Garden Wellness Coordinator

EMPLOYMENT VALUE PROPOSITION: WellPower provides you with the support you need to help you develop a career in helping others succeed. We innovate, adapt, and leverage the diverse perspectives of the people on our team and the people we serve in everything we do.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVENESS: WellPower values and is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to ending bias and discrimination in our community and ensuring equity within all aspects of our organization. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, transfer, or promotion opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Tuberculosis (TB) screening, testing - TB screening and testing, is required and must be completed prior to hire ( i.e., preplacement), and maintained during employment

Learn More About WellPower

STARTING SALARY: $24.04/hr

TO APPLY: This is a two-year fulltime and benefits eligible grant funded opportunity. The position may be able to extend beyond two years with additional funding. The start date for this position is January 9 th , 2023. Priority will be given to applications received by November 15 th , 2022.

Please apply through the WellPower website. The application will remain open until the position is filled, but applications received by November 15 th will have priority. Please provide 3 references and answer the following questions in your one-page cover letter.

• Tell us about your experience and knowledge of plants and gardening.
• What experience do you have creating developmentally and culturally relevant activities, curriculums, and trainings?
• Tell us about an experience you have had engaging youth in meaningful programming.
  

Position Summary

The Garden Wellness Coordinator is a multi-faceted position that engages the community in meaningful farms and gardens activities and supports food access at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Wellbeing. The Garden Wellness Coordinator will develop and implement garden-based curriculum for students attending Skyline Academy and Sewall Child and Development Center as well as leading group activities with people we serve. The Garden Wellness Coordinator also develops and conducts trainings and consultations for clinicians to incorporate the farms and gardens into their work with people we serve. This position is primarily based at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well Being with occasional time spent at our West Denver location.

Essential Job Functions

Facilitating group and individual programming (30%)

• Partner with our onsite schools, Sewall and Skyline, to provide developmental and culturally appropriate programming to help meet student goals
• Work with Child and Family program managers to develop group opportunities including with the school based and juvenile justice teams.
• Host field trips and tour groups for youth and families
• Occasionally work one on one with clinicians to provide programming for a client or family they are working with.
• Create grab and go activities for clinicians to incorporate into their sessions. This includes creating instructions and gathering materials.
  

Partner and Community engagement (15%) .

• Build partnerships with managers and clinicians within Child and Family services to integrate farms and gardens with other programs
• Assist in planning for and attend special Farm-related events at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being and occasionally off-site
• Attend meetings with Farms and Gardens partners and outreach team, as appropriate
• Facilitate communication and understanding of site programs, services, goals and values.
  

Trainings and consultations (10%)

• Develop a training curriculum and resources for clinicians
• Provide trainings for Child and Family Staff to be able to engage youth and their families in garden based activities
• Provide ongoing consultation for clinicians and staff utilizing the gardens
  

Record Keeping, Evaluation, and Grant Management (15%)

• Understand the Garden Wellness grant and collaborate with the Associate Director of Operations and Farm Services and Market Farm Manager to meet the goals and objectives
• Maintain a record of all programming and training
• Work with WellPower evaluation staff to measure the impact of the Garden Wellness Program
• Maintain an inventory of supplies and activities at multiple locations
• Help with farms and gardens record keeping as needed
  

General Farm Duties (20%):

• Assist in all aspects of planting, cultivating, and harvesting of crops in coordination with the Market Farm Manager
• Maintain garden areas used in garden wellness programming as directed by the Market Farm Manager
• Assist with produce distribution including Farmers Market, Food Boxes, and Donation programs.
• Provide accurate recordkeeping and reporting on farm outcomes, including harvest totals, seed and transplant dates.
• Assist in the Aquaponic Greenhouse as needed
  

Administrative tasks (10%)

• Regularly respond to emails and chats
• Attend farm team meetings weekly and other internal meetings as applicable
• Complete required WellPower trainings on a regular basis
  

Education

Bachelor s degree in horticultural therapy, education, psychology, social work, agriculture, horticulture, or related field or 5+ years of relevant experience.

Experience

• Minimum 1 year experience in education, formal or informal
• 3 years experience in urban agriculture or gardening
• Experience with leading groups and public speaking
• Professional registration as a horticultural therapist or coursework in horticultural therapy preferred. There is an opportunity for supervision for a horticultural therapy internship from the Associate Director of Operations and Farm Services.
• Experience in creating curriculums and trainings.
  

Skills And Competencies

• Bilingual Spanish and/or ASL strongly preferred
• Passion for getting youth involved in gardens a must
• Knowledge or ability to learn and practice trauma informed principles and practices.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to communicate respectfully, orally and in writing, with diverse persons
• Willingness to learn about ecological systems and controlled indoor agriculture is a must
• Ability to be sensitive to community members and respond to community needs
• Ability to create culturally informed curriculum and activities
• Understanding of horticultural therapy concepts
• Knowledgeable about sensory plants, perennials, food crops, house plants, and plant biology
• Experience facilitating groups
• Extremely strong attention to detail and thorough follow-through
• Ability to think quickly and respond to situations under pressure
• Experience with Microsoft Office, database management
• Must have a have a valid Colorado drivers license.
  

Typical Physical Demands

• Lift 50 lbs. and carry awkward, heavy items
• Repeated bending over and extended reaching
• Stand for 5+ hours at a time
• Work efficiently in bright, noisy, and wet greenhouse environment
• Withstand substantial temperature variation (40-95 degrees F)
• Manage a fast-paced working environment
• Handle a wide variety of farm elements including: algae, biofilm, fish waste, uneaten fish food, decomposing plant material, bacteria, fungus, dead fish, and plant pests
• Requires occasional on-call and weekend hours, and potential coverage on traditional holidays
  

Machines And Equipment To Be Used

• Hand tools including rakes, shovels, and broadforks
• BCS walk behind Tractor
• 20,000 gallon deep water culture (DWC) aquaponic system consisting of two 2,800 gallon filtration-in-tank (FIT) raceway fish tanks, 400 gallon media bed system
• Willingness to use own cell phone to perform work-related tasks as needed