Education Programs Manager

Education Programs Manager

Arizona Sustainability Alliance (AZSA) Mission
To create and support cutting-edge, project-based sustainability solutions in Arizona

Priorities Overview

• AZSA has four priorities: Conservation, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Food Systems, and Urban Forestry 
• AZSA has many projects and programs across the four priorities

Programs Overview
AZSA’s education and workforce development programs crosscut all Priority Areas.

• Sow It Forward
  Provides vertical aeroponic gardens to vulnerable and Title I K-12 schools to improve access to fresh, healthy produce and offer unique opportunities for students to engage in garden-based learning directly from their classrooms. Vertical gardens are low maintenance, water efficient, and mobile, allowing educators and students to grow food anywhere on their school campus. Each school receives a vertical garden(s) to create a vertical farm, providing ample produce to start school farmers’ markets led by students. Students may sell produce at the school farmers’ markets to raise funds to cover the continued cost of garden maintenance each year. Alternatively, students may donate produce to their school community in a farmers’ market setting.
• Food Tech for the Future
  An innovative program addressing the lack of healthy food and STEM education for K-12 students in the Phoenix Metro Area by bringing food computers—digitized tabletop hydroponic greenhouses—to vulnerable and Title I schools. Each food computer is controlled by a Raspberry Pi microprocessor connected to temperature, humidity, CO2 sensors, LED lights, a camera, and fans. The Raspberry Pi is controlled through computer programming so students can build computer science expertise and practice coding skills to design and monitor the growing conditions of each hydroponic greenhouse. This unique program provides students access to healthy, fresh produce grown in the classroom while helping them develop STEM knowledge and skills directly applicable to higher education attainment and workforce development.
• Arizona Urban Forestry Education Initiative
  Engages K-12 educators from vulnerable and Title I schools with low tree canopy and limited access to green space across the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in how to teach students about urban forestry in Arizona. Urban forestry is rarely covered in the K-12 curriculum. This is the only comprehensive training for Arizona educators to teach their students about this topic despite the direct connection to public health. Educators are trained using the Arizona Urban Forestry K-12 Curriculum.  As part of our Urban Forestry partnership with schools, we also engage with on-campus education sessions, bringing select modules from the UFED curriculum directly to the students. 
• Arizona Youth Conservation Workforce Development
  Provides environmental education, field experience, professional development, and mentorship opportunities to youth from low-income and diverse communities along the Rio Reimagined Corridor (RIO). RIO is the 20th U.S. EPA Urban Waters designated location, comprising 78,000 acres along the Salt and Gila River corridor spanning the Phoenix Metro Area and the Middle Gila Watershed. The Arizona Youth Conservation Workforce Development program reconnects youth to natural areas while providing meaningful hands-on experience to develop career pathways in the conservation sector.
• Arizona Clean Energy Workforce Development
  It focuses on accomplishing two essential tasks for Arizona: providing job skills and educational pathways to youth and meeting the demand for the high-tech clean energy sector. By collaborating with low-income school districts and public and private partners, this program provides youth with technical job skills in various clean energy sector pathways. This program targets youth from low-income communities that have historically lacked access to equitable educational opportunities and career pathways for high school graduates while also being disproportionately impacted by issues of environmental justice. By empowering youth from these communities to acquire job skills and pursue educational pathways in high-tech clean energy this program aims to simultaneously address issues of equity and environmental justice.

Objectives – Education Programs

• Education: Engage youth, educators, schools, and local and partner communities in meaningful sustainability learning opportunities by providing hands-on programs, training, and educational resources. 
• Workforce Development: Prepare youth to transition into sustainability careers by providing training, educational pathways, and professional development opportunities.

Role Purpose
To ensure the success of AZSA education and workforce development programs (design, implementation, and evaluation) by working with educators, youth school districts, youth participants, community partners, and other constituents.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Programs Director to develop and maintain curriculum, training materials, professional development, educational pathways, and other educational resources across the education and workforce development programs
• Develop relationships with districts, community leaders, vendors, and other stakeholders
• Coordinate recruitment of schools, districts, and educators to participate in the education programs
• Coordinate recruitment of youth participants to the workforce development program 
• Facilitate professional development experiences for educator participants
• Collaborate with Programs Director and Operations Director to develop and execute Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), contracts, and other legal documents required to establish and maintain school and community partnerships 
• Coordinate in-person and/or virtual site visits and fieldwork
• Collaborate with community partners to enroll youth participants in educational pathways and provide coordination support
• Provide professional development, intern, and mentorship opportunities to youth participants
• Acquire, distribute, and inventory programmatic materials and tools
• Plan, track, and report programmatic expenses
• Monitor, collect data, and evaluate education and workforce development programs
• Support efforts in acquiring funding for education and workforce development programs
• Create project/program reports for funders and stakeholders
• Collaborate with AZSA departments to create, plan, implement, and deliver education and workforce development programs across the AZSA priorities
• On-site visits with the partnered schools to assist with support at certain critical moments during the program and when requested by schools
• Manage and train programmatic staff members, volunteers, and interns to achieve the goals of the programs
• Adhere to strict safety and privacy standards with youth 
• Assist with any additional needs of the non-profit as they arise 

