AgCorps Community Education Specialist

Service Position Summary:

Land to Hand is a non-profit, community organization founded by families, farmers, and community leaders from around the Flathead Valley. The mission of Land to Hand is to build a strong community food system that fosters socially just ways of accessing food.

Our work is focused on Food Access and Education. We know that food security means access by all people at all times to enough food for a healthy life. At a minimum, this includes the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods and the assured ability to acquire personally acceptable foods in a socially acceptable way. Our Food for All programs help alleviate the stress of affording fresh, local food and give community members the opportunity to control their food choices.

Education is a way of ensuring that all people in our community know how to grow, cook, and enjoy food and have the access to knowledge and resources to live resilient lives. Our education programs empower kids and adults to be a part of growing the next generation of cooks, gardeners, farmers, ranchers, seed savers, and eaters.

This position will be primarily focused on our Farm to School education program which includes hands-on gardening, cooking, and nutrition lessons, the afterschool Wildcat Garden Club, summer camp, and Harvest of the Month taste tests. We work all over Flathead County doing food access and education work, particularly food systems lessons and seed saving education. Our school-based farm to school and garden education takes place predominantly in the Columbia Falls school district which is a rural community and serves multiple small towns including Martin City, Hungry Horse, and Coram.

This position will be in the office approximately 30% of the time and serving with schools or in the garden 70% of the time.

Essential Functions and responsibilities:

• Assist with Farm to School programming in the Wildcat Garden and in classrooms
• Co-lead junior high after-school Wildcat Garden Club
• Lead food systems lessons implementation to 5th grade classrooms in Flathead County
• Develop 6th grade garden & nutrition curriculum
• Enhance Kindergarten – 8th grade standards-based garden curriculum
• Develop and lead summer educational programming
• Plan and implement educational Harvest of the Month cooking lessons and taste tests
• Support annual educational and community event; Free the Seeds
• Adhere to program policies and procedures
• Demonstrate the ability to balance service activities
• Demonstrate professional behavior and use of appropriate language
• Demonstrate the ability to be flexible and serve cooperatively
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts
• Attendance to mandatory trainings (Orientation, Symposium, mid-service training and end of service training)
• Participation in evaluation and reporting (monthly reporting, bi-weekly timesheet submission and monthly check-in calls)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Interest, desire, and ability work with children ages 4 – 18
• Basic gardening, cooking, and agricultural skills a plus
• Experience and interest in education a plus
• Interest in agriculture, food systems, food security, nutrition, cooking and/or community health
• Willingness to work outdoors in all conditions
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Valid driver’s license

AmeriCorps Program Benefits:

• Members receive a living allowance to cover basic expenses while serving
• Upon successful completion of service, members receive a $7,395 education award
• While serving, members may qualify for student loan forbearance
• Healthcare/ childcare services are available while serving
• A monthly housing stipend if eligible
• Other benefits include being part of an incredible community, being surrounded by professionals in multiple fields, and job shadowing opportunities
• AmeriCorps alumni benefits include access to nationwide alumni network, many career resources, access to AmeriCorps alumni emails and updates