2008
Children’s
Garden Specialist / Education Coordinator
(Temporary
Position with Fluctuating Hours)
Education
Department
Olbrich
Botanical Gardens
3330
Atwood Avenue
Madison,
Wisconsin 53704
Apply
by: February 22, 2008
Position Duration: 30 wks;
starting June 2 and ending December 31, 2008.
Position varies between full
and part time with some weekend and occasional evening hours. Position is
temporary and project-based, requiring as many as 40 hours some weeks and as few
as 5 hours other weeks. Weekly
hours fluctuate according to a strict pre-determined schedule.
Please see below for more information on required schedule.
Position has the potential to be extended from January through May of the
coming year, depending on budgetary allowances in 2009.
Number
Available:
1
Pay Rate: $9 per hour. Position does not offer health insurance,
investment options, or vacation or sick pay.
Contact:
Eve J. Komosa, Director of Education
ekomosa@cityofmadison.com;
No phone calls please!!
Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a 16-acre public
display garden located in Madison, Wisconsin. The Garden received American
Public Gardens Associations (APGA) and Horticulture Magazine’s Award for
Garden Excellence in 2005. Olbrich Botanical Gardens serves volunteers and
visitors of all ages and abilities.
Olbrich Botanical
Gardens is free and open to the public year-round. The combination of an indoor
Conservatory and outdoor gardens provide access to plants, gardening knowledge,
and environmental education throughout the year. Olbrich operates a
horticultural library that is open to the public and provides a large variety of
reference material for gardeners
Classes, lectures, and
workshops are offered on a wide variety of garden, ecology, and nature related
themes. Public programs are offered at Olbrich for all ages, from toddlers
through adults. During spring and fall, Olbrich offers ecology field trips for
school children. During summer and
fall, youth participate in our Children’s Garden program.
Adult volunteer docents, trained to work in the gardens and conservatory,
are another educational resource for the public to utilize and enjoy.
The Children’s
Garden Specialist/Education Coordinator will work on three distinct educational
programs: the fall Explorer program, the summer and fall Children’s Garden
programs, and the fall Conservatory Docent program. Work hours for the Children’s Garden Specialist/Education
Coordinator will fluctuate widely based on project needs.
Olbrich’s Director of Education and Youth and Family Program
Coordinator supervise the Education Coordinator.
From May through
September, the Children’s Garden Specialist/Education Coordinator will focus
exclusively on Olbrich’s Children’s Garden.
Olbrich’s Children’s Garden is an exclusive partnership with the
Madison Schools and Community Recreation’s (MSCR) Community Learning Centers (CLCs)
and Youth Resource Centers (YRCs). MSCR Youth serve as the program’s exclusive
audience. Most MSCR students are
considered underserved, as evidenced by the fact that 70% qualify for free and
reduced lunch programs. In total,
approximately 400 youth will be served by the program in 2008.
Olbrich’s Children’s
Garden provides hands-on learning for children in kindergarten through fifth
grade, as well as for high school-aged youth who act as mentors to younger
participants. The program addresses
three main issues: gardening, environmental education, and nutrition.
At Olbrich, children will learn real and meaningful connections –
connections between the soil they turn, the plants they tend, the food they eat,
and the natural world around them.
The Children’s Garden
Specialist/Education Coordinator will oversee the elementary education aspect of
Olbrich’s Children’s Garden program. Position
provides practical experience in planning and managing group educational
activities and teaching gardening to young, enthusiastic participants.
This position works under the supervision of the Director of Education
and the Youth and Family Program Coordinator at the Gardens.
From September through
December, the Children’s Garden Specialist/Education Coordinator will work on
the a combination of the fall Children’s Garden program, the fall Explorer
program, and the fall Conservatory Docent program.
Position
Responsibilities:
May
through August:
1.
Logistical Arrangements:
Facilitate participation by MSCR youth, i.e.- communicate schedules and
logistical arrangements with staff of partner organizations.
Task Supervisor: Director of
Education
2.
Curriculum & Communications:
Develop curricula emphasizing ecology, gardening, and nutrition themes
for participating youth. Develop
curricula for training volunteers. Develop
other necessary communication pieces for volunteers, participants, and staff
from participating organizations. Task
Supervisor: Director of Education & Youth and Family Program Coordinator
3.
Instruction: Plan and conduct
necessary orientation and training sessions for volunteers. Provide ongoing instruction and supervision to volunteers and
participants on a daily basis during their time spent in the Children’s
Garden. Task Supervisor: Director of Education & Youth and Family
Program Coordinator
4.
Garden Development & Maintenance:
Collaborate with Children’s Garden Specialist – Secondary Education to plan,
prepare, plant, and maintain the physical garden space for the Children’s
Garden program. Task
Supervisor: Director of Education
5.
Grant Compliance & Donor & Public Relations: Provide
information and hospitality to program donors during visits and other
communications. Remain mindful of
garden appearance and public perceptions at all times.
Task Supervisor: Director of
Education
6.
Program Wrap-Up: Collaborate with
Children’s Garden Specialist – Elementary Education to prepare final report
reflecting the 2008 program. Task Supervisor: Director of Education
September
through December:
1.
Materials Development & Maintenance:
a.
