Educator, Family Partnerships Specialist
Job Title: Educator, Family Partnerships Specialist
Department: Education
Reports to: Senior Educator for School & Family Programs
Supervises: Seasonal Educators as needed
Classification: Full-time, Exempt
Salary range: Associate Specialist, $43,000-$46,000
About Portland Audubon
Portland Audubon has been a leading voice in conservation for over a century. Through collaboration with a vast network of advocates, nature enthusiasts, and partners, we inspire and connect people to nature through a variety of programs that are grounded in science and learning. We are located in a 172-acre wildlife sanctuary in Forest Park, just minutes from downtown Portland.
Portland Audubon is committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment, reflecting the diversity of our community in its board, staff, volunteers, and members; ensuring its internal culture, business practices, and programs are welcoming and advance its diversity goals; and empowering staff to make positive changes in their environment and in Portland Audubon’s culture. All Portland Audubon employees are expected to serve diverse audiences and help advance our diversity strategies. More background on our diversity efforts can be found at http://audubonportland.org/about.
Every year, our Education Department reaches approximately 15,000 youth and 4,000 adults with programs throughout our Portland Sanctuary, at our cabin near Mt. Hood, in greenspaces throughout the state and internationally. We collaborate closely with twenty different community-based organizations in the Portland Metro area to deliver over 450 hours of free programming, with a focus on working with families from communities that have been historically disenfranchised.
Job Summary
Portland Audubon’s Educator, Family Partnerships Specialist will join a team of educators leading engaging tours and programs for school children through onsite field trips at our Sanctuary, off-site field trips to natural areas and classrooms, and overnight experiences at our cabin near Mt. Hood. In addition, the Family Partnerships Specialist will act as the lead in fostering meaningful, ongoing relationships with families from three community development corporations (CDCs) throughout the Metro area. Programs include Family Days, afterschool, and summer camps, as well as a new initiative working with young adults to co-create culturally-responsive nature education programs in their own communities.
Portland Audubon is committed to actively collaborating with more diverse audiences including youth of color, immigrants, and people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The Family Partnerships Specialist will play a key role in this work by sustaining collaborative partnerships with CDCs that provide critical services to communities that have been historically disenfranchised. Together, they will create a suite of nature-based programs infused with a racial justice lens. As such, we seek an educator who views advancing equity and inclusion as central to their practice, and who has a strong, demonstrated connection to communities of color. As many families that we work with through our partnerships are predominantly Spanish-speaking, fluency in Spanish is highly desirable for this position.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
SCHOOL & FAMILY PROGRAM DELIVERY
- Support and deliver school and camp programs including tours and field trips; workshops in school classrooms; and overnight programs on-site and at our cabin
- Collaborate with team to support program logistics including transportation, food and equipment, and maintenance, repair and organization of materials as needed
- Coordinate large-scale Portland Audubon family events including Night Flight
FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS
- Work with partner CDCs to develop programs aligned with their needs
- Collaborate with partners to implement Spring after-school programs and Family Days
- Design and lead 8 weeks of free summer camp that bring children and families from partner affordable housing developments into wildscapes throughout the region
YOUNG ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
- Work with Director of Education, Local Programs Specialist and CDC partners to conduct listening sessions regarding youth development at Portland Audubon
- Develop a new, pilot paid program for high schoolers in environmental education
- Recruit 5-6 high school students from the community served by one CDC for the program
- Develop and lead workshops for youth focused on Pacific Northwest ecology, environmental education, and culturally-responsive teaching
- Collaborate with youth to develop after-school curriculum and camp for children at the CDC
ADMINISTRATION & SUPPORT
- Support recruitment, onboarding and training of seasonal educators for all programs (including tours, field trips, camps, etc.)
- Join team in assisting with program administration as needed including scheduling, descriptions, web edits, and overall logistics
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Deep knowledge of environmental education, with a focus on racial justice, culturally-responsive teaching, and inquiry
- Experience teaching children in informal learning environments, especially in the outdoors
- Demonstrated cultural competency and commitment to working with diverse populations, including communities of color, immigrants, and underserved communities
- Experience working with partners and/or youth to cocreate education programs from scratch, including design, logistics, implementation, and evaluation
- Experience working with and mentoring high-school-age youth
- Knowledge of Pacific Northwest ecology and/or natural history
- Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google suite
- Spanish fluency highly desirable
Working Conditions:
- Must possess a current driver’s license; willingness to be trained and certified for CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) desirable
- Must be able to transport Audubon materials throughout the Greater Portland Area
- Ability to be certified in Basic First Aid and CPR
Application
Portland Audubon does not discriminate on the basis of race; creed; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; age; religion; marital status; national origin or ancestry; political affiliation; citizenship; lawful immigration status; or mental, physical or medical disability; Veteran status; or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces.
Applicants of color, immigrants, and other underserved persons are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Please email your cover letter, resume, and completed employment application* to jobs@audubonportland.org with subject: “Educator, Family Partnerships Specialist”.
*Employment application available at www.audubonportland.org/about/jobs
EMAIL SUBMISSIONS PREFERRED.
To submit via US Postal Service:
Keia Booker, Senior HR and Equity Manager
Attn: Educator, Family Partnerships Specialist
5151 NW Cornell Road
Portland, OR 97210
Application Deadline: on or before Friday March 27 at 5pm.
Diversity Statement:
Portland Audubon believes that inspiring all people to love and protect nature is best achieved when we embrace diversity as a value and practice. In the same way an ecosystem needs many types of plants and wildlife, an organization thrives when it includes a diversity of people and perspectives. We recognize that inequities are widespread and create gaps between our present reality and our aspirations. Audubon is committed to:
- Reflecting the diversity of the community in our board, staff, volunteers, and members.
- Ensuring our internal culture, business practices, and programs are welcoming and advance our diversity goals.
- Empowering people to make positive changes in their community and environment.
Portland Audubon has completed two years of a five-year strategic plan. A core priority moving forward is to infuse equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) into all of the goals and work of the organization. This position will play an important role in achieving the organization’s EID goals through engagement with staff, board members, donors, volunteers and the public. We recognize that in order to serve diverse communities we must also have diversity represented in our staff.