Education Program Coordinator

The Compost Education Centre is Hiring a Child and Youth Education Program Coordinator

Position: Child and Youth Education Coordinator
Organization: Compost Education Centre
Location: Victoria, BC

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) promotes composting, soil stewardship, local food production, and ecological conservation by providing information and resources on composting and waste reduction strategies, organic gardening, and conservation practices. Our vision is to cultivate resilient communities where all living beings thrive.

The CEC’s work is conducted throughout Songhees, Esquimalt, W̱SÁNEĆ, T’Sou-ke, and Scia’new Territories also known as the Capital Regional District. The CEC teaches a wide variety of educational workshops for children, youth, and adults in community spaces and at the CEC’s demonstration site in Victoria. The CEC integrates volunteer support into all aspects of its work, and we attend a wide variety of community events to share our educational resources. The CEC offers a child and youth education program, adult education workshop series, Healing City Soils program, free factsheets, and an information hotline. We are committed to providing residents of the CRD with ecological knowledge of waste diversion, sustainability, composting, and soil health.

Job Title: Child and Youth Education Program Coordinator

• Work Week: Wednesday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (28 hours per week, 56 hours per pay period) with some evening and weekend work required.
• Wage: $27.55 per hour starting wage. Vacation starts at 3 weeks per year. Extended health and dental benefits begin upon employment.

Job Description:

The Child and Youth Education Program Coordinator (CYEC) reports to the Executive Director and works with a second CYEC to co-coordinate the delivery of children and youth educational programs offered by the CEC. This CYEC position primarily includes the administration of the program and the delivery of workshops to schools, camps, and community groups both on and off-site with the potential for curriculum development and spring, summer, and professional development day camps with the City of Victoria. It involves working in collaboration with the other CYEC to hire and supervise summer students as well as the potential for support with grant writing, reporting and funding research, and occasional delivery of adult workshops.

Responsibilities:

Program Administration and Management (40%)

• Deliver a minimum of 150 workshops annually for preschools, daycare centres, elementary schools, and secondary schools located in the 13 municipalities and three Electoral Areas.
• Administer the booking, invoicing, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of the Child and Youth Education program.
• Manage the delegation of bookings to other CYEC and summer students.
• Promote education programs through web- and print-based communications and public outreach.
• Maintain information systems related to education programs.
• Maintain communication with the other CYEC about projects, tasks, goals, and workflow.
• Co-hire, supervise, and train summer student and volunteers to assist in the delivery of the child and youth education program.
• Support writing and researching granting opportunities relevant to child and youth education programming with leadership from Executive Director.

Workshop Delivery (40%)

• Deliver workshops on topics like worm composting, backyard composting, soil, seeds and other topics related to gardening and ecological stewardship.
• Conduct interactive site tours of the CEC’s demonstration site.
• Deliver occasional adult workshops such as worm composting and composting basics.
• Coordinate and co-deliver additional programming such as City of Victoria camps.

Workshop Development and Updates (10%)

• Ensure the workshops delivered have age-appropriate themes of composting and food waste reduction as it relates to soil science, ecological stewardship, and the CRD’s waste diversion programs.
• Potential to research, develop, and deliver new workshops.
• Upgrade educational program props and materials as needed.
• Maintain supplies needed for workshop delivery.

General Tasks (10%)

• Respond to hotline calls, emails, and site visitors. Answer composting and gardening questions, sell composting supplies, and promote the Centre’s services.
• Assist with other general tasks of the Centre (e.g. newsletter articles, strategic planning, etc.).
• Liaise with other staff to participate in interactive educational events in the community.
• Assist with other ongoing programs and priorities.
• Perform weekly chores.

Minimum Requirements:

• Driver’s license and clean driver’s abstract.
• Access to a vehicle for work use OR eligibility to join the CEC’s Modo Carshare Membership by satisfying the following criteria:
  • Be 19+ years of age or, if younger than 19, join as a Green Member,
  • Have an N licence or better or the equivalent from another jurisdiction (non-BC licences are welcome) (you must be allowed to drive alone in the car),
  • Have had no licence suspensions or prohibitions within the past two years,
  • Have not received six or more driver penalty points (or equivalent demerit points) in the past two years, and
  • Have not been charged with, or convicted of, any Major Traffic Violation.
• Physical ability to lift 25-pound boxes for short distances including up a flight of stairs.
• A criminal record check that would clear you to work with children under 19.
• Fluency in English.
• Experience working or volunteering with children and/or youth.
• Experience in and enthusiasm for group facilitation, education, and public outreach.
• Ability to work some evenings and weekends.
• Proven communication, coordination, interpersonal, and time management skills.
• Experience with administrative duties like scheduling, sending emails, and drafting invoices.
• Knowledge and enthusiasm about gardening, composting, and ecological stewardship.
• Commitment to upholding values of inclusion and equity in the workplace and in educational settings.
• University or college diploma in a related discipline with a minimum of three years’ experience working in educational programming in either a volunteer or professional capacity OR equivalent combination of work experience and education.

Desired (but not mandatory) Qualifications:.

• Demonstrated proficiency in MS Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Outlook.
• Between the ages of 15 and 30 inclusive.
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person as defined by the immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• Experience researching and developing educational materials.
• Experience delivering workshops in schools and/or other settings to diverse audiences.
• Experience working or volunteering in a non-profit environment.
• Knowledge about food security as it relates to regional food systems.
• Fluency in French or another language in addition to English.
• Willingness to ride your own bicycle with provided bicycle trailer.

Application Process

Please complete this questionnaire, Child and Youth Education Program Coordinator Questionnaire 2024, and then email a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references as one single PDF document to info@compost.bc.ca using the file name format “CY Ed Coordinator – Last Name” and the email subject “CY Ed Coordinator – Last Name.” Please ensure that your application explicitly addresses all skills and requirements listed above as well as why you are interested in working with us here at the CEC. Please mention you saw this posting at FoodWork.ca.

The CEC is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible application process for all candidates. We value diversity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If you require any accommodations during the application process, please don't hesitate to reach out to Claire at info@compost.bc.ca We are dedicated to identifying and implementing practical and effective accommodations to ensure a fair, respectful, and supportive experience for every applicant.

Our hiring timeline is as follows:

• January 3rd: Posting closed
• January 8th: All candidates contacted. Shortlist of candidates contacted to schedule interviews.
• January 17th: All interviews completed.
• January 21st: Verbal offer made to one candidate.
• January 29th: Anticipated start date

If our timeline changes, we will endeavor to communicate the changes to all candidates. We look forward to receiving your application and appreciate your interest in joining our team at CEC.