Sustainability Trainee- Agriculture

Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj

Job Description: Sustainability Trainee-Agriculture

With a vision of “a world where every child is safe, educated, loved”, Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj (KVSS) established in 2007, is a non-governmental, apolitical, and not for profit organization. Our mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal's children. We do this by providing quality education, a safe environment, and through inspiring others while putting the children first, strengthening families and local communities. Most at-risk and disadvantaged children are provided with inclusive quality education at Kopila Valley School (KVS), one of the greenest schools in Nepal, made from the rammed earth and nestled on a campus with a commitment to building sustainable programs. Along with lifelong gift education to the disadvantaged children, we support their family members to improve their living standards and make it sustainable through holistic programs ranging from children’s home, health and wellness through women empowerment to career guidance/counseling, and scholarships for further studies. 
Environmental sustainability is one of the guiding principles and a way of life whatever we do! We nurture children and adults to appreciate, preserve and restore our environment so future generations may continue to flourish. Through the sustainability program, we promote Education for Sustainability through place-based, outdoor and experiential sessions, and an integrated curriculum. 
We work on regenerative farming and creating sustainable food systems by localizing the process along with promoting sustainable physical infrastructure, facilities and operation systems. Community outreach, partnerships and collaborations are an integral part of our work as we inspire others by offering KVS as an open learning source where green school networks, exposure visits, community groups and club activities are supported and encouraged. We do this with our funding partner BlinkNow Foundation and in close ties with the local government and communities.
About the Role
The Trainee  will be responsible for supporting the sustainability program which works to operate an environmentally friendly school campus, strengthen Education for Sustainability (EfS) initiatives  through cross-curricular approach to integrate sustainability and place based pedagogy in core subject areas, along with efforts to strengthen permaculture value based regenerative farming at  Kopila Valley School and the community  Under the supervision of the Agriculture Officer, Trainee will provide support to the sustainability team, specially on executing gardening curriculum and outdoor learning for school students, to strengthen the  Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) farmer’s group, along with support on promoting sustainable food systems in the community. 
Must Have:
Education: Diploma in Agriculture or relevant disciplines 
Experience: 
Fresh graduates are encouraged to apply
Must have a passion to work on a environmental sustainability and school setting with children and diverse stakeholders
Language: A good communicator, and fluent in English and Nepali languages
Skills and Abilities: 
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills 
Hands on skill in regenerative farming practices
Excellent presentation skills 
Good on using Microsoft Office tools and email, internet

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Core Responsibilities:
Assist Gardening Teachers to execute the gardening classes
Support Agriculture Officer on initiatives and activities to strengthen the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) farmer’s groups, and to  promote organic farming in the community 
Support sustainability team on Education for Sustainability activities and club activities

Detailed Responsibilities
Assist Gardening Teachers to execute the gardening class.
Assist  Gardening teacher on resource and materials  arrangement for gardening class.
Facilitate hands-on learning to  support the practical aspects of the gardening classes.
Assist gardening teachers to assess the learning achievement of the students.

Support Agriculture officer on initiatives and activities to strengthen  the regenerative farming at Kopila farm and in  Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) farmer’s groups  
Keep track of the production data of the vocational farm on monthly basis 
Keep track of food sourcing detail to measure the percentage of food coming from PGS on monthly basis 
Assist on Farmers market execution 
Assist agriculture officer on PGS follow up and support activities 
Assist agriculture officer on  community training execution and follow ups.

Support sustainability team on Education for Sustainability activities and club activities .
Support Education for Sustainability (EfS)  team on EfS session execution and club activity execution on need basis. 
Additional Expectations:
Respond promptly to communications and foster a positive working environment by addressing challenges collaboratively.
Demonstrate professionalism and confidentiality in alignment with organizational protocols.
Support sustainability initiatives and community training sessions as needed, including outside standard working hours with advanced notice.
Build positive working relationships and environment in the organization by bringing solutions to the discussion table.
Demonstrate professionalism in all interactions and execution of duties including ensuring confidentiality as per the organization’s protocols.
Report to the manager on a weekly basis, and as needed in case of urgent activities.
Build and maintain a strong relationship with the team members.

Key Characteristics
You believe that we can change the world, in the blink of an eye
You believe in making decisions that put children first
You are self-motivated, organized, and approachable
You enjoy creating systems, keeping records, and increasing efficiency
You are always looking for new ways for our team to work smarter instead of harder
You are detail-oriented and conscientious. You make sure nothing slips through the cracks
You have a strong work ethic and a willingness to pick up new skills. You are comfortable multi-tasking
You are positive, patient, and a clear communicator who is comfortable working with both Kopila Valley staff in Nepal and the BlinkNow staff in Nepal
You are an empathetic person, with a knack for putting out fires before they start and soothing conflicts brewing beneath the surface
You require little supervision and are flexible. You understand that you will be wearing many hats in this role, many of which are not explicitly included in this job description.

SDG Impact