Farm to School Environmental Educator

Job Overview

Service Site: Mountain Roots
Address: 107 E Georgia Ave Suite 3B Gunnison, CO 81230

Start Date: January 13th, 2025 End Date: December 14th, 2025

Program Overview
Localizing our food system is one of the most impactful and actionable steps we can take to solve so many of our
global problems. Across the central Rocky Mountains and southwestern Colorado, AmeriCorps service with Mountain
Roots Healthy Futures Program builds social, economic, and environmental health for rural communities. We work
with organizations throughout the region who are leaders in their fields, activating community-driven initiatives
including Farm to School, Regenerative Agriculture & Community Gardens, Hunger Solutions (Community Food
Security), and other programs in public health, conservation, and the environment. With Healthy Futures AmeriCorps,
you’ll build a bridge from college to career while building and sustaining healthy communities, healthy people, and a
healthy environment.

Organization Overview
Mountain Roots is a local food systems initiative serving the central Rocky Mountain communities of Gunnison and
Crested Butte. We run a district-wide Farm to School program; we manage five youth and community gardens focused
on engagement of marginalized/disadvantaged residents, and we’re a key agricultural producer in Gunnison Valley,
practicing Regenerative Agriculture on two community farm sites. We are a leader in Community Food Security,
meeting food needs of underserved residents with food rescue and food distribution initiatives, including providing
weekly boxes of fresh produce along with cooking education and community engagement to 150 low-income,
vulnerable, and socially disadvantaged households.

Service Description
Within a Colorado mountain community Farm to School program, you will teach hands-on lessons in environmental
science, food & nutrition, outdoor experience summer camps, and afterschool garden and cooking programs to K-12
students. Farm to School (F2S) AmeriCorps Members are mentored by the program director and are part of a team serving
alongside organizational staff and volunteers to connect youth to the earth, to their food, and to the community,
bridging gaps that enable our rural mountain youth to have nutrition, health, and garden-based environmental
education opportunities both in and out of school.

Full time F2S Educators plan and teach hands-on integrated classroom lessons to pre-k through high school students,
and design and lead after school and summer camp programs. Programs include farm field trips, guest chef visits, kids
cooking classes, youth farmers markets, school lunch programs, district wide school composting, and a suite of
outdoor/nature-based adventure-filled summer day camps. Members engage youth and community members to
build, maintain, and cultivate two school gardens through a start-to-finish growing season and to integrate them into
school curriculum. Members also coordinate with food service directors, coordinate volunteers, build community
partnerships, and work to build new programs and community relationships. F2S Members provide outreach and
engagement at community events to promote F2S and the organization’s programs and mission.

Because we are a food systems organization, all Members serving at Mountain Roots participate in “cross-pollination”
experiences, rotating into all the programs to gain exposure to the wider food systems arena of work, including
regenerative agriculture, education, conservation, and community food security. We attend regional conferences to
broaden your networks in food and agriculture and to expose you to a wider range of issues and possibilities in these
fields. Through this mentored experience, you will gain skills in curriculum development, classroom management,
program planning, volunteer engagement, and you will participate in ongoing professional development. For the best,
most well-rounded experience, we encourage candidates to do a two-year service term – in the first year, you gain
valuable skills and develop key relationships with students and schools, and in the second year you are able to put
that knowledge into action, taking more of a leadership role in the design and development of educational programs.
Second year members receive a 10% increase in living allowance.

