About Living Classrooms
Founded in Baltimore in 1985, Living Classrooms Foundation is a Baltimore – Washington, DC nonprofit that disrupts the cycle of poverty and helps our community become safer, stronger, and healthier by building skills for life. Living Classrooms inspires children, youth, and adults to achieve their potential through hands-on education, workforce development, health and wellness, and violence prevention programming. Living Classrooms has developed a distinctive competency in experiential learning – learning by direct experience – or what we call “learning by doing.” We utilize our environmental campuses, athletic fields, community centers, and historic ships as “living classrooms.” We work with one child, one teen, one adult, and one family at a time to identify existing barriers towards success and provide resources and opportunities to help each person reach their full potential, thus supporting stronger family units and more resilient communities.
While each of our program areas is distinct, in combination they create a powerful synergy. Our maritime heritage sites create opportunities for employment training. Our education programs use our environmental and maritime resources as living learning laboratories. Our employability programs create stronger communities that are better prepared to exercise environmental stewardship.
About BUGS
Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS) is an after-school and summer environmental education enrichment program serving students in 6th-8th grades at The Crossroads School, both Living Classrooms Foundation programs. This program is designed to help get Crossroads students outside for educational and recreational programming to strengthen their environmental literacy. BUGS is looking for enthusiastic individuals who can be role models for urban youth, and who care about the environment!
BUGS (Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students) is an outdoor environmental education program that focuses on the urban environment. Students at The Crossroads School learn about gardening, urban ecology, the watershed, environmental and social justice issues, sustainability, and cooking and nutrition through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) style learning. BUGS complements the school day and gives Crossroads students the opportunity to develop and apply new knowledge and skills to real-world situations relating to the environment around them through hands-on activities and project-based learning.
The mission of the BUGS Program is to provide purposeful, nature-based education to youth in their local environment, encouraging them to understand, respect, connect to, and enjoy the natural world around them.
As part of the Living Classrooms Foundation, BUGS students are “Learning by Doing”, and using the manmade, natural, and maritime environments as "living classrooms." BUGS provides students with meaningful opportunities to apply academic and social skills and allows time and space for students to grow as individuals and as a community influenced by the world around them.
The Urban Ecology and Sustainability Educator will teach about the local urban environment to include ecology; the health of the Chesapeake Bay, other local waterways, surrounding habitats and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed; innovative practices that promote the health of the local environment; the impact of human actions on the environment; protecting, restoring, and creating new native habitats in an urban setting; climate change and climate resilience in regard to human spaces and natural habitats; and environmental sustainability and sustainable living. The educator will work with students to analyze urban environmental and social justice issues and develop plans to implement student-led stewardship action projects or conservation activities that benefit the health and well-being of people, plants and animals, and the surrounding environment.
This position follows a typical Monday-Friday work week but requires occasional weekend work. This position reports to the BUGS Program Director.
General responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
• This program requires all staff to participate in the BUGS Annual Student-Run Farmer’s
Market, which is always held on a Saturday.
• Caring for the flock of chickens we maintain on campus, including coop maintenance.
• Plan and execute general environmental education lessons to include habitats, watersheds,
urban environments, etc.
• Partner with other BUGS educators to create collaborative lesson plans.
• Daily and seasonal care and maintenance of equipment and program spaces including
outdoor classroom and habitat spaces, including native pollinator gardens, oyster cages, and
other ecosystems on campus.
• Help coordinate program events such as field trips, guest speakers, and the Farmer’s Market.
• Guide students when making goods for the Farmer’s Market, including hand-crafted
products like candles.
• Help plan and lead environmental-based enrichment activities for a 6-week summer
program.
• Plan monthly local hikes and activities for students in the Adventure Club.
• Collaborate with students to create meaningful action projects based on local environmental
issues.
• Facilitate and monitor student-led projects.
• Occasionally partner with Crossroads teachers, across multiple disciplines, to create and
co-teach collaborative lessons based on the Crossroads curriculum that also integrate
environmental education.
• Support increased environmental literacy and connection to the outdoors for all students.
• Monitor and post program updates to BUGS social media platforms.
• Communicate with parents on a regular basis regarding student achievement, behavior,
program activities, and upcoming events.
• Create and maintain partnerships with relevant organizations and community members in Baltimore.
• Coordinate long-term volunteers to help in the greenhouse, garden beds, and with chicken
coop maintenance.
• Upkeep and organization of BUGS classroom spaces.
• Assist with data collection, upkeep of databases, photo uploads, program purchasing, and
other administrative duties.
• Other duties deemed necessary by the Program Director.
Required Skills:
• Experience in, or willingness to learn about, caring for a flock of chickens.
• Must enjoy working with students.
• Effectively work and communicate with a diverse population of students.
• Facilitate a positive and exciting learning environment for students.
• Drive to take initiative to help create a strong program and collaborative space for students
and fellow educators.
• Create engaging and meaningful hands-on outdoor and environmental-based lessons and
activities that provide opportunities for skill mastery, and social and academic enrichment.
• Create and maintain a positive, friendly environment for all students that is accessible,
prepared, and conducive to hands-on learning.
• Lead students through the program day. Provide good classroom management by holding
students accountable for their behavior using positive behavior management techniques.
• Experience in using social-emotional learning (SEL) techniques in lessons and behavior
management.
• Familiarity with the environmental and natural history of Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay and
the surrounding area; familiarity with environmental and social issues facing Baltimore.
• Basic knowledge of watersheds, native plants, animals, urban ecology, and habitats of the
area.
• Interest in urban conservation and environmental issues; basic knowledge of sustainability
practices, environmental justice, and other general environmental issues.
• Must be willing to work outdoors year-round and in all weather conditions.
• Good public speaking skills, and oral and written communication skills.
Other Requirements:
• Must pass a background check
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien
• Must have a license, good driving record, and able to drive students in large program vehicles.