Posted: July 9, 2020

Application first review date: August 3, 2020, position open until filled

Location: Dexter, OR (Eugene-Springfield to Oakridge)

Status: Hourly, non-exempt position (0.8 FTE, 32 hours/week)

Benefits: Health insurance plan (including medical, vision, and dental), paid time off, parenting leave, & 403(b) retirement plan company contribution after 1 year

Desired start date: September 7, 2020 (with flexibility)

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We believe that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is essential to the success of the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council. We recognize that we are working within an inherited system built and founded on colonization and systemic racism. This system does not benefit everyone equally, so we are committed to doing the work of DEI every day. We strive to build relationships and understanding by connecting to communities, which include Indigenous peoples, People of Color, and different socio-economic groups. We believe that these relationships will build co-created values, beliefs, ideas, & leadership that will help the watershed & communities become more resilient and able to adapt to changing environments. 

Position summary

The Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council (MFWWC) seeks a compassionate, skilled, dynamic individual to join our team as a youth education coordinator. The youth education coordinator works both independently and collaboratively with Council staff and community partners to plan and implement environmental education within the rural and urban communities of the southern Willamette Valley. Our environmental education program strives to forge lasting relationships with students, educators, volunteers, and partners, and to provide opportunities for youth to cultivate their curiosity and foster connections with public lands and for stewardship of our environment. At this time, this position largely focuses on planning and coordination both within our watershed, and across the larger region of the southern Willamette Valley. While the youth education program has been at the MFWWC for over a decade, this is an opportunity to work with our community to re-imagine the future.

Desired attributes

• Ability to work collaboratively, co-creating quality environmental education opportunities for youth
• Exhibits a personal and professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including exploration of power and privilege, and a willingness to self-reflect and experience discomfort in difficult and transformative conversations
• Values building and maintaining authentic relationships with community members, students, and partners
• Effectively facilitates virtual and in-person meetings
• Has the ability to be nimble and flexible to meet people where they are
• A commitment to organization – planning, filing, note taking, maintaining supplies
• Enthusiasm for learning natural and cultural history, valuing science and Indigenous knowledge, and understanding our local fauna and flora

Duties and responsibilities

• Build and maintain lasting relationships with educators, students, volunteers, and community partners
• Plan and coordinate an environmental education program that centers students and provides meaningful connections to the outdoors
• Support teachers and surrounding school districtsby providing activities, materials, and outdoor experiences in our watershed
• Work with educators and community partners to develop air quality educational materials for Oakridge Air initiative and provide outreach opportunities for community engagement
• Further vision and goals of education program through staff and committee inputs and student collaboration
• Collaborate with other MFWWC staff members to foster a cohesive team space and create interdisciplinary programming
• Identify opportunities through grants and partners to support program funding and ongoing sustainability
• Assist in co-leading and facilitation of Upper Willamette Stewardship Network regional education planning effort with partners
• Coordinate and attend Youth Education Committee quarterly meetings

Requirements

• Previous professional training in diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Position requires sitting, typing, standing, carrying up to 40 pounds, walking over uneven terrain, and working in inclement weather
• Ability to learn computer applications quickly or familiarity with programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, Google Drive, and Dropbox
• Valid Oregon driver’s license, reliable personal transportation (travel reimbursed at State of Oregon rates), and willingness to occasionally work early mornings, evenings, and weekends
• Wilderness First Aid certification or similar outdoor safety awareness strongly desired

We believe that white supremacy culture disproportionately impacts the most marginalized people in society — including Black people, Indigenous people, People of Color, people from working class backgrounds, women and LGBTQ+ people. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.