Hiring: Youth Program and Community Engagement Manager – Gardening the Community

Founded in 2002, in Springfield, MA, Gardening the Community (GTC) (www.gardeningthecommunity.org), a fiscally sponsored project of TSNE MissionWorks (ww.tsne.org), is a food justice organization engaged in youth development, urban agriculture and sustainable living to build healthy and equitable communities. GTC works with youth to grow food on vacant lots and organizes to expand healthy, affordable food access in the Mason Square neighborhoods of Springfield. GTC’s vision includes building a vibrant, healthy food system with just and equal access to it – one that recognizes and addresses inequity – so racism no longer determines the health or well-being of a neighborhood or community.

Responsibilities

The Youth Program and Community Engagement Manager (Manager)directly oversees youth participants and GTC’s youth development programs and coordinates all GTC community engagement activities. This includes organizing training and workshops related to food access and food justice, participating in community food justice coalitions and engaging neighborhood residents, coordinating GTC’s intern and volunteer programs and managing other community outreach activities. This position is part-time, 30 hours/week with full benefits and temporary for 6 month with the potential for extension depending upon organizational goals.

In addition, the Manager will have the following general duties and responsibilities:

• Supervising the process of youth coming into the program, including application materials, meeting with both youth and their parents/guardians, and orientation;
• Supervising daily on-site participation of youth involved in GTC, including farming, sales, organizing and educational activities. This includes supervising youth and intern staffing at farmers markets and GTC Farm Stands;
• Supporting the leadership development of youth within GTC;
• Recruiting youth participation on GTC Board, Committees and organizational events;
• Contributing to the development and implementation of a year-round youth learning and leadership development curriculum;
• Contributing to the implementation of a healthy eating/cooking curriculum;
• Managing monthly youth timesheet reporting and distribution of youth stipend checks;
• Assisting with the youth summer job application process including partnership with New England Farm Workers;
• Coordinating and distributing the monthly youth calendar;
• Ensuring annual youth participation in program evaluation and self-assessment and reflection;
• Assisting with other organizational activities including fundraising, events, and office management as appropriate.

Manage GTC’s Community Engagement and Outreach Program. This includes:

• Developing community relations;
• through attending outreach events around the city and managing neighborhood engagement;
• Attending food access related meetings (such as Climate Justice Coalition, Healthy Hill Initiative, etc.), and neighborhood council meetings to keep them informed about GTC work and programs;
• Assisting with the development of seasonal food justice workshops for residents on topics including food insecurity and its related outcomes, causes and solutions;
• Work with Co-Director of Marketing and Programs to coordinate GTC interns and volunteer program including tracking and record keeping, office/site orientation, and placement;
• Organize outreach for monthly volunteer “impact” days from April – October;
• Coordinate the development of seasonal newsletters.

Qualifications

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience growing food;
• 2 years experience supervising youth (aged 12-19) in youth organizing or youth development context;
• Experience supervising paid or volunteer staff and working with diverse communities;
• Demonstrated experience in project or program coordination;
• Demonstrated experience in community outreach or engagement work;
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice and to the mission of GTC
• Ability to relate easily to middle and high school aged youth and to support their growth and development as leaders;
• Interest and familiarity with issues relating to local food, food justice, and sustainable agriculture;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills including comfort with public speaking;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Knowledge of the Springfield community;
• Ability to build and sustain individual and community relationships;
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred;
• Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel or design related software;
• Must pass a background check upon hire.

Reporting and Supervision

This position reports to the Co-Director for Programs and Marketing and frequently supervises 10-30 youth participants and 1-2 volunteers.

Proposed salary range is $15 – $18/hour depending on experience. Benefits include generous health and dental plans, paid time off, and access to fresh food.

TSNE MissionWorks/Gardening the Community envisions a society grounded in the principles of social and economic justice. As such, we strive to achieve excellence through a diverse and inclusive workplace that honors the unique talents and lived experiences of each person. Our vision and values are reflected in all our employment-related decisions, including hiring practices. Accordingly, TSNE MissionWorks actively seeks people who bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives to join us in our work.

As an EOE/AA employer, TSNE MissionWorks/Gardening the Community will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, genetic information, veteran or disability status or any other factor prohibited by law