Seasonal Education Instructor, Early Childhood Fellow

Brooklyn Botanic Garden • New York, NY

1d • $22

About The Position

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Children’s Education programs are renowned for teaching hands-on gardening and plant science to young people. Children’s Garden education fellows spend the growing season (spring–summer–fall) in BBG’s Children’s Garden, teaching children to grow, harvest, and cook their own food, care for the environment, and explore the natural world. Early childhood fellows teach age-appropriate gardening lessons to 11 young children with the help of two to three teen apprentices from our Garden Apprentice Program during the summer season. During spring and fall, early childhood fellows co-teach hands-on gardening lessons to a group of 10 young children (2–4 years old) and their adult partners. Prior to each teaching season, fellows participate in a comprehensive paid training program, covering seasonal content, pedagogy, and horticultural skills. Brooklyn Botanic Garden is looking to hire two early childhood fellows to teach in our Children’s Garden. This is a seasonal position from March 17 to October 31, 2026. The commitment is 18 hours per week in the spring and fall, and 22–30 hours per week in the summer. During spring and fall, the schedule is Wednesday–Saturday. During summer, the schedule is Tuesday–Friday.

Requirements

• Formal or nonformal early-childhood or elementary education experience, ideally in a classroom or outdoor setting
• Comfort with imaginative play, singing songs, cooking, and exploring nature with young children
• Passion for plants and gardening
• Ability to perform physical labor and work outdoors in various weather conditions
• Outgoing and welcoming personality; responsible, punctual, and professional
• Experience and comfort working with a diverse group of youth and staff
• Willingness to incorporate constructive feedback into lesson planning, garden maintenance, and teaching practice
• Flexibility to take on a variety of tasks; ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative environment

Nice To Haves

• Horticulture experience preferred but not required

Responsibilities

• Lead an age-based group (ages 4–5) of 11 children in hands-on gardening instruction in a half-acre food garden.
• Assist and co-teach hands-on gardening lessons to a group of 10 young children (2–4 years old) and their adult partners.
• Mentor two to three teen apprentices and a program assistant who assist instructors with their group.
• Develop age- and seasonally appropriate lesson plans and lead supplementary enrichment activities, such as seasonal cooking, nature crafts, nature exploration, or science experiments.
• Ensure that assigned garden plots are maintained according to weekly task lists (including planting, weeding, mulching, watering, and more).
• Lead activity stations for Family Gardening Hours, a program for children of all ages and adult caregivers.
• Assist in teaching other education programs as needed.

Benefits

• Up to 56 hours of sick leave
• Short-term disability/New York Paid Family Leave
• As a 501(c)3, BBG is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Eligible Employer
• Museum Pass, which provides employees the opportunity to enter many museums in New York City for free

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees