You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.
Email

Hiring Unit: IU Office of Sustainability 

Job Title: Urban Garden Associate 

Hourly Rate: $13 for undergraduate students; $15 for graduate students 

Hours: 15-20 hours/week 

 

About IU Office of Sustainability (IU Sustainability)

IU Sustainability is committed to creating a culture of sustainability and advancing sustainability across all campuses of Indiana University. Our vision is to be recognized as a national leader in sustainability while supporting student success and the well-being of citizens of communities near the university’s campuses, the state of Indiana, and beyond. By utilizing our campuses as test beds for sustainability, we are establishing innovative solutions in our own community and developing bold solutions for the classroom, the campus, and host communities through diverse partnerships.   

Purpose  

The Urban Garden Associate will have knowledge and experience in the areas of urban organic gardening. The Garden Associates will coordinate production and harvest of produce in the two IU Indianapolis Urban Gardens for use by IU Indianapolis Food Services and Paws’ Pantry. The Garden Associates will coordinate volunteer activities and be available to mentor IUPUI students in urban and organic gardening.  

The Garden Associates will serve as the gardening liaisons for IU Sustainability and campus partners who receive produce. The Garden Associates will lead new development initiatives, including but not limited to, seeking new sources of funding, developing new partnerships, creating service learning and other educational opportunities with the goal of increasing student and community involvement.  

 

Duties, Functions and Responsibilities include: 

Garden Management (80%) 

  • Management of the two IU Indy campus gardens, including planning, planting, maintaining, harvesting, tracking, and scheduling volunteers, as needed.
  • Coordinate, communicate, and participate in all urban gardening and garden food rescue efforts on the IU Indy campus
  • Regularly meet and coordinate with other Garden Associates and IU Sustainability staff
  • Establish reporting criteria and outcomes to support and enhance production tracking

Outreach and Development (10%) 

  • Facilitate and collaborate with IU Sustainability, PAWS Pantry, IU Indy Food Services, the IU Indy Center for Young Children, and other local food initiatives both on campus and in the local community
  • Research and seek out new sources of funding for the gardens and food-related initiatives
  • Develop educational workshops, volunteer, and service-learning opportunities
  • Attend seminars, workshops, networking events, and conferences when appropriate

Communications (5%) 

  • Promote campus gardens and engagement opportunities through presentations, verbal and written communications
  • Advertise service-learning events and recruit volunteers
  • Create garden-related content for IU Sustainability social media accounts

Assist with other projects as needed (5%) 

  • Note: A graduate student intern will be expected to take on additional duties that align with the evolving needs of the Office of Sustainability. These responsibilities will be assigned based on the student’s skills, interests, and the department’s priorities.

Eligibility and Requirements  

Required Qualifications  

  • IU undergraduate and graduate students; must maintain student status for the duration of the internship
  • Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater
  • Must be reliable and possess strong organizational skills
  • Must be available to work during the summer

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Familiarity in principles of sustainability and urban gardening
  • Experience with MS Office applications, specifically Excel, Access, and Word
  • Strong writing and communication skills
  • Strong desire and ability to learn

Necessary Tools and Equipment 

Weather appropriate clothing, bottle, cellphone, and laptop computer are required. All other tools will be provided. 

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to work outdoors, often exposed to heat and direct sun. They will need to walk, squat, and kneel for intermittent durations of time. The employee must use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. 

Work Environment 

The work is performed primarily outdoors and thus there is exposure to the elements of nature (heat/sun, rain/chill). This student employee will be expected to work on campus and meet for a bi-weekly staff meeting. The noise level in the work environment is moderate. 

Characteristics of a Strong Candidate/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: The following are essential for this position: initiative, self-motivated, attention to detail, highly organized, team-player, interest and knowledge of sustainability, professionalism, comfort working with people of diverse background and thought, natural ease in new situations, willingness to learn, and a commitment to developing positive and trusting relationships.   

Application 

To apply, upload the following: 

Resume 

A brief, written response to the following questions:  

(1) Why is sustainability important to you?  

(2) Why are you interested in the Urban Garden Associate internship? 

(3) What do you hope to learn as a result of this experience?  

(4) How will it help you move forward in your academic or professional career?