Are you: An environmental educator who enjoys engaging school groups in outdoor education programs that complement classroom instruction and support teachers in meeting their learning objectives?

OR...are you a teacher seeking a career change to work full-time in environmental education? If you thrive in a creative and dynamic team environment we’d love to have you join our Environmental Education Team!

Who we are: Blandy Experimental Farm is a 700-acre ecological field station affiliated with the University of Virginia. We are located near Boyce, Virginia in the Northern Shenandoah Valley about 10 miles east of Winchester and 60 miles west of Washington, D.C.  Our mission is to increase understanding of the natural environment through research and education. The State Arboretum of Virginia, situated within Blandy Experimental Farm, is a 180-acre public garden featuring more than 5500 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in diverse habitats such as woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and open fields. These Arboretum habitats serve as our outdoor classrooms!  https://blandy.virginia.edu/

Position Description: We are seeking a full-time Environmental Educator to join our preK-12 Education Program. Our programs engage students in authentic, age appropriate, science investigations aligned with Virginia’s Science Standards of Learning. Using hands-on, inquiry-based teaching techniques, we adapt our approach to meet the specific needs of teachers and their students. Additionally, we design and lead professional learning opportunities for classroom teachers and environmental educators. Each year, we provide training to 400-600 educators throughout Virginia, the mid-Atlantic region, and nationally. Approximately 6,000 public, private, and homeschool students participate in our programs annually. Our Education Team includes the Director of Education, the Lead Environmental Educator, two full-time Environmental Educators (including this position), and two part-time, seasonal educators. We are excited to welcome a new member to our team!

The Environmental Educator:

• Serves as an essential instructor for our diverse population of students from urban, rural, and suburban public school divisions, as well as private and homeschool groups.
• Helps set up and break down teaching stations and orders, prepares, and maintains teaching supplies.
• Assists with annual program review and revisions; especially collaborating with other team members in adapting education resources to better serve diverse preK-12 audiences.
• Helps plan and instruct professional development programs that enhance the science knowledge and teaching skills of preK-12 and environmental educators.
• Engages in adminstrative tasks such as helping to maintain our annual program data and preparing school divisiion contct lists.

The ideal candidate:

• Has a degree in a natural science or education field.
• Has at least one year of experience teaching environmental education in an outdoor setting. Equivalent experience, such as classroom teaching with a strong emphasis on outdoor instruction, is also relevant.
• Has experience creating and teaching outdoor science lessons aligned with national or state standards of learning.
• Is proficient in Microsoft Office 365 and Google apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms).
• Brings energy, enthusiasm, and a passion for teaching and nature to the team.
• Is excited about being part of a dynamic education team and demonstrates a collaborative work style.
• Thrives in a fast-paced teaching environment.
• Has an open mindset and embraces change. We frequently adapt our program content based on grade level, learning needs, and teacher requests.
• Is a life-long learner, eager to deepen knowledge of natural history and develop additional teaching skills.
• Prioritizes safety for the well-being of students, teachers, the Environmental Education Team, and yourself.

 Qualified candidates must have:

Education: Bachelor's degree

Experience: At least one year of relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, a combination of 5 years of relevant education and/or experience may be considered.

 Physical Demands:

The employee in this position will teach outdoors in all types of Virginia weather, during all seasons of the year. You must be able to stand and move for extended periods (up to 7 hours) and walk distances of up to 3 miles per day over various terrain (e.g., flat, hilly, sloped, wetlands, forest, meadow). This job requires the ability to lift and carry up to 50lbs. Additionally, the position requires computer and desk work.