Type: Part-Time 20 hours/week, typically Monday through Thursday

Application Deadline: Rolling, review of applicants to begin immediately

Location: Norfolk, CT
Compensation: $26.00 per hour

Term: 1 year with renewal expected pending additional funding

Who we are: The 6,300-acre Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a nonprofit dedicated to forest management that achieves resilience, fights climate change, enhances biodiversity, supports research, empowers education, and demonstrates sustainable community benefits. We are on a mission to catalyze regional forest management that achieves these goals.

What we can achieve together: The K-12 Program Coordinator works with partners to develop leading field experiences that meet curriculum requirements and other learning objectives of local schools by bringing students into the forest and using its natural systems as a classroom and laboratory. The K-12 Program Coordinator designs learning modules, long-term deep learning experiences, aligned professional development opportunities for local teachers, and assessments to measure and improve program impact. They also recruit and coordinate the schools and classes served, and adjunct and partner instructors who help to deliver programming. Together, we will weave local forests into the educational experience of every student in GMF’s service area.

Primary responsibilities

• Promote, coordinate, and teach GMF’s NGSS-aligned K–12 forest programs. The first-year goal is to complete or schedule at least 12 programs serving approximately six schools.
• Build relationships with public and private schools within approximately 45 minutes of GMF, adapting programs to their curricula, schedules, and student needs.
• Maintain existing teaching materials and gradually develop new NGSS-aligned programs in response to school interest.
• Manage scheduling, school communications, materials, permissions, and safety procedures.
• Recruit, train, and schedule contract educators using a designated adjunct budget, ensuring two prepared adults teach each school program.
• Support additional youth activities, including guided hikes, scout programs, and overnights.
• Assist with occasional professional-development programs focused on forestry and outdoor education.
• Devote no more than one-third of the position to exploring “Deep Learning” partnerships: sustained, curriculum-connected experiences that extend beyond a single visit. The first-year goal is to establish one school partner and maintain discussions with two or three others. The specific model will be developed with participating schools based on their needs and GMF’s capacity.
• Track participation and feedback, manage student permissions and privacy, and assist with grant research, applications, and program reporting.

Most of the Program Manager’s time will be devoted to school outreach, program coordination, and teaching.

Qualifications

• Several years of K–12 teaching experience and/or current or former teaching certification.
• Experience with NGSS-aligned curriculum.
• Knowledge of forests, ecology, natural resources, or outdoor education.
• Ability to teach outdoors in varied weather and terrain.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to pass a background check.
• Knowledge of Northwest Connecticut schools and established regional relationships are strongly preferred.

Experienced educators seeking part-time work, including retired educators, are encouraged to apply.