This position is with The Conservation Fund based on Chapel Hill, NC. At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity.

Good Hope Farm honors Cary’s agricultural heritage while increasing the community’s access to farmland and connecting its residents to local, healthy food. 

BEFORE YOU APPLY, PLEASE “READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY”: HTTP://WWW.CTNC.ORG/CONNECT/AMERICORPS-APPLICATION-PORTAL-2/ AND INCLUDE ALL RELEVANT MATERIALS IN YOUR APPLICATION. APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THE RELEVANT ITEMS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR AN AMERICORPS POSITION FOR 10-MONTHS WITH A PRE-DETERMINED LIVING ALLOWANCE OF $14,000 AND OTHER BENEFITS THAT INCLUDE: CHILD CARE BENEFIT, HEALTH CARE BENEFIT FOR MONTHLY PREMIUM COVERAGE, AND THE SEGAL EDUCATION AWARD UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE TERM OF $6,095. ALL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE LINK PROVIDED ABOVE. 

CTNC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE BECAUSE OF RACE, CREED, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, AGE, DISABILITY, SEXUAL PREFERENCE OR FAMILIAL STATUS.

CTNC SEEKS TO ENGAGE APPLICANTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY OF ASIAN, BLACK, HISPANIC, MULTI-RACIAL, AND NATIVE AMERICAN BACKGROUND, IN CONSERVATION CAREERS. CONNECTING MORE DIVERSE APPLICANTS TO AN EMPLOYMENT PATHWAY HAS LED TO GREATER EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OF ALL PEOPLE IN CONSERVATION.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

This position will support and expand educational programs at Good Hope Farm, an urban farm located in Cary, NC. Good Hope Farm is a partnership project with The Conservation Fund, the Town of Cary, Piedmont Conservation Council, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, and the North Carolina Community Development Initiative that provides support to beginning farmers and connects the community to healthy, local food and sustainable agriculture and environmental education opportunities.  In production for over 100 years, the Town of Cary purchased Good Hope Farm in 2008 and with support from the partnership, opened the farm to a new generation of farmers in 2017.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

The Good Hope Farm Community Outreach Coordinator will work with staff to build the farm’s educational programming, provide outreach opportunities to low-income residents, and recruit and manage volunteers for farm workdays. Duties include:

• Recruit volunteers for farm workdays and events
• Provide training and supervision during farm workdays
• Plan and execute educational programs about environmental topics around sustainable agriculture and food
• Conduct outreach engage nearby residents about Good Hope Farm
• Assist with managing farm workdays
• Assist in developing content for farm website and social media accounts

This position will be based in Chapel Hill, with frequent travel to Cary.

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Experience teaching and working with children and adults in a professional or volunteer setting
• Good community engagement and informal education skills
• Experience working with and managing volunteers
• Strong public speaker
• Formal and/or informal training in environmental education, natural resources, or related field
• Some experience with agricultural processes preferred
• Work well both in teams and independently
• Spanish language skills appreciated
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively, creatively and effectively with people of all ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds
• Must be at least 18 years of age, be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States; Must have a legal driver’s license and consent to a criminal history check
• Demonstrated computer abilities in Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint; webpage and social media background a plus

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to walk over rough terrain and use hand tools
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds
• Ability to be outside in all types of weather
• Ability to travel around the Triangle region with reliable transportation
• Ability to communicate with diverse groups orally and in writing
• Ability to present educational material to all ages 
• Ability to work in an office environment

PREFERRED SCHEDULE

Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30, and a minimum of one Saturday a month. There will be some flexibility in this schedule depending on the program times and the needs of the project. This will allow the member to achieve a minimum of 1700 service hours by the end of the service term.