eeCorps Water Educator Liaison – Denver, CO

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Agency

Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education

Location

Denver, CO

Job Category

Temporary/Seasonal Positions

Salary

$695.66 bimonthly living allowance

Start Date

08/23/2021

Last Date to Apply

08/23/2021

Website

http://caee.org/americorps

Description

Program Overview: Led by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE), the Environmental Education Corps (eeCorps) AmeriCorps Program places AmeriCorps members at organizations throughout Colorado to focus on increasing environmental literacy for PreK-12 students and implementing the goals outlined in the Colorado Environmental Education Plan. eeCorps works directly with teachers, schools, and environmental education providers to support them in expanding reach and increasing impact of EE programming, while providing access to equitable learning experiences for all PreK-12 students. eeCorps members provide direct service to improve outcomes in Environmental Stewardship and Education. AmeriCorps provides opportunities to improve lives and foster civic engagement all across the country. This position will be located at Water Education Colorado (WEco) in Denver, Colorado. WEco’s mission is to ensure Coloradans are informed on water issues and equipped to make decisions that guide our state to a sustainable water future. We envision a Colorado in which all residents appreciate and understand water, and that people of all backgrounds and perspectives, in all localities, are learning, listening, engaging, and working together on collaborative water solutions. We see a Colorado in which people make individual and institutional decisions and demonstrate thoughtful water stewardship in their behaviors and actions. We see a WEco that is an inspiring and authentic partner for water educators, water leaders and water users, and whose audience is representative of the state’s demographic and geographic diversity. Service Position Summary: As we enter into Phase II of implementation of the Statewide Water Education Action Plan (SWEAP) 2020-2025, much of Water Education Colorado’s focus continues to be on developing resources, forming partnerships, and expanding programs and resources that demonstrate impact. The K-12 Water Educator Liaison will support educators in implementing water-focused environmental education by connecting educators with opportunities for increased exposure to locally relevant water issues, leading teacher professional development opportunities, guiding educators towards quality content resources, and connecting K-12 educators to collaboration opportunities through a new affinity group of the WEco-led Water Educator Network. Essential Functions (Primary Responsibilities): eeCorps members engage with their Host Site organizations to develop, implement, and enhance programs, projects, and activities that will create progress towards eeCorps’ and Water Education Colorado’s goals. These duties include: ● Support expansion of a pilot teacher professional development program (PDU) to increase water knowledge, stewardship and access to quality field experiences. o Review the evaluation of a K-12 Teacher Professional Development Unit (PDU) pilot in Denver Public Schools, the assessment of student and teacher engagement and growth, and recommendations for refinement and expansion to other school districts. o Coordinate the continuation of the K-12 Teacher PDU in Denver Public Schools, in collaboration with Denver Water, City and County of Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Denver Public Schools, and the South Platte Urban Waters Partnership Education and Outreach Committee. o Collect documentation of teacher final portfolios, including number of students reached through new water education programming. o Support the expansion of a K-12 teacher professional development unit to new schools and a new cohort of teachers. ● Increase the impact of the Project WET (Water Education Today) program in Colorado through enrollment of additional schools and teachers. o Support planning, marketing and delivery of Project WET professional development opportunities, including at least one statewide Project WET opportunity for Project WET Facilitators and at least one Project WET Demonstration Workshop at a conference or gathering of multiple educators. o Promote, support, and collect evaluation data from partner Project WET Educator Workshops. o Coordinate facilitator support and professional development opportunities with Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Agriculture in the Classroom with support from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE). ● Support activities for and increase involvement by additional schools and teachers in the statewide Water Educator Network led by Water Education Colorado. o Coordinate an “affinity group” for K-12 teachers and schools within the Water Educator Network focused on incorporating Critical Water Concepts from the Statewide Water Education Action Plan into curriculum. o Increase involvement by additional schools by connecting teachers and administrators interested in becoming a Project WET WaterStar School (concept in development) with the Water Educator Network. o Assist with the planning, promotion, and delivery of the Annual Water Educator Network Symposium in 2022 and 2023 (minus delivery in 2023), with a focus on gaining new K-12 school and teacher participation. o Support professional development webinars for the Water Educator Network and lead one webinar per year designed for K-12 teachers and schools. o Support finalization and distribution of Colorado-specific examples of water-related phenomena for each Critical Water Concept identified in the Statewide Water Education Action Plan, as aligned to Colorado Academic Standards and for use in K-12 units, lessons and assessments. o Foster connections to ongoing formative and summative assessment work and opportunities to measure progress on water literacy in K-12 schools. ● Lead outreach efforts to schools and teachers to engage in Water ‘22 o Support development of K-12 opportunities for participation as part of Water ‘22, a statewide public awareness campaign focused on water in calendar year 2022. o Identify and recruit a broad coalition of K-12 schools and teachers to engage their students in Water ‘22. ● Collect and measure outcomes for K-12 participants o Support development of a draft guidance document and FAQ defining the purpose, scope, and procedure for Statewide Water Education Action Plan (SWEAP) K-12 implementation metrics and Environmental Stewardship performance measures. o Gather commitments from organizations to participate in regular reporting on K-12 SWEAP metrics and Environmental Stewardship performance