General Sustainability and Living Lab Programs Coordinator (0.80 FTE)

General Sustainability and Living Lab Programs Coordinator (0.80 FTE)

Contract term: 12 months

Reports to: Director of Justice and Kinship

Salary range: $62,224 – $67,449

Bishop O’Dowd Mission/Charism

Mission: Bishop O’Dowd High School is a Catholic college-preparatory community, guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, that educates its diverse student body to build a more just, joyful and sustainable world.

Charism:

Finding God In All Things Calls Us to:

• Community in Diversity
• Strength of Character
• Academic Excellence
• Kinship With Creation
• Social Justice
• Joy

The General Sustainability and Living Labs Programs Coordinator is a key member of the Bishop O’Dowd High School Creation Care Team, a Green Ribbon school and regional leader in sustainability and environmental education. The position has primary responsibilities for developing, implementing, and managing student programs in our 4-acre Living Lab, facilitating and supporting teacher usage of the lab as a learning space, partnering with the Director of Justice and Kinship to achieve campus sustainability goals, and being an external ambassador/promoter of our sustainability programs and living lab. 

Key Responsibilities:

Student Programs (60%):

Eco Leaders:

• Teach and mentor the Eco Leaders class/team.
• Align Eco Leaders’ activities with campus sustainability goals and programs.
• Guide Eco Leaders in engaging the campus community through sustainability events and the Eco Club.
• Assist students in developing environmental campaigns/initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership team facilitators, particularly during the annual team application process.
• Prepare Eco Leaders to lead Living Lab Saturday Service Days and organize key annual events (Harvest Festival, DIY Festival, E-Waste Drive, Earth Week).

Lessons in the Lab:

• Promote and train teachers to use the Living Lab.
• Provide materials, setup, and teaching support for 9th grade science and religion classes.
• Collaborate with teachers from various disciplines to integrate sustainability themes.
• Manage scheduling and facilities requests for the Living Lab.
• Enhance school sustainability literacy by integrating sustainability into the curriculum.
• Living Lab Service:
• Manage and track student service in the Living Lab using Schoology and MobileServe.
• Coordinate with teachers on “BTC” requirements and share student service tracking data.
• Lead a weekly volunteer lesson in the garden and help coordinate monthly Living Lab Work Days.
• Respond to student and parent inquiries.

Campus Sustainability Goals: (30%)

• Collaborate with the Director of Justice and Kinship and the President to advance campus sustainability initiatives across various domains, including waste management, water use, energy consumption, transportation, and procurement.
• Support data collection and analysis through STARS tracking tool, a self-reporting framework to measure sustainability performance.

Outward Representation: (10%)

• Coordinate and organize Living Lab events to engage the campus community.
• Host and facilitate visits from outside groups interested in the Living Lab and sustainability practices.
• Present to external groups to share and promote the school’s sustainability programs.
• Enhance publicity and visibility by sharing newsworthy articles and coordinating with the school communications team.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Attend weekly Creation Care Team meetings and monthly all-school faculty meetings.
• Participate in required staff training and in-service days.
• Complete required diocesan online training.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Education, or related fields.
• Experience in outdoor or environmental education, or related fields.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills.
• Ability to collaborate with various stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Passion for sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in gardening or land stewardship.
• Experience working with high school students.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Laudato Si and Catholic social teaching on the environment.
• Awareness of the intersection between environmental and social justice.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish).

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 30 pounds and work occasionally on a hillside garden.
• Ability to walk up and down terraced stairs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification.  They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Additionally, all personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.