Outdoor Educator for PreK – Middle School

Organization Overview

Common Ground is a center for environmental learning in New Haven, Connecticut. Farm meets forest meets city on Common Ground’s 20 acre campus at the base of West Rock Ridge. The site abuts the 1800 acre West Rock State Park, sharing hiking trails, wildlife, and diverse natural habitats with the surrounding forests. Common Ground’s urban farm produces sustainably grown food for programs and our community and is home to our friendly farm animals. Common Ground’s Charter High School uses the site as an organizing principle of its curriculum which is guided by an ecological framework highlighting the connection and interdependence of all living and non-living things. Each year, more than 10,000 community members participate in festivals, field trips, after-school programs, and other educational opportunities on site. For more information visit www.commongroundct.org.

School Year: From September through mid-June this position is primarily dedicated to teaching in any combination of programs for children and families that are offered by Common Ground. Optional work in summer camp is also available.

Our SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS welcome classes of children from local schools to Common Ground to connect with nature! We serve preK through 8th grade. Trip topics include hikes, farm to table pizza making, campfire cooking, farm tours, wetland science, nature based play, sheep and wool, maple sugaring, and other seasonal specialty topics. An outline and learning concepts are provided for each trip and field trip teachers also draw on their own knowledge of the natural world to enrich the participant experience. Field Trip staff set their availability and may be scheduled within their availability for 2 – 5 days per week (minimum availability of 2 mornings per week required). Staff typically work between 9:30 AM –  12 PM. Work in afternoon trips (between 12:30 – 2:30) may be available. 

SEEDLINGS CLASS is for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with a parent or other caregiver. Seedlings Teachers offer themed classes focused on nature exploration, including hands-on activities, music, movement, and stories. Seedlings Teachers set their availability and may be scheduled within their availability for 2 – 5 days per week (minimum availability of 2 mornings per week required). Class is 9 – 10:30 AM and teachers typically work 8:30 – 11, with flexible paid planning time in addition. Seedlings Class is only offered for 8 weeks in fall and in spring, but additional work with young children is also available in our school field trips program.

The KIDS UNPLUGGED AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM gets children in grades K – 8 playing and learning outside after school! This is primarily a play based program that includes both unstructured playtime and  teacher directed activities and experiences as part of the program. Staff might supervise a campfire in the winter woods, lead a flashlight hike after sunset, cook with foods from the farm, facilitate imaginative play and fort building in the forest, work with children to walk goats and care for chickens, and many other kinds of nature based experiences! We are seeking Teachers and Assistant Teachers who can join our staff team Monday – Friday, September through  early June, from 2:30 – 6 PM each day. Kids Unplugged takes place in all weather (unless programs are closed due to unsafe travel conditions), so we are seeking staff who are excited to embrace rain and snow as well as blue sky days.

Position requirements and responsibilities: 

All positions:

• Prior experience working with groups of children in formal or informal education and/or childcare settings
• Strong behavior management skills, using student engagement, clear directions, and positive motivation as primary tools.
• Use excellent communication skills, including speaking with children, adults, and coworkers.
• Use strong critical thinking and problem solving skills and sound judgment as part of routine daily work.
• Willingness to be flexible and work with the day’s teaching team to adapt plans to the ages, weather conditions, and other needs of the day
• Commitment to working joyfully and inclusively with children and adults of all identities, with much of our work serving a racially and economically diverse urban community.
• Commitment to child centered teaching and behavior management, with the ability and desire to consider and seek to meet the needs of individual children.
• Work in a setting with farm animals as well as native wildlife including insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds.
• Engage in the physical requirements of this role, including being physically active for the majority of a scheduled work shift, safely navigating outdoor terrain that includes uneven and unpaved surfaces, sitting on the ground, carrying a backpack with teaching supplies, and teaching outside in weather conditions including heat, rain, cold, and snow.

Field Trips:

• Ability to enthusiastically engage groups of 12 – 25 children in nature based activities (typically with chaperones from the school present as well)
• Basic content knowledge related to one or more of the areas that our field trips cover. Trip outlines are provided but naturalist knowledge to enrich the experience is helpful. Some Assistant Teacher roles may be available that support activities and do not require content based expertise.
• Field trip hours can be variable and the happiest staff in this role are those who can work with a variable schedule that can include weeks with fewer hours and weeks that are very busy (within the limits of the availability that the staff person has defined).
• Field trip shifts are typically 2 – 2.5 hours, including prep, leading the trip, and clean up. Please consider the shift duration in relationship to your commute to make sure it makes sense for your needs. We are in New Haven.

Kids Unplugged and NatureYear: 

• Planning and leading nature based lessons and activities for groups of children (Assistant Teacher roles support these activities but are not responsible for planning or being the primary leader)
• Supervising for physical, social, and emotional safety in an outdoor, play based setting
• Meeting social and emotional needs of children, including positive behavior management, setting group routines and group culture, and modifying to meet the needs of individual children.

Additional responsibilities:

This position is part of the Community Programs Team and is supervised by the Director of Community Programs. Additional position responsibilities include:

• Participation in ongoing staff development and meetings as scheduled for the Environmental Education team (as possible within personal availability for meetings that may sometimes be outside of routine work hours)
• Ongoing commitment to anti-bias and anti-racist work, including participation in professional development and  implementation of any new curriculum, policies, or ways of working together and with our community.
• Work to support the overall operations of the non-profit programs as needed and available. This may include animal care, maintenance of program teaching and play areas, garden care, and working in additional programs for children and families.