Environmental Education Coordinator

Center for Documentary Expression and Art (CDEA) seeks a part-time Environmental Education Coordinator to join our Education-Outreach Team. This position is currently part-time, averaging 20hrs per week—it is expected to expand into full-time work over the next two to three years.

The Environmental Education Coordinator will play a decisive role in delivering CDEA’s updated and expanded “ReAwakened Beauty: The Past, Present, and Future of the Jordan River, Outdoor Classrooms Program (RBOC)” program to K-12 public and private schools along the river corridor. The new program will involve partnerships with the Utah Reclamation, Mitigation, and Conservation Commission; the Jordan River Commission; the State of Utah; and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service.

RBOC or the “ReAwakened Beauty-Outdoor Classroom” program is an outgrowth of the organization’s 14-year-old environmental-education program: “ReAwakened Beauty: The Past, Present, and Future of the Jordan River.” Developed in 2009, in conjunction with TreeUtah, Utah Audubon Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Westminster College Biologist Dr. Ty Harrison, “ReAwakened Beauty” is an environmental-education activity that connected K-12 youth to the human and natural history of the Jordan River, while engaging them in restoration and documentary-stye activities at the 123-acre Jordan River Migratory Bird Refuge site.

CDEA’s updated “ReAwakened Beauty-Outdoor Classroom” program will feature a flexible, science-art, environmental-education model that combines site-specific visits and stewardship with science-based and creative-observation and documentation techniques that include restoration, environmental testing, writing, journaling, photography, and wild-life photography. Young people benefit from understanding environmental science and from learning meaningful positive management, conservation, and restoration action. This program will provide the benefits of outdoor learning that supports physical and mental health, emotional resilience, and cognitive development.1 Students will have direct experiences with nature in the context of a creative learning community that supports their individual growth and the long-term well being of the bird refuge, the river, and the Jordan River watershed.

The Environmental Education Coordinator’s Responsibilities Include:

- Disseminate and explain new RBOC curriculum to K-12 educators and administrators to introduce the program and arrange for varied residences during the school year;

- Organize, lead, and evaluate RBOC residencies; this activity involves designing short and long-term RBOC residencies for students and teachers in grades 4-12, at the Jordan River Migratory Bird Refuge site, and assessing their impact and value for students;

- Monitor program performance, develop systems and procedures to keep accurate records;

- Focus on site-specific maintenance and stewardship activities during residencies such as control of non-native weeds; planting; monitoring revegetation efforts; operating water control structures (including water and soil testing) to support re-vegetation efforts and enhance wildlife habitat; and maintain structures to gauge, evaluate, and oversee beaver activity on the property;

- Expand as necessary the new RBOC curriculum to benefit faculty and students at Utah schools and Utah School Districts;

- Expand as necessary the new RBOC curriculum to benefit local communities;

- Coordinate with CDEA’s Arts Education Coordinator and CDEA Director to maintain the organization’s annual calendar of residency activities;

- Coordinate with CDEA’s director to sustain program funding through reports on program activities and accomplishments, while developing outreach to new funding sources, public and private, to support RBOC expansion;

- Prepare new educational materials and field trip supplies as needed;

- Advance CDEA’s mission by promoting environmental education, stewardship, and conservation;

- Adapt to outdoor conditions during field trips and follow protocols ensuring the safety of students.

Qualifications:

- Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, or higher, from an accredited college or

university with coursework in Parks and Recreation, Natural Science, Natural

Resources Management, Environmental Studies, Biology, Psychology, Education, English, or a closely related field;

- Experience working with youth, preferably in an outdoor and/or educational setting, and knowledge of ecological processes and the State of Utah’s Art, Social Studies, and Science Curriculum Standards for 4-12 grades;

- Experience providing environmental-education or related education programs and educational opportunities to K-12 youth and/or diverse, under-resourced, and underserved communities;

- Experience promoting awareness of and appreciation of nature, wildlife, conservation, stewardship, ecology, and habitat restoration;

- Familiarity with techniques of coordinating and planning outdoor group activities for youth and older populations;

- Ability to design and develop environmental education and outdoor nature-based programs;

- Ability to work with youth in an outdoor setting and act as a group facilitator;

- Ability to communicate orally and in writing with teachers, administrators, parents, etc. in order to present to key organizations, the community at large, and CDEA’s Board of Directors;

- Proficient in utilizing fundraising software, donor databases, and other relevant technology to streamline fundraising efforts and track donor relationships;

- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, managing multiple projects and deadlines concurrently;

- Excellent persuasive writing and storytelling abilities, capable of crafting compelling grant proposals, fundraising appeals, and donor communications;

- Ability to walk moderate distances (less than 2.5 miles) over uneven terrain and lift moderate loads (up to 40 lbs);

- Dependable and punctual, with valid driver’s license, car insurance, and access to personal transportation;

- Successful completion of a criminal background check, upon hiring.

How to Apply:

Please email a resume and cover letter listing at least two professional references to Leslie Kelen at lkelen@cdeautah.org no later than April 25, 2024. Part-time starting salary, based on experience: $16.50-$21.25 an hour.