AmeriCorps Member Primary Responsibilities
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Design and deliver hands-on integrated classroom lessons in environmental and nutrition education to pre-k
through high school students
• Create, plan, and lead after school programs, including kids cooking classes, science and garden clubs, and
more
• Create, plan, and lead summer camp programs – trip-based outdoor adventure day camps that teach earth
science, nature discovery, botany, survival skills, cooking, nature based arts and crafts, and more
• Coordinating destinations and education opportunities with local expert guest speakers and guides.
• Cultivate two school gardens through a start-to-finish growing season and to integrate them into school
curriculum and school cafeterias; coordinating and leading community field days
• Introduce fresh local foods through tastings, chef-in-classroom programs, and other in-class activities.
• Cafeteria reform – connect farmers to schools by coordinating with food service directors, administrators,
teachers, and community to advance school lunch reform and bring education into cafeterias through
tastings.
• Coordinate volunteers, design and implement community outreach and engagement strategies that increase
involvement, build community partnerships, and promote positive community relationships
• Program development – build new programs to meet community need
• Provide outreach and engagement at community events to promote F2S and the organization’s programs and
mission, develop promotional strategies and materials for print and social media

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS
• Food systems“cross-pollination” experiences: members rotate through all the programs over the course of
the year to gain exposure to the wider food systems arena of work, including regenerative agriculture,
education, conservation, and community food security
• Capacity building – innovate organizational systems, programs, and methods that allow rural organizations to
more effectively understand and address community need. Up to 10% of time can be spent on fundraising,
including grant writing
• Volunteer coordination, community outreach and events
• Drive students to and from sites in company and/or rental vehicles, including 15-passenger vans
Location and Service Conditions:

This position is based at Mountain Roots in Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO and will involve service at schools, youth-
based organizations, out in nature, on public and private lands, at public events, and other community locations. This

position will involve frequent days of service outdoors and/or in a school or community building.

Qualifications:
We look for candidates who:
• are passionate, patient, flexible, intelligent, curious, creative, kind, caring, self-motivated team players.

• feel strongly about the importance of connecting kids to the source of their food for the betterment of
themselves, their communities, and the larger world.
• have a background or experience with experiential education, environmental studies, sustainable agriculture,
local food systems, and health/nutrition.
• are good with kids – have experience working with / teaching youth and desire to develop those skills toward
a career in education that does not follow the mainstream ‘classroom educator’ track.
• are good leaders, setting an example for youth and colleagues.
• want to grow – seeks challenges, takes initiative, maintains positive outlook, perseveres through difficulties.
• have strong professional communication skills, including in-person/speaking, writing, and computer skills.
• A clean driving record.
• facilitate the development of positive group dynamics with and among youth through team building.
• are dependable, organized, honest, and can be responsible for safety of self and others.
• Spanish language skills are a plus, as many of our students and families speak Spanish.

AmeriCorps Required Qualifications:
• At least 17 years old at start of service
• Must be a high school graduate, GED recipient, or working toward attaining a high school diploma or GED
during the term of service. Members must obtain either a diploma or GED before using an education award.
• Be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States
• Able to pass a National Service Criminal History Check (state, FBI, and National Sex Offender Public Website
checks) per 45 CFR 2540.202
Healthy Futures AmeriCorps Program Benefits
• AmeriCorps members will receive a bi-weekly living allowance of $810, totaling $19,440 over the service
period.
• Members are also eligible for an Education Award of $7,395 upon successful completion of service. This can be
used to pay back student loans, or to further your education.
• Eligible AmeriCorps Members may receive healthcare benefits and child care assistance.
• Members receive professional development and training, plus covered travel costs for attendance at state or
regional conferences.
• Eligible AmeriCorps Members may receive childcare assistance.
• Eligible AmeriCorps Members may receive healthcare benefits.
• All members may be eligible for Federal program assistance (SNAP, Medicaid, etc.)
• All members may qualify for student loan forbearance (postponing the payment of loans) while in service.
• Alumni benefits include priority hiring with organizations that are part of Employers of National Service and
the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to eliminate educational debt.

About the Living Allowance
An AmeriCorps Living Allowance is not a wage, salary, or hourly pay. You are enrolling in a SERVICE position, not
a job. The Living Allowance is a stipend designed to support the basic necessities of the individual while in
service, such as room and board, utilities, and transportation. Carefully consider this when applying.

Housing
Mountain Roots may be able to provide space (own bedroom) in houses with other AmeriCorps members.
Participation is optional and based on availability.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now on our website at mountainrootsfoodproject.org. If you have any
questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].