Garden and Kitchen Teacher

(Paid Opportunities) Return to Paid Opportunities

 Compensation: $50,000 - $52,500

Edible Schoolyard NYC (ESYNYC) believes that all New York City students deserve access to an edible education — hands-on gardening and cooking classes as well as family and community engagement activities - that connect students to food, their communities and inspire them to create change in the world around them. We do this by partnering with NYC public schools to lead classes with their students and school community; supporting educators to implement food education in their classrooms; and advocating for long-term, sustainable changes for a better future for New York City. In the 2021-22 school year, we served 3,500 NYC public school students at our direct service sites in Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx and over 200 educators through professional development, who in turn reached thousands more students.  

Edible Schoolyard NYC is seeking to hire four new Garden and Kitchen Teachers in 2023. One teacher will be assigned to one of the following school locations: Brighter Choice Community School, Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School, P.S. 109 Sedgwick, and P.S. 311 Lucero Elementary School. 

The Garden and Kitchen Teacher (GKT) is ESYNYC’s primary point person at their school, conducting daily, regular garden and kitchen education classes for the students and helping with the maintenance and operation of the garden and kitchen classrooms. The GKT also participates in ESYNYC outreach activities, including professional development, extracurricular and family/community events. The teacher works collaboratively with the other ESYNYC staff members to create and implement programming and works with the school staff to ensure that this program is fully integrated within the school community. The position reports jointly to the Program Manager and the Director of Program and Education. This is a unionized position with CWA 1180.

Responsibilities/Duties

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

TEACHING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH

  • Act as the main representative of ESYNYC at the school and the primary point of contact with the school administration, faculty and staff.
  • Work with school administrators and teachers to create a teaching schedule and calendar of program events.
  • Teach daily garden and kitchen classes to a diverse, urban pre-K-8 student population in accordance with the ESYNYC teaching philosophy: an emphasis on culturally responsive curriculum, hands-on instruction, social-emotional learning, and student-centered education. Teachers are expected to plan and prep for all classes as well. (Note: on average, ESYNYC teachers teach 16 lessons per week during a typical school year.)
  • For garden classes, lead a group of students in exploratory academic activities or garden jobs, such as planting, soil cultivation, compost work, weeding, watering, and other garden maintenance tasks.  
  • For kitchen classes, prepare for and lead a group of students in the completion of the day’s recipe and related educational activities, including culinary skills such as knife skills, cooking methods, produce identification, and recipe literacy.
  • Create a strong classroom culture centered around consistent routines, positive reinforcement, and respect for one another and our educational space.
  • Strengthen students’ understanding of garden and kitchen connections, as well as how the food we grow affects their health, their community, and their planet.
  • Work in collaboration with school faculty, Program Manager and Director of Programs and Education to write kitchen and garden curriculum.  
  • Maintain an updated archive of lesson plans and class materials.
  • Along with program manager, manage, develop and implement a robust community outreach and extracurricular program, including, but not limited to: family cooking classes, family garden days, after school clubs and classes, farm stands and food distribution efforts, and cafeteria interventions.
  • Support and develop relationships with other community based organizations (CBOs) in the neighborhood as appropriate to support ESYNYC’s partnership with the school
  • Maintain functional, safe and classroom teaching spaces, including ordering, proper handling,  and storing of equipment and ingredients.
  • Teach and participate in Professional Development training in collaboration with the Director of Programs and Education to help educators throughout the area learn how to bring “edible education” to their own school sites.
  • Work on optional projects to support program development as appropriate (ex. curriculum, professional development, garden management and evaluation projects).

GARDENING

  • Work with the Director of Horticulture and Operations to support students, and the greater school community in the planning, construction, planting, cultivation, fertility and overall maintenance of the garden. 
  • Ensure that the garden is maintained in order to host garden classes as well as production of ample produce for use in the kitchen classroom, school community, and special events. Maintain facilities and equipment in good working order, including: tool shed, greenhouse, irrigation system, and tools.
  • Support garden planning
  • Support year-round propagation, soil fertility, composting, crop rotation, pruning, irrigation, and pest and disease management.
  • Ensure that the garden is properly prepped for classes, and properly cleaned up after classes.
  • Handle and store all garden tools and equipment properly.
  • Support all garden events and activities, including regular community Farm Stand, food distribution, and Corporate Workdays.

MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATION, AND OUTREACH

  • All staff participate in organization-wide activities such as internal committee work, development and evaluation support.
  • Actively participate in a community of learning with ESYNYC colleagues to give and receive feedback, improve curricula and teaching practices, and deepen teaching skills.
  • Maintain effective communication with ESYNYC staff, school staff, and the extended community of parents, neighbors and school garden educators.
  • Participate in ESYNYC staff meetings, staff development days, and program development meetings and participate in internal committee work as well
  • Support program evaluation initiatives, including accurately track programming information in online database on a weekly basis and supporting implementation of student, parent, and staff surveys when relevant.
  • Stay informed of school events and activities.  Be an active presence in the school community and attend school meetings and events as appropriate.
  • Actively support a culture of wellness at the school.
  • Welcome visitors to the program and be prepared to be observed while teaching class. 
  • When necessary, lead garden and kitchen tours and participate in development activities in collaboration with our Development Team.
  • Participate in ESYNYC events and community outreach efforts. 

Qualifications/Requirements

  • One-two years prior teaching experience. This may include formal teaching positions, FoodCorps service, camp counseling, and youth development experience. 
  • Prior gardening or cooking experience.
  • Experience working in an urban public school setting.
  • Strong commitment to a teaching philosophy that values students, is adaptive to different learning styles, and empowers students to become active participants in their schools and communities.
  • A demonstrated commitment to an organizational culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Collaborative and committed to working in a small team environment. 
  • Organized, energetic and flexible.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

  • Ability to work with frequent interruption and to simultaneously supervise a variety of tasks.
  • Ability to stand, stoop, reach and bend.  Mobility of arms to reach and dexterity of hands to grasp and manipulate large and small objects.
  • Ability to stand for long periods.
  • Ability to lift, push, and/or pull objects which may be approximately 50 pounds.
  • Ability to work outdoors and tolerate varying weather conditions.
  • Willingness to smell, taste and eat with students in a kitchen classroom setting or family engagement event (if conditions allow). 
  • May be required to work around loud noise.
  • All staff must follow DOE site guidelines when on school sites, such as COVID safety protocols. 
  • COVID-19 vaccination required.

Additional Information

Compensation: The salary range for this role is $50,000 - $52,500 annual with generous benefits. This is a full-time, exempt position. 
To Apply: To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@esynyc.org with your name and Garden and Kitchen Teacher  in the subject line. 

Edible Schoolyard NYC is committed to a diverse workplace. People of color, racial and ethnic minorities, women, people with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Edible Schoolyard is an equal opportunity employer committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, unemployment status, or any other legally protected basis. Edible Schoolyard NYC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees as required by law. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation at any point in the employment process.

Contact Information

Edible Schoolyard NYC
Email: jobs@esynyc.org
Website: Apply Online