Farm Education Manager

Red Hook Initiative•New York, NY

31d•Onsite

About The Position

Red Hook Initiative (RHI) is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of residents in Red Hook Houses, Brooklyn's largest public housing complex. RHI focuses on empowering youth and fostering community-led social change. The organization nurtures young people to be resilient, healthy, and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives and community. RHI's approach centers on youth development, community building, and community hiring, providing residents with the tools and resources to overcome systemic barriers. With a 24-year history, RHI is recognized for its innovative, place-based approach to social change.

Requirements

3-5 years experience working with youth in an outdoor setting.
2-4 years in urban growing, vegetable production, or gardening.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues towards shared goals.
Versed in anti-oppression trainings and inquiry-based education.
Experience working outside, in all types of weather.
Organized and detail-oriented.
Ability to work collaboratively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Able to balance being an educator, mentor, and supervisor for youth staff.
Comfortable using Google Drive.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Commitment to social justice.
Able to lift up to 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in spoken Spanish and/or Mandarin or Cantonese.
Carpentry and other building skills.
Has a valid Driver's License and able to drive a cargo/passenger van.
Familiar with the Red Hook community as well as NYC urban agriculture community.

Responsibilities

Oversee all youth-focused educational programming at two farm sites: Columbia Street Farm and Wolcott Street Farm.
Develop and lead hands-on programming for youth aged 5-18, with a primary focus on the Youth Farmers teen apprenticeship.
Supervise school workshop and middle school programming.
Recruit, hire, mentor, and supervise 12-24 youth farmers.
Supervise 1-3 young adult interns (youth farmer alum), focusing on leadership and individual projects.
Supervise 1-2 seasonal staff, focusing on school workshops and culinary education.
Build a cohesive education team by scheduling regular collaboration meetings, providing feedback, and strategizing for growth.
Develop and execute curriculum on best practices in agriculture, botany, composting, food sovereignty, race and farming, and identity.
Design and conduct ongoing evaluation of all youth educational programming.
Engage in farm tasks alongside youth, including seeding, planting, composting, weeding, harvesting, and repair.
Maintain education-focused areas on the farms.
Organize and lead off-site team-building trips with youth.
Develop and execute an annual strategic plan for training Red Hook youth in urban agricultural best practices.
Serve as primary liaison with other programmatic teams at Red Hook Initiative.
Collaborate with peer organizations for conferences, trips, and advocacy campaigns.
Support grant proposals and reporting, and host site visits from funders and officials.
Perform administrative tasks including email, data entry, and record-keeping.
Collaborate on special events on the farms, such as fundraisers and community festivals.
Participate in staff meetings, social media outreach, and program planning.
Serve as primary staff supervising Youth Farmers on the operation of Saturday Farm Stand and CSA.
Plan and lead afterschool and summer programming in collaboration with RHI's middle school program.
Plan and lead in-person school visits for K-8th graders.
Outreach to local schools and coordinate seasonal curriculum based on teacher input.