Getty Global Art and Sustainability Fellowship – Garden-Based Learning and Community Engagement

The Skirball Cultural Center is seeking to engage a two-year fellow with three distinct capabilities: knowledge of permaculture agriculture practice, ability to tend and direct garden cultivation, and experience in early childhood education or older adult continued learning. The focus of the fellowship will center on the launch of a new learning garden at Noah's Ark at the Skirball, supporting its ongoing care and cultivation once planted and installed by landscape designers and installation team in Fall 2025, engagement with visitors to the garden, and relationship building with relevant community organizations. The Fellow will co-create meaningful learning experiences for children and multigenerational audiences, steward the ongoing cultivation of the garden, and engage with community partners to extend the garden's reach across Skirball's programs and networks. The fellow will be a member of the Skirball's Education and Family Programs team, working closely with Operations team members and consultants and service providers. While the Fellow will have experience in the areas listed above, this is also an educational opportunity for the Fellow to evaluate the feasibility of sustainable gardening practices across the Skirball's campus and in school-based programs throughout the region in the coming years.

Contract Timeframe: Fall 2025 through Summer 2027

Compensation: Research Fellow is a full time, limited term position with an hourly rate of $28/hr. This role is eligible for Skirball's employee benefits package.

Contract Scope, Deliverables, and Responsibilities:

• Help develop an ongoing garden cultivation plan as a member of the Skirball's Education and Family Programs department and in close collaboration with the Operations Department, landscape design consultant Farmer D, and landscape maintenance provider Four Seasons. Note: The garden's design and initial installation will be completed by landscape professionals in Fall 2025; the Fellow will focus on care, programming, and refinement rather than original design.
• Evaluate and recommend future opportunities to replicate success in the learning garden to other locations at the Skirball and in community.
• To the extent volunteers and third-party service providers, including Four Seasons and Shemesh Farms, are a part of the garden cultivation plan, coordinate schedule, responsibilities, supplies, supervision, and logistics among the same. The Fellow will not oversee construction or initial planting, but if hired before the installation, will observe and assist with documentation and logistics during the process, ensuring a smooth handoff to their role coordinating care, programming, and engagement once the garden is operational.
• Help develop and co-teach a new garden curriculum with Skirball educators for weekday school programs, specifically school groups from local TK through 3rd grade classes.
• Help develop self-guided and “low touch” visitor engagement talking points, prompts, and activities for visitors to the gardens during afternoon, weekend, and school holiday hours, anticipating a broad age and literacy range.
• Identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration with other garden learning sites, using Skirball's existing network of school and community partners and other curriculum distribution networks.

Key Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will spend approximately 60% of their time on educational program development, delivery, and visitor engagement, and 40% on garden cultivation and care. We're looking for passionate educators first, with a solid foundation in sustainable gardening practices.

• Experience in permaculture and/or biodynamic farming, Jewish farming practices, and garden cultivation. Familiarity with Mediterranean climate plant care and native habitat gardening is a plus.
• Experience developing or utilizing early childhood education or adult learning resources.
• Demonstrated ability to lead participatory educational experiences for people of all ages.
• Experience in informal or formal educational settings (early childhood, multigenerational, or museum-based).
• Experience developing curriculum and educational resources that align with state or national learning standards, with an emphasis on environmental or garden-based education.
• Experience developing inclusive and accessible educational materials and programs, ensuring engagement for learners of all abilities and backgrounds.
• Ability to mentor, train, or support fellow educators, volunteers, and staff in delivering high-quality garden-based learning experiences.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, flexibility, and attention to detail, deadlines, and follow-through.
• Affinity for working consultatively and incorporating the input of others.
• Personal resonance with the Skirball Cultural Center's mission and values, including its grounding in Jewish tradition and commitment to social and environmental responsibility, with the ability to integrate themes of community, civic engagement, and shared responsibility into educational programming.
• Ability to work extended hours that require physical agility outdoors (e.g., kneeling, crouching, lifting, sitting on ground) and sustained energy.
• Ability to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays when visits to Skirball are often most popular.
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Education, Environmental Education, Horticulture, Museum Education, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Preferred: Prior experience working in a culturally specific organization, with knowledge of Jewish history, culture, and traditions.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a garden-based learning experience rooted in sustainability, Jewish values, and human connection. We welcome applicants who are passionate about land stewardship, education, and creating inclusive spaces for intergenerational learning.