Senior Educator

Overview

The National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. We work throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state, regional, national, and international programs, nature centers, and chapters have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. As a sentinel species, we recognize that the fate of birds is inextricably tied to the fate of us all.

Audubon has more than 700 staff working across the United States and seven countries in 17 state and regional offices, 41 nature centers, and 23 wildlife sanctuaries. Together as one Audubon, we aspire to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss, leading to healthier bird populations and reversing current trends in biodiversity loss.

Audubon is committed to a culture of workplace excellence, where our talented and diverse staff are deeply engaged, with a strong sense of belonging. The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon will bring new creativity, effectiveness, and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.

Position Summary

A community hub of the National Audubon Society, Patterson Park Audubon Center is located in southeast Baltimore City, in a historic but modernized row home, across the street from Patterson Park. The Center works to engage participants in bird conservation, through education, action projects, advocacy, and community revitalization.

Patterson Park Audubon Center’s focus is on Baltimore’s birds and people. We strive for a community-centered approach to our neighborhood revitalization efforts and co-creation of leadership initiatives, such as our youth and Latinx leadership programs. Our work is always evolving, growing, and forward-looking. We seek to be thoughtful partners, working closely with local schools, community leaders, and regional organizations to achieve shared success for Baltimore’s birds and communities.

The programs are outdoor-based, hands-on experiences that include:

• Environmental education, bird conservation, and community revitalization;
• Education in an outdoor setting and that correlate with academic curriculum standards;
• Engagement and stewardship opportunities that address conservation needs;
• Community projects that serve neighborhood goals while also meeting Audubon’s mission to protect birds and the places they need;
• Opportunities for Audubon to engage people from diverse backgrounds in conservation action at the local level;
• Efforts to restore Baltimore’s bird habitat through action and advocacy; and
• Our team’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in our work, internally and externally.

Activities led by the Center’s team include:

• Conservation education programs for elementary school groups
• Green Leaders, a middle school leadership program
• Bird Ambassadors, a Latino/Latina/Latine adult leadership program
• Neighborhood beautification projects such as bird-friendly garden installations
• Habitat Team, volunteer stewardship of bird-friendly gardens
• Community programming for children and adults – birdwatching, gardening workshops, and more – to foster future conservation stewards

**To be considered for this opportunity, please provide a cover letter with your application.**

Position Summary: The Senior Educator prepares and instructs elementary school programming for grades pre-K through 5th. This role coordinates science lessons, connecting content to curriculum standards and aligning it with Audubon’s strategic goals. Apart from schools, Audubon works with a number of partners to serve Baltimore’s birds and communities.

Our school programs are unique, utilizing Patterson Park and Joseph Lee Park as our outdoor “classrooms” for six schools in walking distance of these city parks. There students experience hands-on, science programming that meets curriculum standards, cultivate exploration and investigation skills, implement conservation actions, and grow as future leaders and stewards. On board for more than your average field trips, each student visits with Audubon in fall, winter, and spring, building on environmental concepts and spiraling through our curriculum as they make their way from pre-K to fifth grade. Audubon educators stitch together these concepts through the years and lead students in age-appropriate conservation action.

The Senior Educator must be a skilled communicator, able to effectively teach elementary students in a classroom or outdoors in a park. This means being able to manage a young, energetic audience as well as adult participants, including teachers, chaperones, and volunteers, for a successful experience. Typical days are spent visiting multiple classrooms at our partners schools (winter) or receiving and guiding multiple groups in the park (fall/spring) for experiential learning. As the lead on school programs, the Senior Educator is responsible for pre- and post-program communications and logistics with partner teachers and administrators.

This is a full-time, temporary position, through June.

Compensation:

$25.00/hour

Essential Functions

• Prepare, deliver, and report on conservation education curriculum for grades preK-5.
• Manage program promotion, registration, scheduling, pre-program communication, development of materials, and program evaluation. Track program data.
• Plan and implement environmental science, ecology, and service learning programs – primarily for elementary school students as well as some community programs for all ages.
• As part of Audubon’s Baltimore team, work with staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds to implement education programs and action projects.
• Participate in staff meetings, discussions, and trainings related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging; seek to implement best practices in the office and during programs.
• Assist in the daily operating and maintenance activities; write content for the E-newsletter, newsletter, social media, and other media.
• Must be available for occasional weekend and evening work.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in education, biology, environmental science, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• 3-5 years’ experience in elementary conservation education, preferably in an urban setting.
• Proven skills teaching in formal and informal settings to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of Chesapeake Bay ecology, Baltimore City ecology, Maryland native plants, migratory birds, and curriculum standards or willingness to learn.
• Attention to detail, excellent time-management and organizational skills, self-motivated, ability to work independently, and sound judgment under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Capacity to work effectively with a wide range of people, build relationships, and be diplomatic.
• Commitment to bird conservation and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
• Capable of balancing a demanding workload and multiple deadlines.
• Able to accompany/lead/supervise students on field trips with varied terrain, demonstrate/participate in activities such as bird watching/traversing park trails, with or without accommodation.
• Able to load/unload/haul equipment over moderate distances, with or without accommodation.
• Ability to carry program materials up and down steps and load into/out of the Audubon vehicle or garden cart is essential, with or without accommodation.
• A people-oriented approach with a team-focused attitude and the ability to professionally represent Audubon to the public. Experience working with multigenerational audiences and culturally diverse communities.
• Must be available for occasional weekend and evening work.
• Must have current first aid and CPR certifications, or obtain such certification by start date.
• Fluency in Spanish preferred but not required.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license for operating Audubon vehicle.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications; working with digital photos and video; email, internet, social media.

EEO Statement

The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Accessibility Statement

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COVID Policy

All new hires must be fully vaccinated prior to their start of employment unless they are pre-qualified by HR for exemption.