Hiring: Garden Program Teaching Fellow – Epiphany School
Garden Program Teaching Fellow Job Description
Epiphany is an independent school dedicated to providing excellent, tuition-free education to young people of all faiths, from economically disadvantaged families from Boston. We are expanding our comprehensive garden program that currently includes a 1,000 square foot greenhouse, 20 raised beds, and edible landscape and gardens. We are looking for recent college graduates who feel a commitment to the city, education, children, and urban gardening and are excited about the idea of working for a full-service school that is open twelve hours a day. The Garden Teaching Fellow is a year-round position and the primary responsibility will be collaborating with the Garden Program Director to cultivate the program, involving all children, families, and staff at our school in growing food, cooking, working towards food justice, and coming together as a community. The Garden Teaching Fellow will also help run after school programming and have opportunities to student teach.
Sample Responsibilities:
● Assist with planning, maintenance, and harvest in gardens and greenhouse throughout the year
● Co-teach after-school cooking and gardening club for middle school students
● Support food security and food waste reduction through our weekly food giveaway
● Support garden-to-kitchen connection by incorporating Epiphany-grown produce into the meal program at both
schools and sending vegetables home with families and staff
● Co-teach school-day garden classes for middle school students and Early Learning Center classes
● Supervise duties during the school day, afternoon, and evening portion of our program (such as lunch duty)
Preferred Experience:
● Work with youth in some capacity (teaching experience is not required; our school environment is one of
collaboration and mutual learning)
● Work with plants (farming, landscaping, gardening)
Compensation
● Free housing and housing expenses in Epiphany units
● An Americorps living allowance of $13,992, distributed in bi-weekly increments of $583.00 for the duration of
the Member’s term of service with fulfillment of Americorps requirement; the living allowance is taxable
● Healthcare insurance through Americorps
● Upon successful completion of the Member’s full-time term of service, the Member will receive an education
award of a value of $6,095 from the National Service Trust
● On-site gym, plentiful fresh vegetables, and joy
Hiring Process
● Check out our garden program Instagram and the school website (www.epiphanyschool.com)
● Contact us with resume and cover letter at hiring@epiphanyschool.com
● Receive invitation to schedule an initial visit to the school and gardens (virtually or in-person)
● Complete written application with three references and transcripts
● Receive invitation to return to teach a mini-lesson or lead an activity with youth (virtually or in-person)
Epiphany Schools Garden + Greenhouse Program Core Values
Our programming takes place in our 1,000 square foot greenhouse, our gardens (raised bed and container vegetable garden, pollinator garden, rain garden, and more), our kitchens, and our edible landscape. We aim to involve all children, families, and staff at Epiphany in growing food, cooking, discussing and working towards food justice, and coming together as a community.
1. Food Justice & Sustainability → Cultivate inquiry and collaborate to implement community-based solutions related to food sovereignty, climate change, and the health effects of food.
➢ Promoting food security by
○ Growing culturally relevant food with and for our families
○ Supporting families to grow food at home
○ Connecting families with other food resources (i.e. Lovein’ Spoonfuls weekly donation)
➢ Culturally relevant culinary, horticultural, and food systems education for families and youth
➢ Connecting with community members and organizations (i.e. The Food Project, Nightingale Community
Garden, Urban Farming Institute, Citysprouts)
➢ Using sustainable farming practices and supporting other sustainability initiatives at Epiphany (i.e.
composting food waste, installing solar panels, recycling, climate activism and education)
2. Youth Leadership → Empower students to co-create the program, design greenhouse + garden spaces, and lead projects and activities in the greenhouse/garden throughout the year.
➢ Green Club: After school program for middle school students with a focus on leadership development and
team building through student-driven projects
○ Greenhouse: Starting seeds and nurturing seedlings to transplant into our gardens; caring for
tropical plants; propagating ornamental plants
○ Gardens: Planning, planting, maintaining, harvesting, and enjoying
○ Cooking creatively with what we grow (and repurposing food that would have gone to waste)
○ Supporting climate and food justice activism
➢ Grads in the Garden: Hiring and paying Epiphany graduates to sustain the program during the summer
and after school during the academic year
3. Academic Inquiry & Projects → Incorporate engaging, experiential garden-based learning into Epiphany’s curriculum at the ELC and middle school, across grades and subjects.
➢ Middle school STEM:
○ Science fair, plant growth experiments, engineering, biology, ecology
○ Math facts, area/perimeter/volume, geometry, graphing, measuring, spatial awareness
➢ Middle school humanities:
○ Writing: descriptive writing, creative writing, jumpstarts for expository inquiry
○ Reading and discussion (colonialism, land use, food sovereignty, climate change, etc)
➢ Early Learning Center:
○ Shapes, colors, five senses, gross/fine motor skills, interpersonal skills, and many more!
4. Sanctuary & Community → Create a calming, multi-purpose space to nurture community
between the students, families, staff, and partner organizations at both schools
➢ Provide a place of refuge for all (students, families, staff, community): year-round in the greenhouse,
seasonally in our outdoor space
➢ Bring the ELC and the middle school together through joint projects/events for students, parents, and staff