Job purpose

A Wenatchee River Institute (WRI) Community Programs Educator will work with us towards our mission of connecting people, communities and the natural world. The Community Programs Educator will work primarily with WRI’s Community Programs and will also support WRI’s Youth Programs. This can include leading seasonal nature walks, organizing community workshops and events, coordinating speakers for talks/presentations, working with volunteers, instructing youth After School Program, instructing youth day camps and school programs, and traveling to regional schools to deliver lessons.

Duties and responsibilities

The primary focus of the Community Programs Educator is to implement community education programs at WRI and in the Wenatchee area. The secondary focus is supporting youth education programs. The following list of job duties is not an exhaustive list of all tasks associated with the position.

Responsibility: Program Implementation & Operations

• Develop, coordinate, and implement community programs, such as Red Barn Events, Bird Fest, Workshops, Science on Tap, Seasonal Nature Walks, Community Garden, Self-Guided education, etc.
• Manage registrations and calendar events for community programs
• Provide clear and welcoming communication to community program participants
• Manage participants’ physical, social, and emotional safety/risk
• Collaborate with Community Programs and Youth Programs staff
• Lead hands-on, natural science education programs on our campus and at off-site locations as needed
• Work independently and as part of a team
• Assist and support volunteers and interns

Responsibility: Program Development

• Develop new Community Education programs
• Develop community partnerships
• Work collaboratively with the Education Director and Community Programs Manager to develop and maintain WRI community programs’ goals, outcomes, programming, scheduling, financials, and protocols 

Responsibility: Program Sustainability

• Support Wenatchee River Institute mission and community outreach
• Support evaluation of impact of Community Programs
• Share campus stewardship responsibilities
• Take photos of programs and manage for social media and marketing use

Qualifications

All employees are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination at the start of employment.

Studies have shown that women and BIPOC candidates are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and qualifications for the role. Your skills, experience, and education can come from personal interests, self-directed learning, community roles, and life experiences. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are interested in the position, even if you do not believe that you meet all the qualifications.

The candidate must be self-motivated, reliable, punctual, and able to work effectively with the public.

Minimum Qualifications include:

• Have an interest in, respect for, and ability to work with adults and youth
• Have an interest in science, environmental studies, nature, or related field and an interest in sharing this subject with other people
• Commitment to stewardship, conservation, and connecting people to the natural world
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion within teaching and community
• Ability to work actively outdoors in a variety of conditions and share a tight office space
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances
• Ability to get to WRI campus and other programming sites in and around Leavenworth and Wenatchee
• Current First Aid and CPR certifications or willingness to obtain
• Have a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record for the past three years

Preferred Qualifications include:

• Experience working with adults and families
• Experience leading or coordinating community programs
• Knowledge of the local community
• Ability to lead programs in Spanish