About the NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN)
The NACA Inspired Schools Network is building schools of excellence and relevance in Indigenous communities. Based on a community-led school development model, NISN seeks to support schools that build on community strengths and center student learning in community, holism, identity development, and academic relevance.
NISN seeks talented individuals from all backgrounds to apply. We are especially interested in self-starting individuals with a growth mindset, practicing vulnerability, deeply believing in engaging communities, and genuinely wanting to see transformation in Indigenous communities.
Job Summary
- NISN seeks an experienced, full-time, Director of Indigenous Farm Education who will coordinate the Farm to School program and its operations in collaboration with the IFH Farm Director and Senior Director. The Director of Indigenous Farm Education will support the development of and solidify IFH's student learning infrastructure, allowing for continued growth of our model to include other local area schools and programs who would like to expose their students to land-based learning and agriculture. In the immediate term, our Farm to School program goal will expand service to an additional 100 students across 4 schools.
- The Director of Indigenous Farm Education will support the operations of the Indigenous Farm Hub in fostering partner and community collaborations, manage student recruitment and engagement, manage curriculum development, and implement evaluation and measurement processes. The Director of Indigenous Farm Education will create learning experiences that excite and engage students by being hands-on and experiential, project-based, culturally and linguistically responsive and collaborative while fostering a sense of community and belonging.
- The ideal candidate will be a professional, forward-thinking, and a highly relational leader that is flexible and adaptable and possesses excellent research, writing, data analysis, and interpersonal skills with a community centered, teamwork-oriented disposition. Extensive experience with Indigenous communities is a must. Candidates are comfortable and competent with multi-tasking and producing excellent work products in fast-paced and less well-defined work environments. The ideal candidate will have experience in managing multiple work streams in relation to meeting students' learning opportunities. Finally, candidates exhibit effective project manager skills and knowledge and have experience implementing data-driven performance systems.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Create learning experiences that engage students in culturally relevant ways.
- Partner with the IFH staff to integrate agriculture and land-based learning experiences with Indigenous and traditional agricultural practices and knowledge with students.
- Adapt experiential learning to leverage and honor each student's specific abilities.
- Coordinate farm visits and learning agenda creation with partner schools and IFH staff.
- Guide student learning experience with the following outcomes and indicators of student success:
- Students integrate their first and/or second languages (e.g., Navajo and other Native languages, ASL) during their farm learning experiences;
- Land-based learning curriculum both complements and challenges students to think about their work in relation to other academia lessons in science, math, history, and social studies.
- Students develop understanding and appreciation of local food systems and agricultural sustainability as well as making personal connections, i.e. starting a personal garden.
- create and manage internship programming at the Indigenous Farm Hub
- create and implement dual credit programming with school partners
- Support the development and implementation of the Farm to School budget
- Provide assistance with on-going operations of the Indigenous Farm Hub farm including the planting, harvesting and packing of produce for schools and customers.
- Participate in IFH and partner training opportunities as well as attending networking meetings and functions to support program promotion.
- Support the IFH team with project reporting and grant updates to funders.
- Build partnerships with other Farm to School organizations in New Mexico, regionally and nationally.
- Provide a “taste of the farm” once a week during school lunch, coupled with family take-home boxes.
- Implement Summer programming opportunities with students that offer more
- Model the NISN Core Values, Commitments, and Big Ideas.
Skills, Knowledge, and Qualifications
- Excellent people skills, with experience collaborating in a values-based, dynamic team
- Proven effectiveness in communications with community partners and customers.
- Strong analytical skills and experience interpreting strategic vision into an operational model
- Technologically savvy in an agriculture setting, with an ability to point towards implementing processes and technologies that have increased accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness
- Flexible and a self-starter; able to set priorities and strategy while also being highly detail-oriented.
- Experience in Indigenous communities preferred
Experience & Education
- 4 Year College Degree required; masters degree in preferred or a pathway to related degrees or certifications aligned to the field of youth development and education.
- 2-4 years of experience working with Indigenous communities.
- Familiarity with youth educational programming, in or outside the school setting.
- Knowledge and experience implementing sustainable agriculture practices, community-led project design and other community development initiatives are required.
- Experience in Indigenous communities preferred
- Proficient with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
Working Conditions
- Physical Demands: The position requires a combination of manual labor and office work. Physical requirements include:
- Lifting 50 pounds.
- Sitting for extensive periods of time (desk work and in vehicles).
- Operating farm equipment.
- Walking and completing tasks in farming settings.
- Work Environment: Work is performed in multi work environments. The Farm Director will perform tasks in an office setting with exposure to Visual/Video Display Terminal (VDT), extensive computer and phone usage. Some sitting, standing, bending and reaching may be required.
- Additionally, the work will be performed in an agricultural outdoor setting completing manual labor and operating farm machinery/equipment.
- The position will also require extensive travel by vehicle.
Salary
The annual salary for this role is $72,140 - $97,601
Benefits
NISN offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurance; long and short-term disability; over 30 company holidays; up to 10 days of paid time off, five days of cultural leave, and five days of bereavement leave; and a 401(k) plan with an automatic 6% employer contribution.
Location
This position is preferred to be worked from NISN's farm in Corrales, New Mexico and at times at the Albuquerque, New
Mexico office.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
The NACA Inspired Schools Network provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, NISN complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location where NISN has facilities.
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