Youth Development Specialist

Description

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

• 10 to 15 hours per week over 10-12 weeks (flexible)
• May 18th-July 29th, 2022

Start and end dates are flexible. High school students will be on the farm May 31-July 22. Ideally, the candidate would be available at least 1-2 weeks prior to the high school students’ start date for orientation and training, and at least 1-2 weeks after the high school students’ end date for debrief and program evaluation.

Compensation: $1,000 stipend, to be paid upon successful completion of internship, and a weekly share of seasonal farm produce.

Overview: The Youth Development Specialist is a dynamic position meant to deepen the experience and promote whole-person wellness for each of our five Youth Leader in Agriculture summer students (aged 16 to 18). This is a part-time, temporary position intended for a practitioner of (or graduate student pursuing work in) the social sciences: counseling, social work, psychology, spiritual development, teaching, etc.

Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate loves working with teenagers in OUTDOOR environments and leading them in farm tasks; feels comfortable initiating and leading group and individual sessions such as social-emotional skill-building sessions or job evaluation meetings; has a passion for farming and/or nature; and is excited to help develop the social-emotional possibilities in our youth mentorship program, an 8-week summer job experience for high school aged youth in sustainable farming. Read more about the YLA program here.

Description: The Youth Development Specialist will serve as part of the planning and supervision team for the Youth Leaders in Agriculture program alongside the Director of Education, the Farm Educator, the Director of Farming, and the Education Fellow. The Youth Development Specialist will develop and facilitate educational curriculum on individual social-emotional health and community wellness based on a Positive Youth Development framework. These lessons should be integrated with concepts and principles that occur in nature (biomimicry), promote equity within agriculture, and provide deeper context, understanding, and appreciation for environmental justice concerns, and/or deepen participants’ connections to our watershed and the ecosystems of the Shenandoah Valley. The Youth Development Specialist will also provide direct supervision of Youth Leaders in Agriculture while working alongside them on the farm.

Job Duties

Responsibilities: 

• lead individual check-ins with students
• provide on-farm supervision of students*
• participate in planning and debriefing sessions with staff
• develop and facilitate educational curriculum (lessons, journal entries, discussions)
• promote thoughtful discussion at meals and during farm work
• participate actively in farm work alongside students and farm staff
• create a safe, positive learning environment for learners through positive reinforcement, role-modeling, and cultural sensitivity
• train staff on Positive Youth Development
• develop our evaluation methods in tandem with Staunton City School counselors

*Note: The other members of the YLA supervisory team will provide the majority of supervision for high school students. The benefit of the Youth Development Specialist’s role is the ability to be flexible, coming in regularly for key days and times to lead lessons, farm tasks, journal times, discussions, check-ins, etc. that may be whole-group, small-group, or individual. The Youth Development Specialist is never expected to supervise the program solo.

Skills Required

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a field within the social sciences: counseling, social work, psychology, spiritual development, or teaching.
• 3+ years of experience working or volunteering in the social sciences
• Applicants must be comfortable working outside in all conditions. Note that 100% of the program happens outdoors, from farm work to lessons to journal time.
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• Ability to build strong rapport with students
• Creativity, initiative, sense of humor, flexibility, and team spirit in an outdoor setting, especially when lesson plans or farm tasks need to change quickly because of weather or group needs
• Enthusiasm for learning and teaching about the natural world and human cultural history
• Reliable cell phone communication
• Reliable transportation to the Project GROWS farm and to occasional off-site field trips within 30 miles
• Applicants must be able to lift 40+ pounds regularly (setting up pop-up tables, pop-up tents, and tent weights; carrying bins of supplies and 5 gallon water dispensers, etc)
• Compliance with pre-employment drug screening
• Compliance with COVID-19 protocols established by PG to ensure health, safety and welfare of all parties
• Criminal, child protective service and state police background checks will be required for final applicants
• Ability to work independently and as a key part of the Project GROWS team

Location

Most of your hours will take place at the Project GROWS farm. However, there is a possibility of occasional off-site field trips with students to other farms. There will also be some training and lesson planning that can be done remotely.

Days Off

There will be no students or education staff on the farm on Friday, June 17th in observation of Juneteenth. There will be no students or staff on the farm on Monday, July 4th in observation of Independence Day.

Additional Benefits

• A share of weekly seasonal produce from the farm
• All employees are protected by PG’s workers’ compensation insurance policy while employed at PG. This covers injury or illness resulting from legitimate work activities.
• This also includes the opportunity to serve as a member of an amazing, supportive summer team. We are committed to personal growth and development, post-program reflection, and improving our programs over time by learning from our mistakes.

Work Schedule

Schedule

We would like the Youth Development Specialist to work 10 to 15 hours per week beginning approximately May 18th and ending approximately July 29th. You can work with the Director of Education to design a weekly schedule that suits you. With the exception of the training week and debrief week, most of your schedule should overlap with the Youth Leaders’ farm hours, leaving at least 2 hours per week for planning meetings and personal reflection/planning. High school students will be on the farm Mondays, 8:00-2:30, Wednesdays, 7:00-1:30, Thursdays 7:00-1:30 and Fridays 7:00-11:00.

Weekly flow: Most YLA days are made up of farm work. However, Mondays are a “learning day” where we have lessons, guest speakers, group sessions, nature sit spots, and off-site field trips to other farms, small businesses, or farmers markets. Mondays would be ideal for a half or whole day for the Youth Development Specialist to work. We also require you to be here at least once or twice on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays to be able to work alongside students on the farm, to maximize opportunities for conversations and interactions with students.

Additional Info

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Nichole Barrows, Director of Education, at nichole@projectgrows.org by May 6th, 2022.

Project GROWS is committed to inclusion, trust, respect, and a collaborative work life. We are committed to being rooted in and of our communities where we serve. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.