Community Education Coordinator

Do you enjoy working outdoors and teaching people about our natural world?  Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve of the University of Minnesota is looking for an out-going, self-motivated individual to coordinate our new and growing community education and outreach programs, including formal K-12 science education programs and our more informal environmental programs for general audiences.  This is a seasonal full-time position, starting approximately May/June and running through October/November, 2008.  Pay will be commensurate with experience.  On-site housing is available.
Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is an internationally renowned ecological research and education facility, located 35 miles north of the Twin Cities, featuring 5,400 acres of land that encompasses a diverse mosaic of prairie, savanna, bogs, open water, and forests.  Cedar Creek also features a recently opened public access park, called Fish Lake Nature Park.  The person in this position would interpret and communicate Cedar Creek’s science and natural resources to a variety of community audiences. 

Primary duties include:
1) Develop, organize and lead formal and informal science and environmental education programs for K-12 students, teachers, special interest groups, and the community-at-large, including teacher training workshops and some off-site outreach programs.  2) Oversee interpretive ranger program and serve as public contact to plan, coordinate, and publicize nature walk programs, Fish Lake Nature Park activities, and site facility tours for a variety of audiences.  3) Supervise, evaluate, and help recruit interns and community volunteers, serving as instructional assistants and park rangers.  4) Develop, write and produce curricular material for K-12 and informational/interpretive material for the general public, and keep records of education program statistics and community contacts.  5) Assist with development of graduate level courses, targeting in-service teachers, and assist with pursuing funding sources for education and outreach program.
                                   
Minimum Qualifications: At least a bachelors degree, a masters degree a plus, in one or more of the following:  science education, environmental studies, natural resources, ecology, biology, or other related field.  Experience and aptitude working in the outdoors interacting with a variety of audiences, particularly with school-age children and teachers, is critical.  Good naturalist skills will be a plus.

To apply, please apply online at:   employment.umn.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=70907. You’ll be asked to attach a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three references.  Application review will begin on April 22, 2008.  Applications will be accepted thereafter until the position is filled.

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