About Urban Growers Collective
Urban Growers Collective (UGC) was founded by Laurell Sims and Erika Allen in the fall of 2017. Rooted in Growing Food, we cultivate nourishing environments which support health, economic development, healing and creativity through urban agriculture. Our approach is to demonstrate and support development of community-based food systems where produce is grown, prepared, and distributed within neighborhoods. In this way, communities help themselves by learning how to provide for their own needs in a sustainable manner.
We operate seven urban farms on 11-acres of land predominantly located on Chicago’s south-side. These farms are production oriented with staff integrating education, training, and production to meet program goals. Each farm site ‘demonstrates’ the capacity for both large volumes of production and the ecological and social impacts of farming in society. In addition to farming on 11-acres in Chicago, Urban Growers Collective focuses on two key areas: food access and education. To address food access, we operate the Fresh Moves Mobile Markets, a program that transformed three buses into farmers’ markets on wheels and sells fresh, culturally appropriate food on the West and Southside of Chicago. Our education programs include youth employment, farmer training, a head-start preschool farm, as well as urban agriculture and equity building workshops and events.
Our core values as an organization honor shared leadership and collective decision making; racial, economic, gender and LGBTQ equity; as well as employee well being: we have witnessed how these values lead to thoughtful, holistic programming and yield environments that nourish and create prosperity.
About Urban Growers Collective’s Youth Corps
Urban Growers Collective Youth Corps engages and employs over 300 youth annually throughout our urban farm sites. Our farms serve as a safe space for teens to explore their interests, work collectively, share their talents and learn from one another. During their time spent on the farms, youth expand their understanding of many aspects of urban farming and community food system development.
Through hands-on instruction, teens learn the technical skills essential for farming in an urban environment. Teens grow organic vegetables, herbs and flowers and participate in all phases of farm production. Teens learn to produce compost, prep growing beds, and how to identify, plant, harvest and market the vegetables growing at the farm. They also assist with general farm tasks, pest management, site beautification and infrastructure development. At many of our locations, youth also manage an onsite farm stand, increasing access to fresh, healthy, affordable produce for their community, and providing a window into the economic and entrepreneurial opportunities that exist within food system development.
In addition to hands-on instruction at the farm, youth explore the science behind farming, through several inquiry-based experiments and take part in nutrition, hunger, cooking, art, food justice and food politics activities. This program aims to serve as both a job training experience and to encourage leadership development. It is our goal that teens graduate with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable food system development and the ability to connect and communicate how the skills they’ve gained at the farm translate to any career path they may follow.
Position Description
The Youth Program Instructor will specifically focus on providing instruction during the Urban Growers Collective Youth Corps Summer Program, a six-week program focused on farming, community food system development and leadership. Looking for individuals with experience working with young people and the ability to teach a multidisciplinary youth program at a farm. In this position you will lead teens in daily farm work and facilitate workshops on science, nutrition, hunger, cooking, work readiness, food justice and food politics activities. The Youth Program Instructor will provide lead instruction and supervision of up to 17 teens.
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Recruitment, supervision and orientation of Youth Corps Participants.
Independently deliver UGC Curriculum to up to 17 students in a farm setting. - Maintain organized student paperwork and daily attendance (paper and online). - Communicate with parents when teens are absent or late to program.
Coordination and planning of summer lesson plans and curriculum in partnership with the Youth Program Coordinator.
Enforce Covid-19 guidelines to youth corps participants while working on farm sites. - Report incidents or challenges to supervisors and complete necessary paperwork. - Assist with farm work management, community outreach and production goals as needed.
Desired Qualifications:
Youth leadership development experience and skills.
Experience teaching in an interactive, project-based environment.
Interest and knowledge of food systems and organic sustainable farming.
Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with teens, parents, community partners and residents.
Experience teaching youth in both in-person and virtual settings.
Excellent organization, communication and follow-through skills.
Maintains appropriate professional boundaries in working with teens.
Ability to think critically and creatively.
Ability to work as part of a team in a collaborative environment.
Passion for food justice, dismantling racism, youth development and urban farming!
Duration: 8 weeks, (June 12, 2023 – August 5, 2023) Orientation + program prep (2 weeks; June 12 - June 24 2023), Youth Program facilitation ( 6weeks; June 26 - August 4, 2023 ) Instructor Exit Interviews (August 5, 2023)
Compensation: Hourly, commensurate with experience (average $20/hour)
Open Positions
Roosevelt Square Farm Instructor: Looking for an individual with experience working with young people and the ability to teach a multidisciplinary youth program at a farm. Will lead teens in daily farm work and facilitate workshops on science, nutrition, hunger, cooking, work readiness, food justice and food politics activities. The instructor at this site will also assist youth in operating a weekly community farm stand on site. Ability to travel and work on the farm, as needed is preferred. Priority will be given to candidates with farm management skills.
South Chicago Farm Instructor: Looking for an individual with experience working with young people and the ability to teach a multidisciplinary youth program at a farm. Will lead teens in daily farm work and facilitate workshops on science, nutrition, hunger, cooking, work readiness, food justice and food politics activities. Ability to travel and work on the farm, as needed is preferred. This is a year round program and there may be opportunities to continue instruction during the school year.
Grant Park Farm Instructor: Looking for an individual with experience working with young people and the ability to teach a multidisciplinary youth program at a farm. Will lead teens in daily farm work and facilitate workshops on science, nutrition, hunger, cooking, work readiness, food justice and food politics activities. Ability to travel and work on the farm, as needed. This is a seasonal position only.
Applicants will be interviewed and hired on a rolling basis as applications are accepted. We hiring multiple position for this role (part-time and full-time)