<ul> <li>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.* </li></ul> <p>Title: Garden & Nutrition Program Facilitator - Chicopee FRESH</p> <p>Type: Independent Contract</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Reports To: Food Service Director and Farm to School Coordinator</p> <p>Position Overview:</p> <p>The Garden & Nutrition Program Facilitator will work under the direction of the Farm to School</p> <p>Coordinator to support hands-on learning opportunities related to gardening, nutrition, and food</p> <p>systems for PreK-5 students in the Chicopee Public Schools. This individual will assist with the</p> <p>coordination and delivery of garden-based activities and classroom support, integrating seasonal</p> <p>themes and age-appropriate content in alignment with school initiatives.</p> <p>This position is a support role designed to enhance existing classroom learning experiences through</p> <p>interactive, enrichment-based programming.</p> <p>Key Responsibilities:</p> <p>Program Support & Facilitation (60%)</p> <p>? Collaborate with the Farm to School Coordinator to assist in developing seasonal content for</p> <p>garden and nutrition-themed sessions.</p> <p>? Lead small-group activities and classroom enrichment visits, focusing on interactive and</p> <p>age-appropriate experiences.</p> <p>? Coordinate scheduling with classroom teachers and staff at assigned schools.</p> <p>? Prepare all materials and supplies necessary for in-class or outdoor garden sessions.</p> <p>? Ensure the garden spaces are student-ready and safe for group activities.</p> <p>? Serve as an extra adult support during sessions, facilitating student engagement while</p> <p>classroom teachers maintain primary instructional responsibility.</p> <p>? Assist with summer programming and student engagement activities, as needed.</p> <p>? Support high school or college student interns working in school gardens.</p> <p>Community Engagement & Events (10%)</p> <p>? Participate in school and community events such as Harvest of the Month tastings, open garden</p> <p>days, and community fairs.</p> <p>? Assist with setup, facilitation, and outreach related to Farm to School programming.</p> <p>Garden Site Maintenance (20%)</p> <p>? Perform weekly maintenance of school garden sites, including watering, weeding, compost</p> <p>management, and tool organization.</p> <p>? Support garden clean-up and seasonal planting days in collaboration with school staff and</p> <p>volunteers.</p> <p>? Identify and communicate any larger maintenance needs to the Farm to School Coordinator.</p> <p>Preferred Qualifications:</p> <p>? Experience working with children in group settings (e.g., afterschool programs, camps,</p> <p>mentoring, or student teaching)</p> <p>? Interest in food education, gardening, and sustainability</p> <p>? Organized, reliable, and comfortable working independently in school settings</p> <p>? Ability to lift and carry garden tools and supplies, and work outdoors in a range of weather</p> <p>conditions</p> <p>? Ability to pass a CORI/SORI background check required for working in schools</p> <p>? Possession of a valid driver's license and use of own transportation is required.</p> <p>ADA & Minimum Qualifications to Perform Essential Job Functions:</p> <p>Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including</p> <p>computers, copiers, adding machines, etc. Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force</p> <p>occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or</p> <p>otherwise move objects, including the human body. Must be able to stand, crouch and bend over</p> <p>for a long period of time at intervals throughout the day.</p> <p>Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional,</p> <p>structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of</p> <p>data, people or things.</p> <p>Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or</p> <p>exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or</p> <p>Assistants.</p> <p>Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms,</p> <p>newsletters, schedules, manuals, invoices, requisitions, menus, recipes, journals, etc. Requires</p> <p>the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, evaluations, procedures, charts, surveys,</p> <p>articles, bid specifications, brochures, news releases, handbooks, budgets, etc., using prescribed</p> <p>formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the</p> <p>ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.</p> <p>Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define</p> <p>problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive</p> <p>variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several</p> <p>abstract and concrete variables.</p> <p>Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to</p> <p>follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a</p> <p>variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal, accounting and marketing</p> <p>terminology.</p> <p>Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract;</p> <p>multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of algebra and</p> <p>geometry.</p> <p>Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.</p> <p>Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in</p> <p>using office equipment.</p> <p>Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and</p> <p>hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.</p> <p>Interpersonal: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions.</p> <p>Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.</p> <p>Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of</p> <p>spoken words) and hear (perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.</p>