Garden & Nutrition Program Facilitator

 ***This is a temporary position funded by a one-year grant (from date of hire through 6/30/26) and is contingent upon continued grant funding.***

Title: Garden & Nutrition Program Facilitator – Chicopee FRESH
Type: Independent Contract
Salary: $51,979.00 annually. This is a temporary position funded by a one-year grant (from date of hire through 6/30/26) and is contingent upon continued grant funding.
Reports To: Food Service Director and Farm to School Coordinator

Position Overview:

The Garden & Nutrition Program Facilitator will work under the direction of the Farm to School
Coordinator to support hands-on learning opportunities related to gardening, nutrition, and food
systems for PreK–5 students in the Chicopee Public Schools. This individual will assist with the
coordination and delivery of garden-based activities and classroom support, integrating seasonal
themes and age-appropriate content in alignment with school initiatives.
This position is a support role designed to enhance existing classroom learning experiences through
interactive, enrichment-based programming.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Support & Facilitation (60%)

• Collaborate with the Farm to School Coordinator to assist in developing seasonal content for
  garden and nutrition-themed sessions.
  Lead small-group activities and classroom enrichment visits, focusing on interactive and
  age-appropriate experiences.
• Coordinate scheduling with classroom teachers and staff at assigned schools.
  Prepare all materials and supplies necessary for in-class or outdoor garden sessions.
• Ensure the garden spaces are student-ready and safe for group activities.
• Serve as an extra adult support during sessions, facilitating student engagement while classroom teachers maintain primary instructional responsibility.
• Assist with summer programming and student engagement activities, as needed.
• Support high school or college student interns working in school gardens.

Community Engagement & Events (10%)

• Participate in school and community events such as Harvest of the Month tastings, open garden
  days, and community fairs.
• Assist with setup, facilitation, and outreach related to Farm to School programming.

Garden Site Maintenance (20%)

• Perform weekly maintenance of school garden sites, including watering, weeding, compost
  management, and tool organization.
• Support garden clean-up and seasonal planting days in collaboration with school staff and
  volunteers.
• Identify and communicate any larger maintenance needs to the Farm to School Coordinator.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with children in group settings (e.g., afterschool programs, camps,
  mentoring, or student teaching)
• Interest in food education, gardening, and sustainability
  Organized, reliable, and comfortable working independently in school settings
  Ability to lift and carry garden tools and supplies, and work outdoors in a range of weather
  conditions
  Ability to pass a CORI/SORI background check required for working in schools
  Possession of a valid driver’s license and use of own transportation is required.

ADA & Minimum Qualifications to Perform Essential Job Functions:

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, adding machines, etc. Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Must be able to stand, crouch and bend over for a long period of time at intervals throughout the day.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or Assistants.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, newsletters, schedules, manuals, invoices, requisitions, menus, recipes, journals, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, evaluations, procedures, charts, surveys, articles, bid specifications, brochures, news releases, handbooks, budgets, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal, accounting and marketing terminology.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of algebra and geometry.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Interpersonal: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words and hear (perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.