Start-Date: Flexible, Fall/Winter 2019
End-Date: August 7th, 2020
Location: Newport, Vermont
About Green Mountain Farm-to-School
Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a nonprofit organization promoting the health and well-being of Vermont’s children, farms and communities by providing programs to connect schools and farms through food and education. In the 2019-2020 academic year, GMFTS aims to serve school communities in the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) of Vermont with school gardens, educational programming and fresh local farm foods, benefiting over 5,000 students. For more information about GMFTS, please visit www.greenmountainfarmtoschool.org.
Position Description
This position is part of the Lyndon Economic opportunity AmeriCorps Program (LEAP). LEAP is a national service program that places AmeriCorps members with non-profit organizations throughout the NEK of Vermont to support those organizations in expanding their services that many communities rely on. LEAP supports their members in their path to educational and career attainment through direct service, on-going trainings, and professional development opportunities offered during the service year. Position dependent upon LEAP federal funding.
The primary responsibilities of the AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator will be to develop, grow, present, and evaluate GMFTS’ Farm-to-School Programs. This is a full-time year-long AmeriCorps position. The Farm-to-School Coordinator reports to the Farm to School Program Manager.
The AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator will:
Develop and maintain relationships with GMFTS partners
Serve as the primary contact for 3-5 schools
Create lesson plans for programming and maintain educational materials
Deliver GMFTS educational programs and events including taste tests, field trips, workshops and special events
Plant, maintain, and harvest school gardens
Recruit and train community volunteers
Design outreach and publicity materials
Use database to collect, analyze, and report data for program evaluation
Photo document activities and download in a timely manner
Work closely with staff, parents, food service directors, and farmers
Facilitate Farm-to-School Committee meetings
Serve as an independent member of a team of Coordinators
Plan, organize, and attend community and organizational events
Create educational newsletters highlighting Vermont Harvest of the Month
Communicate organization’s mission through social media (Facebook, Instagram)
Qualifications
● Be a US citizen
● A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
● Knowledge of local food systems and sustainable agriculture
● Strong interest in working with children, teaching (formal or non-formal) experience required
● Some knowledge of gardening and vegetable production needed
● Excellent public speaking, writing skills, and organizational skills
● Strong interpersonal skills
● Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing non-profit environment
● Offer contingent upon results from National Service Criminal History Check
● Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
Compensation:
AmeriCorps Members who complete their term of service in a full-time position will receive:
A biweekly stipend totaling approximately $13,992 for the year
Mileage reimbursement
Health insurance, if not covered under another policy
Child care, if necessary
Student loan forbearance
A $6,095 Education Award for past or future education
Subsidized housing
Career mentoring, professional development, and strong work experience
Eligible for monthly SNAP benefits
To Apply: Submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@gmfts.org. No phone calls please. Open until filled. EOE