualifications:
· Minimum of 2-3 years of coordination/management, preferably in an educational setting · Minimum 1-2 years vegetable gardening experience · Familiarity with school gardens and school garden management · Strong background in project management · Excellent organization and time management skills · Excellent communication skills, written and verbal; additional language proficiency a  plus (Spanish, Khmer, Arabic, Swahili) · Ability to work independently and as part of a team · Computer skills required – Microsoft Word & Excel, email, internet, some web  experience and social media · Knowledge of Lowell schools and neighborhoods a plus!
· Desire to work in food justice and food access work · Safe driving record, valid license, proof of car insurance and registration

Please send your resume, cover letter, and a sample lesson plan or equivalent documentation of coordination experience to val@millcitygrows.org. Please have three references available upon request. For more information about Mill City Grows, please visit www.millcitygrows.org.

Compensation is in $32,000 - $36,000 range based on experience. Benefits include health/dental/vision, short term disability, sick time, personal days, and paid vacation time in accordance with Mill City Grows Staff Policies.

Mill City Grows is an equal opportunity employer