Seattle Tilth is a fast growing, dynamic organization that believes all people deserve access to healthy, nutritious food and that changing the way we grow, cook and eat food has the potential to transform people’s lives as well as the communities in which we live. Our children’s education programs teach and empower children and adults to grow and harvest food in a manner that builds a healthy, thriving community. Seattle Tilth is partnering with YouthCare to provide work-based learning opportunities for students at the Interagency Academy Columbia Center location (3528 S. Ferdinand St). The project is designed to provide opportunities for youth to gain work maturity and job skills, earn a stipend, gain school credit, increase school engagement, and become active participants in maintaining the garden.

The Youth Garden Educator will be responsible for providing and creating garden lesson plans and tasks for a crew of approximately 8 high school students. In addition to supervising and guiding the garden program sessions, the Educator will provide garden maintenance schedules, basic landscape maintenance techniques, harvesting, and possibly a program to market and sell the produce at a local farmer’s market. The Educator will work alongside YouthCare’s Interagency Career Coordinator, who will help provide supervision, training, direction, and ensure youth’s school retention. The Educator and the Coordinator will have time to plan together once per week.

The successful candidate will have two to three years organic farm or school garden management experience in the Pacific Northwest, a demonstrated ability to create garden curriculum for high school aged students and understanding of positive youth development techniques for behavior management. Acceptance of a variety of lifestyles, behaviors and cultural and spiritual practices is important as is experience growing produce for market and experience with nontraditional teaching methods. Other requirements include the ability to work as a member of a team, ability to pass a criminal background check and food handler’s permit (can be completed after hiring) are required. A valid Washington State Driver’s license and access to a vehicle is required.

This is a temporary, 21-hour per week position that runs January 26- June 12 and September 14 to November 13 with Monday through Friday hours as follows. Three hours of planning time every Monday and instruction, preparation and clean up Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 – 4:30 pm while the program is in session (February 2-June 12 and September 14-November 6). The remainder of the time will be used to interview program participants and for end of program reporting and wrap-up. There is a possibility of a summer session that will run July through August, but that will be confirmed at a later date. As this is a temporary position, it is not eligible for benefits. Compensation is $18/hr.

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Seattle Tilth is an equal opportunity employer.