EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
North Cascades Institute
AmeriCorps Stewards VISTA
Mountain School Curriculum Redesign Project Coordinator
Summary of Position
North Cascades Institute (NCI) seeks a Stewards VISTA to serve as Mountain School Curriculum Redesign Project Coordinator to assist in development of our Mountain School environmental education curriculum redesign. This position will serve as the key point person for coordinating the efforts of the Curriculum Advisory Team (CAT) members. Additional duties will include conducting and synthesizing research on best practices for developing experiential education curriculum, developing community engagement strategies and building relationships with local communities, and participating in NCI’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
The purpose of the Mountain School Curriculum Redesign Project is to better serve all students. Through placing 21st century learning at the core of the curriculum, we will increase relevance and transference.
Mountain School Curriculum Redesign Project
The Mountain School curriculum redesign responds to teachers’ need for programming to more fully integrate with classroom curriculum and state standards and will bring to life in the outdoor classroom the ideas and principles taught in the schools. A redesigned Mountain School program will incorporate 21st century learning skills that are the building blocks for future careers: teamwork, leadership, collaboration, communication, technology, and critical thinking.
One of the key components to the Mountain School curriculum redesign project is to integrate Since Time Immemorial curriculum into Mountain School. Settler histories commonly shared about the North Cascades are a fragment of the full, complex history, which includes displacement. We aspire to help students carry this knowledge with a critical, curious mindset that spurs further learning and action. Working with teachers and partners from local tribes, we will expand how we present this information, and how we include indigenous students in education curricula.
Additionally, the curriculum revision will center Next Gen Science Standards’ (NGSS) interdisciplinary approach and participatory practice to foster habits of inquiry and experimentation. This new curriculum will improve students understanding of themselves as a part of, rather than separate from, nature and will increase transference of the interactions and experiences they have with the North Cascades ecosystem to their home watershed down valley. Students will have the opportunity to make observations, craft hypotheses, and apply what they learn to “real life” open questions about the future and health of the natural world in their own backyards. We recognize that all learning is emotional. This redesigned curriculum will add detail and depth to Mountain School’s social-emotional learning objectives. For many students, Mountain School is the first time they spend a night away from home, thus providing unique opportunities for bravery and self-growth.
Responsibilities
Program Coordination and Curriculum Development
●Serve as the key point person for coordinating the efforts of the Curriculum Advisory Team (CAT) members.
●Research, summarize, and provide resources to CAT members.
●Analyze program evaluations.
●Develop curriculum in partnership with CAT members.
●Develop strategies and agendas in collaboration with the internal project team.
●Handle logistics for stakeholder gatherings. Respond to and provide support to CAT and project team members.
●Develop and disseminate progress summaries to stakeholders.
●Facilitate communications with project partners. Update or create newly designed curriculum
materials
Research
●Conduct and synthesize research on best practices for developing experiential education curriculum
that lead to better academic achievement outcomes in the classroom.
Community Engagement
●Develop community engagement strategies and build relationships with the local communities served by mountain School.
●Collaborate with local tribal members serving on the advisory team.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
●Serve on NCI’s EDI Committee.
●Develop actionable steps for NCI to create a more inclusive environment for both staff and participants.
Required Qualifications
●Demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity.
●Project coordination experience, especially in teams.
●Strong familiarity with social emotional learning.
●Community engagement experience.
●Metric-based program evaluation experience.
●Empathy for and experience working with elementary aged children.
●Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.
●Experience equivalent to Bachelor’s may substitute for 4-year degree.
●Committed to promoting educational equity and inclusion.
●Valid driver’s license and driving record check must have no more than one moving violation in the past three years, no DUI, reckless driving or serious moving violations, etc. (should be included if position will require driving).
●Final offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check that may include employment history, national criminal background check, national sex offender registry search and a driving history check.
Preferred Qualifications
●Experience in curriculum design, especially with incorporating NGSS and Since Time Immemorial, is preferred.
●Ability to live and work in a remote setting far from services; closest medical care and full-servicegrocery store from work site is one-hour away.
●Bilingual, Spanish preferred.
Benefits
●AmeriCorps VISTA members receive a living stipend of no less than $1,025 monthly before taxes. The living stipend is approximately 110% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for cost of living in the community served.
●Student loan forbearance and interest accrual reimbursement on qualifying loans.
●Settling in allowance, up to $750, to cover initial moving expenses
●Relocation reimbursement: VISTA candidates approved to relocate for service are eligible for a Relocation Travel Allowance. The allowance amount is determined by the mileage between the VISTAs home of record and the service site at a rate of $.40/mile.
●VISTA members are enrolled in a health benefits package that covers emergency care and some basic preventative healthcare. This health benefits package does not currently meet the individual mandate requirement of the ACA. VISTAs are eligible to receive Medicare benefits in some states.
●Segal Education Award of $6,095 upon successful completion of service. VISTAs may select a Cash Award of $1,083 in lieu of the Education Award.
●Childcare assistance for qualifying members. (Please note that the work location is in a remote setting within a national park.The closest child care provider is in Concrete, WA – one hour away from the Learning Center – and may not have availability.)
●Members will be given a mid-year and end of year member evaluation from their program supervisor.
●Networking, training, and professional development opportunities.
●A chance to make a difference in the lives of children!
Housing
Shared housing may be available during the duration of the position either at the Learning Center or in the neighboring towns of Diablo, Newhalem or Marblemount. Meals are provided when programs are in session; otherwise, employees are responsible for providing their own food. Pets and smoking are not allowed on Campus or Staff Housing. VISTA members are responsible for their own transportation (which is strongly encouraged).
Start Date
July 8, 2019
Job Duration
July 8, 2019 – July 7, 2020 (12 month position)
Application Deadline
Application review will begin on May 13, 2019. Applications will be accepted through June 21, 2019.
To Apply
Please apply online on our website at: http://ncascades.atsondemand.com/
Complete the online application and upload a cover letter and resume.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce is a high priority at North Cascades Institute. The Institute does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, military, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, age, citizenship or any other basis prohibited by law in any of its policies or programs.
About North Cascades Institute
The Institute’s mission is to inspire and empower environmental stewardship for all through transformative educational experiences in nature. Since 1986 we have helped connect people, nature and community through science, art, literature and the hands-on study of natural and cultural history. Our goal is to help people of all ages and backgrounds experience and enjoy the mountains, rivers, forests, people and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest – so all will care for and protect this special place. The Institute is committed to innovation and excellence in environmental learning and leadership in the nonprofit community. We believe that sustainable communities are built on healthy environments, vibrant economies and social equity.
North Cascades Institute, www.ncascades.org, is a respected, national leader among U.S. environmental education organizations. The Institute is in sound financial health with a $4 million budget and strong reserves, and more than a decade of Four-Star ratings with Charity Navigator. The Institute was also voted “Best Place to Work” in the 2013 Bellingham Alive – Best in the Northwest annual readers’ poll. This is a wonderful opportunity to join North Cascades Institute at a time of exciting growth.