Ideal Skill Set and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education and/or sustainability/environmental field preferred, or a degree related to the core job duties; other relevant experience and education considered
• Experience in curriculum and educational resources development and standards alignment
• Proven experience as a Program or Project Manager
• Experience utilizing project management tools, i.e., Trello, Notion, Microsoft Project, Monday, etc., and Google platforms
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent public speaking and presenting skills; ability to professionally articulate to diverse audiences, including youth and adult learners
• Experience in collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting evaluation data
• Experience collaborating with multiple cross-sector partners
• Experience with hybrid (virtual and in-person) programs with educators and youth 
• Foster an innovative environment to create impactful solutions 
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Detail-oriented
• Ability to follow, improve, and develop processes
• Self-starter who can work independently and as a team member
• Experience in performing effectively in a fast-paced environment with a variety of responsibilities subject to quickly changing priorities
• Intermediate or higher level proficiency in Google Workspace/Microsoft Office and other office productivity tools, with the aptitude to learn new software and systems
• Experience planning and reconciling budgets
• Experience managing volunteers, interns, and other staff members
• Able to have a flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of the education and workforce development  programs and organization, including availability on evenings and weekends
• Passionate about actively and effectively growing education and workforce development programs
• Strong interest or knowledge of mission-driven or non-profit organizations

Preferred Qualifications

• Background knowledge in sustainable food systems, renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental conservation, urban forestry, and/or environmental education (Knowledge specific to Arizona is a plus)
• Background in nonprofit program management
• Experience working with educational institutions
• Bilingual in Spanish

Compensation for Full-Time Employment
Salary: $52,000 – $58,000 – Salary commensurate with education, training, and experience.

Benefits include paid holidays, generous paid time off, and 100% paid employee medical, vision, and dental insurance. 

Location
All staff positions are hybrid. This position requires the person to reside year-round in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. This position requires periodic fieldwork, site visits, and other necessary in-person activities in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. 

AZSA does not cover relocation expenses

Background Check
All offers of employment at Arizona Sustainability Alliance (AZSA) are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates and confidentially through a third-party vendor.

Fingerprint Clearance
An offer of employment for the Education Programs Manager requires a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card from the Arizona Department of Public Safety prior to the hiring date.

To apply for this opportunity, email a pdf of your cover letter and resume/cv to: hr.apply@azsustainabilityalliance.com
Applications not received through the email above and as a PDF will not be considered.

We are reviewing applications starting 4/15/2024. This position will remain open until filled.

Learn more about us!

https://www.azsustain.org

• Sustainable Food Systems Vision: Through community engagement, education, and project-based assistance, empowering vulnerable communities and creating equitable, affordable food access throughout Arizona.
• Sustainable Food Systems Mission: To mitigate the impact of food insecurity in vulnerable communities while educating about nutrition, food growing methods, and the value of local foods through meaningful partnerships.
• Urban Forestry Vision: An Arizona with a tree canopy that mitigates extreme heat and improves air quality.
• Urban Forestry Mission: Increase the tree canopy in vulnerable, low-canopy areas throughout Arizona to make communities more resilient.
• Renewable Energy Vision: Cultivate a sustainable energy culture shift where renewables are the norm in Arizona, not an afterthought.
• Renewable Energy Mission: Demonstrate renewable energy in creative, innovative, and interactive ways through projects that incorporate community health, connectedness, and beautification.
• Conservation Vision: Provide access to open space for all, particularly those without the adequate means to access natural areas across Arizona.
• Conservation Mission: Support native ecosystems, maintain and restore our desert habitats, protect biological diversity, and inspire youth to engage in responsible outdoor recreation within Arizona parks and preserves.