Conservatory
Docents:
Plan and prepare all Bottle Biology materials, for use by Docents.
b.
Explorer:
Prepare all Bottle Biology materials, both plant and otherwise, for use by
Explorer program.
c.
Children’s
Garden: Plan and prepare all
activity materials needed for fall Children’s Garden lessons.
2.
Curriculum & Communications Development:
a.
Conservatory
Docents: Create activity plans for
Docent use with the public, as all as Docent training curricula about the
activities. Provide written communications pertaining to Bottle Biology for
Docents as needed.
b.
Children’s Garden: Create
curricula for fall after school Children’s Garden sessions.
3.
Instruction:
a.
Conservatory
Docents:
Conduct Bottle Biology initial training.
b.
Explorer:
Instruct fall Ecology Explorer as scheduled.
Assist Youth and Family Program Coordinator with fall Explorer volunteer
trainings.
c.
Children’s
Garden: Instruct fall Children’s
Garden classes as scheduled.
Qualifications:
1.
Major or degree in education, horticultural therapy, social work, or
related scholastic program. (Environmental studies, horticulture, etc.)
2.
Project management experience.
3.
Minimum of one year of experience working with children in a group
setting.
4.
Ability to display confident, flexible, fair, energetic, and positive
attitude while working with youth and volunteers.
5.
Ability to work as a team player and effectively collaborate with
Children’s Garden Specialist and Horticulture Staff on a daily basis.
6.
Ability to take a great degree of initiative and make independent
decisions on a daily basis.
7.
Comfort seeking assistance from superiors when needed, and comfort
accepting constructive feedback on a frequent basis.
8.
Ability to organize work time very effectively, particularly in relation
to set deadlines, shared daily computer time, recurrent garden maintenance, and
strictly defined prep time versus teaching time.
9.
Ability and willingness to work in hot, humid conditions in direct sun
for up to four hours at a time on a daily basis.
10.
Willingness to submit personal information for a criminal background
check, as well as ability to successfully pass a criminal background check.
11.
Horticulture and/or gardening experience is preferred but not
required.
12.
Ability to instruct elementary-aged youth in activities relating to
gardening, ecology, and nutrition.
Skills Acquired
- The Children’s Garden
Specialist / Education Coordinator will gain, or further develop, the following
knowledge, skills, and abilities:
1.
Knowledge of organic vegetable and flower gardening principles and
techniques.
2.
Ability to develop elementary-level curricula relating to gardening,
ecology, and nutrition.
3.
Ability to instruct elementary-aged youth in activities relating to
gardening, ecology, and nutrition.
4.
Ability to train adults to
conduct environmental education activities with the general public.
5.
Further development of project management abilities.
6.
Knowledge and understanding of attitudes and ethics underlying operation
of a public botanical garden.
To
Apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume, college transcripts (unofficial is
fine), Olbrich’s Application
form (requires Adobe Reader)
and list of three professional or academic references.
In addition, please answer the following questions in 750 words or less:
1.
Describe any project management
experience you have. What skills
have you gained from this/these experience(s)?
2.
Describe your past experience
working with children in a group setting. What skills have you gained from this/these experience(s)?
3.
Describe your understanding of
the role of staff in relation to visitors and program participants in a public
garden setting. (There is no right
or wrong answer to this question; we are simply interested in your opinions and
perceptions.)
Required Schedule
Between
June 2 and August 1, 2008 (9 weeks averaging 35 hours per week)
Scheduled
Time: Children’s Garden classes daily, both
morning and afternoon, M-F
TOTAL=
315 hours
Between
August 4 and August 22, 2008 (2.5 weeks averaging 25 hours per week)
Scheduled
Time: Children’s Garden classes M-F mornings
Flexible
Time: some afternoon to be used for preparation
and wrap up activities; plus intern field trip
TOTAL=
64 hours
Between
September 1 and 26, 2008 (4 weeks averaging 10 hours per week)
Flexible
Time: Children’s Garden maintenance, Prep and
planning for Bottle Biology & Children’s Garden after-school program
TOTAL=
40 hours
Weeks
September 29 - October 13, 2008 (3 weeks averaging 16 hours per week)
Scheduled
Time: 2-4:30pm
on Tuesday and Thursday (Children’s Garden; 5 hours)
Flexible
Time: Additional prep time for Docents and
Children’s Garden
TOTAL=
48
Weeks
October 20-November 10, 2008 (4 weeks averaging 36 hours per week)
Scheduled
Time:
·
9am to 4:30pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (for Explorer and
Children’s Garden; 21 hours not inc. 30 minutes per day for lunch)
·
Docent training on Saturday, November 1 from 8am-11am
Flexible
Time: Prep time Docents and Children’s Garden
TOTAL=
144 hours
Weeks
November 17 – December 15, 2008 (5 weeks averaging 11 hours per
week)
Scheduled
Time: 2-4:30pm
on Tuesday and Thursday (Children’s Garden; 5 hours)
Flexible
Time: Prep time for Docents
TOTAL
= 55 hours
Weeks
December 22 - 29, 2008 (2 weeks averaging 5 hours per week)
Flexible
Time: Prep time for Docents
Application
form.* requires Adobe Reader 