Share Email Opening Title Education Specialist, Food Growing  Reports to: Senior Manager of Nutrition Education   Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt   Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time   Location Capital Area Food Bank - DC   About the Organization It is an exciting time at the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) as we continue to undertake our mission of providing good, nutritious food today and food to enable brighter futures. On an annual basis CAFB distributes about 40 million meals worth of food through a network of hundreds of partners across the DMV. We know that creating long term solutions to food security requires more than meals. It requires education, training, and collaboration across the public, private and social service ecosystems. We are seeking people with strong ideas and a passion to come together to address the complex interrelated issues of food security, poverty, and equity. We are expanding in multiple ways: providing food for today and addressing the root causes of hunger by partnering with organizations that provide critical services like job training programs, health care and education. Food has the power to transform lives and move everyone forward. Find out how on our website at capitalareafoodbank.org. Let us discuss how food is at the center of everyone's healthy life!   Description The Food Growing Education Specialist maintains, executes, and develops educational programming for the CAFB’s food growing spaces, including its Urban Demonstration Garden. The Urban Demonstration Garden is an on-site, half-acre, hands-on educational space that helps build knowledge around wellness, nutrition, and food growing for the food bank’s partners, clients, and the general public. The garden spaces (indoor and outdoor) and Urban Food Studio are used in tandem to show how to grow food in an urban setting, highlighting low-cost gardening techniques.  Essential Functions: Manage and execute all garden maintenance operations of CAFB’s garden spaces (60%):  Grow, harvest, distribute fresh produce from the garden through food growing, nutrition education, and CAFB programming  Responsible for all day-to-day and seasonal garden and outdoor kitchen operations, planning and schedules- mulching, soil amendments, seed starting, planting crop rotation, weeding, etc.  Responsible for all garden expenses and budget tracking, including funding for partner support and utilizing grants  Manage food growing and nutrition education interns for garden assistance and program support  Implement food waste diversion practices and sustainable gardening, practicing waste reduction through composting and educational programming  Direct individual volunteers and volunteer groups efficiently for operational support; lead multiple shifts of volunteers weekly during growing season (April-Nov)  Identify and organize day-to-day and seasonal and long-term volunteer opportunities   Coordination across CAFB to host staff, volunteers, students, donors, partners, and other groups of interest in garden and outdoor kitchen space  Develop and implement all food growing educational programming and resource support to grow food in an urban setting and expand garden opportunities (40%)  Direct and implement all nutrition-based garden education & food preparation field trips for students, K-12 and college level visits  Design and provide educational workshops, open to public & targeted for specific groups such a food pantry partners, at CAFB, at partner sites upon request for services, in-person and virtually   Program evaluation, tracking, reporting, and research on best practices for nutrition-based garden education in line with CAFB mission  Support for partner gardens: consultation visits, education, coordination and distribution of resources such as seeds, seed packets, nutrition education and garden education  Identify and support new garden programming opportunities for CAFB, including at the new NOVA site, write project estimates and proposals  Collaborate across departments to provide and expand opportunities for garden engagement in line with broader CAFB mission: Volunteers, Operations, CLC, Marketing, Fundraising Development, NOVA, and more  Initiate and strengthen professional, beneficial relationships with local gardens, non-profits, clubs, agricultural organizations, schools, contractors and vendors, donors, partner organizations, and groups of interest  Participate in local garden and nutrition events on and off site, presenting internally and externally?to different groups of interest   Assist with performance data review (financial, grant, and activity reports) to monitor and measure productivity, goal progress, and activity levels  Data entry (when necessary)  Other duties as assigned     Position Requirements At least an associate’s degree in food growing, agriculture or related field.   Minimum of three years’ experience growing organic fruits and vegetables or two-year professional experience managing a large urban farm or garden.  Including succession planting, pest management and healthy soil management.   Experience developing evidenced-based educational programming and education for various populations  Experience working with underserved community members with diverse backgrounds as well as school-aged children  Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills  Experience and competency with various data management systems  Mastery of Microsoft Office programs  Competencies: Experience teaching and creating educational materials.  Experience and expertise in managing volunteers/volunteer groups and/or interns.  Excellent interpersonal communication and leadership skills – ability to interact with food assistance organizations, clients, volunteers, and donors of all ages, from all walks of life.?  Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Comfortable speaking in front of groups, including school-aged children.  Ability to work independently while also engaging in collaborative, team-based work.  Highly adaptable and creative.  Excellent time management and organizational skills, ability to prioritize and set boundaries.  Physical ability to do heavy outdoor labor in all weather conditions.  Experience constructing and maintaining garden facilities, including raised beds and drip irrigation.  Working knowledge and experience using power tools including but not limited to power drills, circular saws; competent in basic carpentry skills in order to build, maintain or fix garden features  Ability to drive to different sites throughout the DC, Maryland, Virginia regions.  Detail-orientated with ability to perform basic data analysis.  Project management experience, including budgeting and evaluation, preferred.  Bilingual (Spanish), preferred.  Physical Requirements: Ability to lift/carry 30 pounds.   Work Environment: This position’s main office will be the DC office in NE, Washington DC   This position requires the ability to work outdoors in all seasons.    This position may require occasional Saturday work.  Ability to travel to our Lorton VA office and partner sites throughout the DMV  Reporting: Senior Manager of Nutrition Education Schedule: Normal working hours are 9am to 5pm Monday - Friday Occasional Saturdays, approximately 1 every other month Hybrid schedule available Compensation: Compensation is $52,000 to $58,000/annually NOTE: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. We Offer: At Capital Area Food Bank, we understand that great people make a great organization. We value our people and offer employees a broad range of benefits including competitive compensation and benefits, free onsite parking, complimentary shuttle to metro, professional development, growth, and volunteer opportunities, fun work in a diverse environment Application Process: Interested applicants must submit a cover letter and resume. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.   EOE Statement Capital Area Food Bank welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for all our employees. CAFB makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, reproductive health decision making or any other characteristic protected by law. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at CAFB. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.   This position is currently not accepting applications. To search for an open position, please go to http://CAPITALAREAFOODBANK.appone.com WE ALSO RECOMMEND Other Jobs Within Same Category -- None found -- Other Jobs Within 60 Miles -- None found -- Follow us See who works here:

 

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