Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Garden Ecology Youth Program Coordinator Position (Revised)

Job Title: Garden Ecology Youth Program Coordinator (REVISED) 
Reports to: Director of Youth Education & Director of Horticulture and Lead Gardener

 

Bartram’s Garden is seeking a Full Time Garden Ecology Youth Program Coordinator. Bartram’s Garden is a 50+ acre public garden in Southwest Philadelphia, situated on Lenape territory on the banks of the lower Schuylkill River. It is a venue for art, access to the tidal river and wetlands, an outdoor classroom and a living laboratory. Bartram’s Garden attempts to hold the colonial legacy of the land with a commitment to learn and share the whole truth about the plants of Southwest Philadelphia and the people who grow them.  For more information on Bartram's Garden visit www.bartramsgarden.org 
 

Since 2012 the Garden has hosted an award-winning, culturally relevant paid youth internship, employing more than 150 local high school students since the program’s inception and maintaining a 4-year graduation rate of 95%, in stark contrast to the local school’s 59%. Historically, the Garden has employed roughly 40 local students annually through parallel programs with the Sankofa Community Farm, Roots Tree Crew, and Denkyem River Guardians. Within these programs youth focus not only on technical skills like urban agriculture and watershed health but also on personal development in areas such as public speaking, cultural traditions, and team building. 

 

Bartram’s Garden is looking to add to our current youth programming through the introduction of an incoming Horticulture focused youth intern cohort program - “Earth Seeds.” Bartram’s Garden is seeking a program coordinator to recruit and manage the Earth Seeds youth intern cohort, as well as support the current Horticulture team in overall garden stewardship. 

 

Core Responsibilities include:  

  • Participate as an integral hybrid member of both Youth Education and Horticulture teams. 

Horticulture: 

  • Works alongside the Horticulture team in the year-round maintenance and overall care of Bartram’s natural/botanical gardens; horticultural operations across site  
  • Volunteer Engagement: Participates in hosting second and fourth Saturday volunteer days; support volunteer land stewardship efforts in collaboration with Horticulture and Development teams.  
  • Participates in regularly scheduled horticulture department work days and team meetings as needed.  
  • Participates in snow and leaf removal activities. 
  • Coordinates on-site horticulture projects for the youth crew with Director of Horticulture.  

 

Youth Education:  

  • Plans and coordinates six member “Earth Seeds” youth cohort including the recruitment and hiring of year-round youth interns.  
  • Develops and implements programming and curricula for youth interns in key horticulture skills including plant identification, tool competency, ecological landscaping, propagation, basic landscape design, soil and water science, pruning, adaptability to outdoor work, and traditional ecological knowledge. 
  • Participates in regularly scheduled Youth Education team meetings and works in collaboration with other program educators across site. 
  • Ensures documentation and compliance with all policies and procedures, including following all state mandated guidelines for clearances. 
  • Supports Bartram’s Education and Development teams in compiling quantitative and narrative reports of proposed and completed deliverables, including required grant reporting.   

Position Requirements: 

  • Previous experiences in K-12 teaching or youth development;  or previous training in Horticulture, natural ecosystems and restorative gardening practices preferred 
  • Enthusiasm for connecting and working with young people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. 
  • Ability to operate equipment and tools safely and efficiently.  Recommended experience in safe operation of machinery, small power equipment and power tools (Utility cart, tractor, mowers, chipper, etc.)  
  • Experience working in diverse communities with respect to race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, orientation, and place of origin; Lived commitment to racial, economic, environmental, and social justice. 
  • Personal or professional familiarity with Southwest Philadelphia 
  • Proficiency in utilizing and integrating office technology into daily workflow (Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, Teams, Zoom) 
  • PA Criminal Background Check, Federal Bureau of Investigation Clearance, PA Child Abuse Clearance, PA Mandatory Reporter training 
  • Preferred but not required: Red Cross CPR, First Aid certification. 

 

Physical Demands: 

Gardening is a physically demanding job that must happen regardless of weather (hot, cold, wet, and dry). While performing the duties of this job, the employee will regularly be required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee will frequently be required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance upon ladders. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The administrative components to this position require the ability to sit/stand at a desk, work on a computer, and use a monitor for extended periods of time. 

 
 

 

Schedule and Compensation 

This is a full-time, exempt, year-round position with an annual salary of $45,000 to $47,000. Our site is open daily, and the Garden Ecology Youth Program Coordinator’s schedule will require flexibility to include occasional holidays, weekends, early mornings and late nights throughout the year. Benefits include  healthcare and dental coverage, short and long-term disability coverage, and generous paid time-off including holidays, vacation, and sick time. 

 

To apply please submit your cover letter, resume to jobs@bartramsgarden.org.  Only those whose applications are being considered will be contacted. No phone calls please. The John Bartram Association is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. 

 

About Bartram’s Garden 

Bartram’s Garden is a 50-acre public park and National Historic Landmark in Southwest Philadelphia, situated on Lenape territory on the banks of the Tidal Schuylkill River. Welcoming more than 125,000 visitors annually, it is a venue for art, an access to the tidal river and wetlands, an outdoor classroom, and a living laboratory. Bartram’s Garden attempts to hold the colonial legacy of the land with a commitment to learn and share the whole truth about of the plants of Southwest Philadelphia and the people who grow them. The site encompasses the Bartram family’s 18th-century house and farm buildings, the country’s oldest surviving botanic garden, a reclaimed meadow, tidal wetlands, the Sankofa Community Farm, recreational trails, and the riverfront with an accessible public boat dock and community boathouse. 

  

The Garden is operated and maintained by the non-profit John Bartram Association in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department. The mission of the John Bartram Association is to create equitable relationships among people and nature through immersive, community-driven experiences that activate the Bartram legacy, Garden, and House, on land and on the Schuylkill River, in Southwest Philadelphia.  

  

Bartram’s Garden has been working to build its local Southwest-focused programs and activities and strengthen its community partnerships with nearby families, schools, and neighborhood groups. Thanks to plans for significant upcoming site investments, including major construction projects and expanded partnerships, the Garden is in the midst of transformation, with unprecedented opportunities for growth and renewal.