Garden and Culinary Educator

New Settlement; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 29,000 - 33,000; Part time

Job summary

New Settlement invites applications for a Cooking and Gardening Educator to teach hands-on cooking and gardening classes to children and families at the Bronx center and afterschool programs.

The role is part‑time or full‑time year‑round and combines in-person work with remote scheduling. Experience in diverse community settings and a passion for food justice are highly valued, with bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience working in or engaging with a low‑ or moderate‑income, diverse, community‑based setting required.
• One to three years of teaching experience. At least one year with food as the vehicle for teaching.
• Minimum 2 years of experience with elementary and/or middle school age youth, preferably within afterschool programs.
• Bilingual English/Spanish speaker strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Teach cooking and gardening to children and families using engaging, hands-on lessons.
• Coordinate with program staff to schedule classes and classrooms.
• Plant, maintain, and harvest from container gardens and plan gardening activities.
• Cook culturally responsive recipes using seasonal ingredients and adapt curricula to the community.

Skills

Teaching experience

Community work

Bilingual English/Spanish

Youth engagement

Interpersonal skills

Education

High School diploma

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Bronx, NY 10452, Position Type: Part Time, Education Level: High School, Salary Range: $21.00 - $24.00 Hourly, Rooted in the Bronx, New Settlement stands with community members to break systemic barriers, advance justice, promote leadership and strengthen neighborhoods. By ensuring agency around education, employment, housing, wellness and creative expression, we help cultivate an equitable society where individuals and families have the power to use their voice to create the change they wish to see.

Since New Settlement’s inception in 1989 as a settlement house rooted in the Bronx, our organization has been a responsive community partner. Originally established to revitalize abandoned buildings into affordable housing, New Settlement has since evolved into a multi-generational, forward-looking organization. We support 15,000 members of the community annually by providing organizing in housing and schools, and programs in education, college access, youth development, arts, workforce development, wellness and more. EEO/AA

JOB SUMMARY:

The Cooking and Gardening Educator is a full or part -time year-round position that reflects our belief that food education for our children is a liberatory practice. We are looking for an energetic person to join our small but mighty team. They will teach cooking and gardening classes to children and families at the New Settlement Community Center and in our afterschool programs. This person should enjoy getting lost in the art of writing lesson plans and love building connections to learning through food. This is a hybrid position which requires an in person and remote schedule.

Job Duties include but not limited to:

• Teach children and families about food and nutrition by delivering engaging, hands‑on lessons. Incorporate cooking and gardening into lessons. Engage community members in learning and reflection about the food system through age‑appropriate topics. Adapt external curricula to New Settlement community.
• Coordinate with programs to schedule classes and locations. Collaborate with program Group Leaders and Assistant Group Leaders to incorporate them into teaching and lessons.
• Plant, maintain, and harvest from container gardens. Create and execute gardening plan in collaboration with school and community stakeholders/partners.
• Grow food with students, staff, and community members in school gardens. Cook culturally responsive recipes using fresh, seasonal food. Maintain dynamic educational settings, from cooking supplies and equipment kits to container gardens, where kids can get their hands dirty and experience what they’re learning first‑hand.
• Plan and facilitate events, workshops and series, as needed.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the program and team. Track lessons and activities and monitor success to ensure that projected outputs and outcomes, for example increase in self‑efficacy in ability to make home cooked food, are achieved; adjust accordingly.
• Carry out administrative tasks and procedures.
• Supports and enhances a culture that respects and honors diversity, invests in professional development and encourages self‑care.
• Perform other duties as reasonably requested.

Qualifications: QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Experience working in or engaging with a low‑or moderate‑income, diverse, community‑based setting required.
• One to three years of teaching experience. At least one year with food as the vehicle for teaching.
• Minimum 2 years of experience (paid or volunteer) working with elementary and/or middle school age youth, preferably within afterschool program contexts and schedule. Ability to navigate school‑based and community‑based program settings. Contagious passion and dedication to building buy‑in and support from afterschool program frontline staff.
• Strong skills writing and facilitating lessons, workshops, and/or education.
• Bilingual English/Spanish speaker strongly preferred.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to work well with a wide variety of individuals, including youth and seniors, especially in a public setting.
• A demonstrated knowledge and ability to implement culturally responsive education.
• Knowledge of or enthusiasm about food justice and restoring food sovereignty to communities strongly preferred; personal experience facing the negative aspects of the food system.
• Joyful, creative, and a critical thinking.
• Personal or professional knowledge of the culture, history, and languages of the Southwest Bronx.
• Undergraduate coursework or degree in relevant field a plus

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

• The ability to sit, stand, walk and use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone to talk and hear.
• The ability to frequently sit and reach with hands and arms.
• The ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Must be able to utilize office equipment such as desktop/notebook computers, copiers, printers, scanners, telephones, and calculators.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

NOTICE:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Employment is at will and employees will undergo 45- and 90-day check‑ins during their 90-day probationary period.

These statements are intended to describe the general nature of the environment and level of work being performed by this job. This job description in no way states or implies that the duties and responsibilities listed are the only tasks to be performed by the employee in this job. The employee will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor. This job description supersedes prior job descriptions. When duties and responsibilities change and develop, the job description will be reviewed and subject to changes of business necessity.

New Settlement is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.

This job description indicates in general the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions expected of an employee. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of you as an employee. You may be asked to perform other duties as required.