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Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Seasonal Trees & Saplings Lead Instructor

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York, New York, us, 10261

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Position Title:

Seasonal Trees & Saplings Lead Instructor

Department:

Children’s Education

Reports to:

Children’s Garden Co-Coordinators

FLSA Status:

Part-time Seasonal, Non-Exempt

Compensation:

$25 per hour

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Children’s Education programs are renowned for teaching hands‑on gardening and plant science to children. The seasonal Trees and Saplings lead instructor will spend the spring and fall seasons in BBG’s Children’s Garden, where they plan and team‑teach age and seasonally appropriate gardening and related activities to a group of 10 child‑and‑adult pairs. Children will learn how to grow, maintain, and harvest vegetables, herbs, and flowers, make simple recipes with garden produce, care for the environment, and explore the natural world.

The seasonal Trees and Saplings lead instructor will teach alongside the early childhood lead instructor, with a commitment of about 18 hours per week during the spring and fall seasons. The Tree and Saplings instructor gains experience in early childhood education, lesson planning, and horticulture.

This is a seasonal position from

March 17 through June 6, and September 3 through October 31

(no summer shifts).

Schedule Mandatory Onboarding and Training

Tuesday, March 17 | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (Remote Onboarding)

Wednesdays, March 18 & 25 | 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Thursdays, March 19 & 26 | 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Fridays, March 20 & 27 | 2–6 p.m.

Saturdays, March 21 & 28 | 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Spring

Wednesdays, April 1–May 20 | 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Thursdays, April 2–May 21 | 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Fridays, April 3–June 5 | 2–6 p.m.

Saturdays, April 4–June 6 | 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

No work shifts April 8–11, May 23–24

Fall

Fall training date: Thursday, September 3 | 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Fridays, September 4–October 30 | 2–6 p.m.

Saturdays, September 5–October 31 | 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Wednesdays, September 9–October 21 | 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Thursdays, September 10–October 22 | 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Responsibilities

Design, prepare, and teach hands‑on gardening lessons to a group of 10 young children (2–4 years old) and their adult partners.

Develop and lead supplementary enrichment activities such as seasonal cooking, nature crafts and science exploration.

Collaborate with the Early Childhood lead instructor to lesson plan, develop materials list, and program preparation needs.

Ensure that assigned garden plots are maintained (including planting, weeding, mulching, and watering).

Prepare and set up all program materials and clean up after programming.

Assist in teaching other education programs as needed.

Qualifications

Formal or nonformal early‑childhood and elementary education experience, ideally in a classroom or outdoor setting

Comfort leading imaginative play, singing songs, cooking, and exploring nature with children ages 2 through 5

Passion for plants and gardening

Horticulture experience preferred but not required

Ability to perform physical labor and work outdoors in various weather conditions

Outgoing and welcoming personality; responsible, punctual, and professional

Experience and comfort working with a diverse group of youth and staff

Willingness to incorporate constructive feedback into lesson planning, garden maintenance, and teaching practice

Flexibility to take on a variety of tasks; ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative environment

Benefits

BBG offers certain benefits to part‑time employees including:

Up to 56 hours of sick leave

Short‑term disability/New York Paid Family Leave

As a 501(c)3, BBG is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Eligible Employer

Museum Pass, which provides employees the opportunity to enter many museums in New York City for free

To be considered for this position, please submit an application by clicking Apply below. Applications submitted without a résumé and cover letter will not be considered.

No telephone calls for position inquiries, please.

Applicants with disabilities who need assistance with the online system, or who may require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, should contact Human Resources at hr@bbg.org.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

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