Farm to School Garden Coordinator

The Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) is an increasingly diverse community with an ongoing commitment to social justice and anti-racism. We are looking for enthusiastic professionals to join us in furthering this work. Academy School has a part-time opening, 40 hours per month with a flexible schedule depending on needs and seasonality, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. Come lead our vibrant Farm to School program for grades K-6. Job Qualifications: Ability to lift 50 pounds Comfortable working outdoors in all types of weather Experience working with children preferred An interdisciplinary approach to cooking, gardening, and elementary preferred Experience and comfort working in a large community with many different stakeholders (students, families, teachers, school administrators, food service, custodians, farmers, community organizations) Knowledge of Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards a plus Comfort working with Google Suite Harvest of the Month: Copy and distribute the Harvest of the Month flyers to classroom teachers Research recipes for classroom cooking activities Schedule monthly cooking activities with classroom teachers Copy recipes for students to take home Shop for cooking supplies Gather and organize cooking supplies, cooking equipment, cooking utensils, etc. to bring to the classroom for the cooking activity Provide educational and taste test opportunities for families and community members Coordinate scheduling with school food service when school kitchen use is needed Cooking Activities Related to Classroom Curriculum: Email and meet with teachers initially to determine interest and topics Research recipes that relate to curriculums Provide classroom teachers with materials and recipe choices relating to the subject being studied Schedule dates for the cooking activities Gather and organize the cooking supplies, cooking equipment, cooking utensils, etc. to bring to the classroom for the cooking activity. Campfire Cooking Activities: Schedule campfire cooking activities with teachers. Get the fire started before class arrives, bring necessary cooking equipment to the campfire site, bucket for water, trash bag and fire starting materials (newspaper, matches, small kindling, wood for fire). Go over fire safety protocols with students. Cook over the campfire (s’mores, pancakes, quesadillas, roasted vegetables, etc.) Clean up the campfire site, make sure the fire is completely extinguished. Sign up for burn permits weekly via the Brattleboro Burn Permit Application webpage. Communicate with all staff weekly via Academy News about burn permits. Garden Responsibilities: Spring activities: -get beds ready for planting -add compost, soil, pull weeds -contact classroom teachers for seed and vegetable starts requests for beds -work with classrooms to start seeds in grow labs or gather supplies -work with classrooms to plant garden beds and mulch with straw. -garden maintenance throughout the spring -plant pots with annual flowers for the garden area -add perennial flowers to pollinator gardens -Mulch perennial beds (cedar bark mulch) -Weed and water as needed Summer activities (5 hours per week): -Weed and water as needed Fall activities: -harvest vegetables with classrooms and then do cooking activities using the harvest -garden maintenance throughout the fall -put the gardens to bed, mulch, cut back perennial gardens Grant Management: Research applicable grants Write grants, with the help of Food Connects Coach Manage grant purchases and budgets with support from Central Office Process receipts for reimbursement by Central Office Grant reporting Committee Work: Attend monthly FTS committee meetings Provide updates to the FTS committee and to the full school staff Participate in annual action planning process (led by Food Connects coach) and maintain momentum on committee goals throughout the year Storytelling: Take photos of garden and cooking activities, being mindful of students' photo permissions Post regularly on Academy Facebook page Share stories and photos with Food Connects to increase publicity Presentations to school boards, PTO, etc. Program Management: Outreach to teachers to generate interest in the program Regular communication with staff as needed Organize cooking and gardening materials and supplies, including cooking closet and garden shed Manage / oversee staff use of supplies Participate in School Events (Open House, Curriculum Night, All-School Sing, etc.) taste tests, cooking demonstrations, garden tours, etc. Build family involvement in the program (garden and cooking) Liaison with community partners as needed Please apply via schoolspring. Windham Southeast Supervisory Union is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to promoting multiculturalism and diversity within our educational community. Qualified applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply.