Req #: 188315
Department: SEFS: Botanic Gardens
Appointing Department Web Address: https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/
Job Location: Seattle Campus
Job Location Detail: Washington Park Arboretum
Posting Date: 03/16/2021
Closing Info: Open Until Filled
Salary: $16.69 / hour
Shift: First Shift
The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.
At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.
The School of Environmental and Forest Services’ UW Botanic Gardens has some outstanding opportunities open for up to eight Temporary Summer Camp Naturalists. The position will be at the Botanic Gardens at the Washington Park Arboretum.
University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) Education Program Mission: Provide meaningful educational experiences that enrich participants’ connections with plants and the natural world.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, we value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, fairness, and opportunity for all. We see implicit and explicit exclusion from green spaces like botanic gardens as an injustice that shapes our past and present and must be countered as we move into the future.
As a community, we believe that working to achieve equity and promote inclusion is both crucial and complex; we embrace the continuous commitment, the collective growth mindset, and the humility required to make meaningful transformation.
For the full statement of commitment, visit https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/
Program Overview: The University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) is a leading center of botanical research, education, and outreach. With more than 320 acres of gardens and natural areas in the heart of Seattle, the UW Botanic Gardens is home to internationally significant plant collections, award-winning restoration ecology and conservation programs, and popular public programs serving youth, adults, and professionals. UWBG has two sites: the Washington Park Arboretum and the Center for Urban Horticulture.
Our day-camp curricula are designed to promote environmental conservation through education and recreation. To achieve this we focus on hands-on exploration, play and the concept of “learning by doing”. We want to develop a nature connection in our campers through fun, educational experiences in and about nature. In 2021, Arboretum Summer Camp will offer day camp to 1st-3rd grade campers, and volunteer and leadership training to high school students through the Junior Naturalist program and a 6-week internship program.
Job Description: Lead and teach thematic environmental education programs for 1st-3rd grade campers, integrating science, social-emotional learning, team building, art, and play. Serve as mentors to high school volunteers and interns. Summer Naturalists will lead field groups of up to 10 campers and supervise and provide activities during after care. Shifts will vary each week with the earliest starting at 7:30am and the latest ending at 5:15pm with all staff working 8 hours per day when camp is in session.
Dates: June 14 – August 27, 2021
Training takes place June 14-18, roughly 9am-3pm, times may vary.
Camp begins on June 21st and ends on August 27th (no camp on July 5th).
There are 5 sessions through-out the summer, each session is two weeks long, Monday-Friday.
Salary: $16.69 / hour
COVID-19 Considerations: This is an in-person, fully outdoors summer day camp. UWBG successfully ran an in-person summer day camp in 2020. We are experienced with the WA Department of Health safety guidelines and additional requirements from the University of Washington to run summer camp. While these requirements may be updated again before the summer of 2021, we are confident in our ability to adapt.
Related safety precautions currently in place for summer 2021 include:
• All staff and campers are masked except when eating or drinking. Campers and staff will remain socially distanced as much as possible, required when masks are removed to eat or drink.
• Campers register for two-week sessions. Staff work with the same group during the session and groups are not allowed to interact.
• Modified drop off and pick up to limit in-person interaction with caregivers. Daily health screenings for all campers, volunteers, and staff.
• Materials are assigned to individual children or to field groups. Materials that are shared are cleaned and sanitized before changing groups.
General Duties: Plan, prepare, and teach age and theme appropriate lessons, activities, games and experiences. Utilize the Arboretum to create fun and dynamic educational and recreational experiences for campers. Naturalists will be responsible for a group of up to 10 campers and possibly 1 high school assistants.
Essential Tasks:
• Prepare and teach thematic, culturally responsive, and age-appropriate experiences using prepared curriculum and other UW Botanic Gardens Youth and Family educational resources
• Collaborate and participate with fellow Summer Camp Naturalists in all daily activities and management of youth campers, including collaboration with and mentoring of a high school youth of all backgrounds and varying abilities
• Collaborate with lead, administrative, and support staff
• Follow all health and safety precautions including masking, social distancing, cleaning and sanitizing, hand washing, and field group isolation.
• Maintain and ensure safety of children and environment at all times
• Communicate effectively with families, campers, and Arboretum staff team
• Foster a fun and educational atmosphere
• Support and guide youth in their interpersonal and social-emotional development
Requirements:
• At least 2 years of experience (personal or professional) teaching diverse youth audience in an outdoor environment OR equivalent education.
• Willingness to work with students from 1st grade through high school in various capacities.
• Have excellent organizational skills, the ability to work as a team member, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Be punctual, responsible, and able to work outdoors in all types of weather.
• CPR and First Aid certification or willingness to obtain prior to the start of camp
• Must be 18 years or older.
Appointment to this position is contingent upon obtaining satisfactory results from a criminal background check and a Sexual Misconduct Disclosure check.
The University of Washington is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Department Contact:
Send questions to: Kim Daniel, Youth & Family Programs Supervisor, 206-616-3381, kwdaniel@uw.edu
Apply at UWHires. We will begin reviewing applications in late March and conduct interviews until all positions are filled.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.