Position title: SPP Butterfly Program Coordinator
Employer: The Evergreen State College
Hours: 20 hrs/week w/additional hours during peak season and as funding is available during summer months and academic calendar breaks
Duration: August 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020; one-year extension dependent on funding
Location: Sustainability in Prisons Project office (Seminar 2 E2116-2121 and 2128,)
Pay: $15.45/hour; additional funding may be available for thesis work on a SPP topic
Supervisor: Kelli Bush, SPP-Evergreen Director
To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and three references to Kelli Bush bushk@evergreen.edu by 5pm, May 17th 2019

Responsibilities

The Sustainability in Prisons Project is a partnership founded by the Evergreen State College (Evergreen) and the Washington Department of Corrections (WA Corrections). Program coordinators work collaboratively with both founding partners, plus various program partners, to advance SPP’s mission and vision:

Mission: We empower sustainable change by bringing nature, science, and environmental education into prisons.

Vision: In response to the dual crises of ecological degradation and mass incarceration, we aim to reduce recidivism while improving human well-being and ecosystem health. SPP brings together incarcerated individuals, scientists, corrections staff, students, and program partners to promote education, conserve biodiversity, practice sustainability, and help build healthy communities. Together, we reduce the environmental, economic, and human costs of prisons.

Responsibilities

The Butterfly Program Coordinator leads and coordinates the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly program at Mission Creek Corrections Center (MCCCW). The position requires strong partnership building, communication, and problem solving skills. Also, as a member of the SPP-Evergreen team, the position contributes to team building and advancing SPP as a whole. Specific tasks detailed below.

Reporting, Accountability, and Advancing SPP

  • Provide updates weekly to supervisor and every two weeks to the team at SPP-Evergreen staff meetings.
  • Actively participate in promoting the staff team and the organization as a whole, including:
    • Participate in team meetings.
    • Create and collaborate on outreach and dissemination materials
    • Identify and act on relevant opportunities for inter-program support and enhancements
    • Present on SPP to varied audiences in multiple venues
    • Consider and contribute to proposals for new funding for SPP programs
  • Maintain good communication and cultivate positive relationships through regular updates with program partners including U.S. Fish and Wildlife, WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, OR Zoo and WA Corrections
  • Update tasks lists and keep current in a format agreeable to coordinator and supervisors
  • Provide reports detailing accomplishments and progress as required by funding sources
  • Collaborate with program partners to update and maintain butterfly husbandry procedures; ensure compliance as consistent with federal ESA permit and effectively address protocol drift
    as it occurs
  • Monitor and track progress of incarcerated technicians including their participation in education and training activities, requirements toward certification, and reentry support.
  • Maintain a safe work environment: complete required WA Corrections and SPP-Evergreen trainings and follow policies including regulations for visitors, chemicals, supplies/equipment,
    and media clearances; and report any issues or challenges immediately

Program Coordination, general

  • Make independent site visits to monitor and safeguard overall health of the program; participate in ongoing program planning, improvement, and problem solving
  • Support education and training; identify and purchase educational materials, develop educational and training content, lead and facilitate science seminars
  • As needed, lead and facilitate lectures and workshops to raise program awareness and provide education
  • Whenever possible, empower technicians to actively participate in program planning, problem solving, education and training development, and updating procedures
  • Provide program certificates, recommendation letters, and other education and reentry support resources for technicians as requested
  • Facilitate regular communication with and receive training from OR Zoo staff
  • Transport butterflies to and from MCCCW, WDFW, and OR Zoo; participate in release events as needed
  • Oversee and ensure the quality of hardcopy data and data entry into Excel; transfer data from prison computer to SPP server files each quarter; analyze and share data with Oregon Zoo and WDFW partners as requested
  • Lead annual and interim report writing for submittal to WDFW; collaborate with technicians to gather data and observations on program status; share reporting documents with all partners
  • Make purchase requests, gain required approvals, deliver project supplies and equipment and maintain inventory tracking
  • Work with MCCCW staff to maintain and repair program infrastructure, generate facilities work requests as needed
  • Oversee care of food and nectar plant care in project-related garden beds
  • Participate in the recruitment, interview, and hiring process for new program technicians
  • Facilitate and coordinate on-site meetings among program partners at least annually and more often as needed; participate in Taylor’s Checkerspot Working Group meetings
  • Coordinate off-site technician education and training activities with WA Corrections, SPP and partner organization staff including participation in the annual working group meeting and prairie field trips
  • Identify, implement, and maintain appropriate research and sustainability projects at MCCCW involving technicians, corrections staff, volunteers, students and other partners as time and priorities allow
  • Write blog entries and other website content about events and accomplishments; update SPP’s social media sites
  • Coordinate and participate in tours of the program
  • Track program participants in SPP meta data; administer program evaluation surveys as approved by WA Corrections
  • Conduct quarterly evaluations for each technician to provide feedback on performance and track progress towards meeting certificate requirements.
  • As needed, direct the work of volunteers and undergraduate interns and help prepare grant applications

Opportunities

  • Work in a collaborative, engaged community of corrections professionals, scientists, researchers, technicians, faculty, staff, and students
  • Provide valuable contributions to other SPP programs
  • Assist in offering environmental literacy curricula to incarcerated adults
  • Conduct MES thesis research related to SPP programs and/or Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly

Required Qualifications

  • Currently enrolled in an Evergreen graduate program
  • No other student employment
  • Available to work 20 hours a week (typically 4-5 hour shifts 4 days/week during office hours Monday-Friday; additional hours during active butterfly season (longer days, weekend releases), plus additional hours during break weeks and summer quarter; flexible schedule for animal transport
  • Available and reliable vehicle for trips to prisons in western Washington (mileage will be reimbursed)
  • Willingness and ability to recruit and orient new partners
  • Willingness and ability to work safely in a correctional setting and to communicate and collaborate with Corrections staff and supervisors to address concerns and respond to
    inmate requests; employment contingent on successful Correction’s security clearance (so program access is possible!)
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills: good at active listening and at asserting role and best practices
  • Substantial administrative experience and/or aptitude
  • Willingness and ability to follow directions, collaborate on projects, and give, hear, and respond to feedback.