FIDDLEHEADS SUMMER TEACHER (TEMPORARY)

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The University of Washington Botanic Gardens, a part of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS), seeks multiple Temporary Fiddleheads Forest School Summer Teachers (Program Assistant (NE H NI SEIU 925 Non Supv)).

Location: University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Washington Park Arboretum – Seattle, WA

University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) Education Program Mission: Provide meaningful educational experiences that enrich participants’ connections with plants and the natural world.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, we value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, fairness, and opportunity for all. We see implicit and explicit exclusion from green spaces like botanic gardens as an injustice that shapes our past and present and must be countered as we move into the future.

As a community, we believe that working to achieve equity and promote inclusion is both crucial and complex; we embrace the continuous commitment, the collective growth mindset, and the humility required to make meaningful transformation. For the full statement of commitment, visit https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/

Program Overview: The Un/versity of Washington Botanic Gardens Youth and Family Education programs serve over 10,000 youth ages 2-18 and their families each year through family classes, school field trips, summer camp and preschool programs.  Tucked within the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the Youth and Family Education Programs is the Fiddleheads Forest School, an entirely outdoor preschool for students ages three to six. At the Fiddleheads Forest School, we aim to foster a sense of wonder, to guide rather than compel, and to provide room for possibility rather than attempt to constrain children’s interests to fit within a certain curriculum. Unlike traditional programs, at the Forest School our classroom grows and changes along with its students.  This dynamic environment offers an unparalleled setting for the development of self-regulation and fundamental appreciation for the natural world. Our unique, child-driven curriculum addresses the individual developmental needs of every student. Each day is approached with joy and wonder at the wide world around us.

These positions will assist the teachers with all aspects of implementing a weekly, part-day nature preschool program. During the school year, these positions will assist teaching classes of up to 14 students while spending the vast majority of that time outdoors, exploring the natural world through age-appropriate lessons and activities. Schedule is typically 8am-2pm Monday-Friday.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Tasks