measures. o Support evaluation of options for an open data-sharing platform with or outside of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education for K-12 SWEAP metrics and Environmental Stewardship performance measures. ● Track progress and collect evaluation data for the program’s performance measures ● Attend all eeCorps AmeriCorps trainings and orientations ● Complete all eeCorps required National Days of Service projects ● Complete and submit all necessary eeCorps paperwork and reports by predetermined deadlines ● Some local and out of town travel required within Denver and surrounding areas Physical Requirements: Job duties include a general office environment, spent sitting and operating a computer and other office machinery. Some field programs may require working in an outdoor setting and in various weather conditions for up to 9 hours at a time. Field programs may also require the transportation of equipment and supplies of up to 50 pounds. Must be able to read, write and communicate fluently in English. Spanish fluency would be an added plus. Term of Service: This is a full-time national and community service position requiring a minimum of 1,700 hours during the year (approximately 40 hours/week.) The position begins 8/23/2021 and ends 7/29/2022. Flexible hours are required, including occasional evening and weekend commitments. Member must serve on Days of Service that take place on certain national holidays throughout the year. Training and Support Provided: eeCorps members receive significant training and experience in community engagement, project implementation, leadership, diverse populations, and more. Up to 20% of total hours served may be spent in applicable approved training and professional development. Members will be supervised and supported by Scott Williamson, Education Programs Manager at Water Education Colorado, as well as by Erin Dreps, eeCorps Program Coordinator. The 2021-22 cohort of eeCorps members serving throughout the region will act as additional resources and support for each other. Location and Service Conditions This position is based at: Water Education Colorado, 1600 N Downing St. Suite 200, Denver, CO 80218. Service may be performed at other locations, such as location of trainings and workshops. Benefits Full Time eeCorps members receive: ● A bimonthly living allowance of $695.66. Taxes are deducted and the living allowance is distributed twice per month by direct deposit to the member’s bank account. ● Health insurance ● Child care assistance ● An education award of $6,345 upon successful completion of term of service. It is possible to defer student loans while serving as an AmeriCorps member. ● Mileage reimbursement for travel to required trainings, days of service, and program sites ● Non-tangible benefits including extensive training, valuable experience, networking, and the opportunity to serve the local community in a crucial area of need. ● Ability to participate in regional EE leadership councils; option to obtain CAEE’s nationally-recognized Professional Environmental Educator Certification. Diversity and Equal Opportunity: Water Education Colorado is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. WEco prohibits unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age 40 and over, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law. Equal employment opportunity, as required by law, shall apply to all personnel actions including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, demotion, layoff, or termination. The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) recognizes the value of diversity and inclusiveness to advance environmental education. CAEE defines diversity in its broadest sense and welcomes everyone to the field of environmental education and the Alliance, including but not limited to people of all races, ethnicities, genders, gender expressions, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, national origins, socioeconomic status, religious affiliations, languages, and heritages.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications ● Passion for educating Coloradans, in particular teachers and youth, about the importance of the state’s water resources ● Experience leading and facilitating groups ● Experience using social media to foster engagement in events or issues related to natural resources or national and/or community service ● High School Diploma or GED required ● Availability for some intra-state travel; valid driver’s license required ● Ethic of national and community service and a strong desire to create positive change ● Ability to pass criminal history checks (required) ● U.S. Citizenship or lawful permanent resident status required Skills, Qualities and Abilities: ● Commitment to equity in education ● Excellent written and verbal communication skills ● Takes initiative and maintains friendly, personable demeanor to engage and maintain relationships with a diversity of educators ● Enjoys working with groups of adults and is comfortable leading educational workshops or activities ● Possesses strong organizational skills, time management, and attention to detail ● Is committed to completing required paperwork and documentation of workshops, evaluation data, etc. in a timely fashion ● Demonstrated ability to work both independently and in a team with minimal supervision Desired Qualifications ● A basic understanding of water management and hydrology is a plus ● Bachelor’s degree in education, natural resources, environmental science or similar field is also a plus, but not required ● Experience working with formal and non-formal educators, preferably on environmental education topics ● Experience with event planning and logistics management (e.g. ordering food for large gatherings on a budget, renting facilities for events, etc.) ● Basic understanding of the role and importance of State Academic Standards ● Experience working within an online Google platform (Google calendars, Google groups, etc.) ● Experience with publication layout and design using desktop publishing software such as Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher to design newsletters, flyers and other promotional materials If you are interested in applying to this position, please send your resume and a short cover letter outlining your interest in the program and commitment to national service to Erin Dreps, AmeriCorps Program Director, at [email protected]. Please include “AmeriCorps Water Education Colorado Application” in the subject line. Please also attach a list of three (3) references, and a diversity and inclusion statement that is no longer than one page in length. Position will be open until filled.

Contact Person

Erin Dreps

Contact eMail

[email protected]

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