THE MARLENE MEYERSON JCC MANHATTAN

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Children's Forest Class Instructor

Department: Center for Family Life

Reports to: Yael Kahn Pinto, Director, Center for Family Life

FLSA Status: Exempt

Date: 2/21/23

Job Overview:

The Center for Family Life seeks an experienced educator to lead two (2), one hour long outdoor nature exploration classes per week, for children ages 1.5-5 years. This position requires a blend of qualifications that span having sound knowledge of early childhood education, as well as nature-based pedagogy. Candidates should possess curiosity and understanding, if not deep knowledge, of the local ecosystem with a commitment to helping young children develop their ecological identities through hands-on inquiry and play.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about educating children in nature and will be a skilled communicator, guided by a desire to listen to and speak compassionately with both children and adults. This instructor will honor young children as independent, capable thinkers through child-directed and experiential approaches to learning.

This position will begin in September 2023.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Responsible for planning and facilitating immersive outdoor experiences for young children
• Nurture individualized needs of children while also managing whole group experiences
• Employ an emergent curriculum plan, responding to children's interest and seasonal changes
• Offer opportunities for children to explore identity in the context of nature and the larger community
• Embrace a wide variety of weather conditions as pedagogical inspiration

Qualifications:

• Naturalist background with knowledge of local ecology, flora, and fauna; Master Gardener or Master Naturalist certification preferred
• Minimum of two years experience leading outdoor education programs and working with young children
• Eager to and experienced in facilitating outdoor learning in all seasons
• Experience in early childhood education and/or outdoor/nature education programs
• Comfortable with and enthusiasm for sitting on the ground, getting dirty, being outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, moving through a variety of terrains, and interacting with insects
• Availability one to two weekday mornings between 9:00 and 12:00

Strongly favored:

• Naturalist skills and knowledge; Lifeways Training; Waldorf Teacher Training; Reggio Emilia Study Trip/Experience; Certified Forest School Teacher; Experience with storytelling and singing songs

Hourly Range: $75-$100/session, commensurate with experience

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to: Kerin Robins, Program Manager, (krobins@mmjccm.org)

Diversity is a core value of The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive.