Environmental Educator
Job Description: Environmental Learning Center (ELC) Educators are responsible for planning and implementing environmental education programs for a variety of audiences including public, private and home school groups, scout groups, and families. Most of our programs take place on our 212-acre property located in east Fort Collins. Programs cover a range of topics including insects, ecosystems, and river morphology. Educators work together to write age-appropriate, inquiry based programs that range from 1.5 to 8 hours. When teaching, educators generally work with groups of 10-12 students. Educators are responsible for modeling enthusiasm and curiosity for nature and learning, as well as ensuring that program participants feel comfortable, safe, and engaged. Educators are responsible for communicating with parents, teachers, group leaders, co-workers and supervisors. Educators assist in all aspects of the operation of a small non-profit including office assistance, grant-writing, evaluation, and site-upkeep. During the academic year, educators generally work an average of 8-12 hours per week, though some weeks will require more hours and others less.
About the ELC: The CSU ELC is an outreach program housed within the Warner College of Natural Resources. Our mission is to inspire and educate people to connect with and become stewards of our natural world. We operate as a learning-lab; aside from our program coordinator and our director, all of our employees are CSU students interested in gaining experience in environmental education and communication. Our student educators plan and facilitate all of our programs, a majority of which serve a K-12th grade audience.
Major Responsibilities:
- Plan age-appropriate, inquiry-based, hands-on lessons
- Communicate in a timely and professional manner with program contacts including teachers, chaperones, and other adult leaders
- Communicate in a timely manner with supervisors and co-workers
- Attend and actively participate in weekly staff meetings
- Facilitate safe, educational, fun and meaningful experiences for program participants
- Model enthusiasm for nature and learning
- Attend and actively participate in staff workshops
- Assist in the office during scheduled office hours
- Help maintain our East Drake site
- Facilitate meaningful experiences for education volunteers
- In general, be a team-player
Strong applicants are those that:
- Will be a full-time student for Spring 2024
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Will have current CPR/First Aid certification (child and adult) by the start date (August 2023); the ELC does not pay for the time or cost of these certifications
- Have reliable personal transportation (bicycles count!)
- Are passionate about the environment and have a strong desire to create change through education
Desired skills and abilities:
- Experience working with elementary aged children (in an outdoor environment is a plus)
- Experience planning lessons, activities, or events
- Strong communication skills with adults and children
- Knowledge of the local environment (e.g., flora, fauna, ecosystems)
- Bilingual in Spanish/English
Desired behavioral traits and attitudes:
- Enthusiastic and friendly personality
- Passion for the ELC’s mission
- Team-player, fun, outgoing, motivated, dependable, creative, organized, resourceful, and flexible
- Hard-working with a positive attitude
Hourly Pay Rate : $15.50/hour
Benefit Information: Employee Benefit information can be found on HR’s Website.
Number of Openings: 1
Start Date: January 16, 2024
Background Check: Colorado State University may conduct background checks on all final candidates