About Denver Botanic Gardens: Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs.

For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.

Denver Botanic Gardens is currently seeking a Temporary Bilingual Program Instructor in our Education Department! Read below to see if the requirements might be a good fit for you:

Position Summary

This position teaches or supports Education programs in English and Spanish at Denver Botanic Gardens, schools and other locations. Program Instructors work alongside volunteers and staff to implement interactive, hands-on, plant-based curriculum to PreK-12th grade students. Programs include but are not limited to school field trip visits, offsite outreach, guided tours, summer camps and special events. Additionally, this position coordinates program logistics, maintains materials, keeps accurate records and supports other program efforts.

Part-time

Temporary: August-November

Requirements

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Leads guided programs at Denver Botanic Gardens locations to groups of students, ranging in age from PreK-12th grade, in either English or Spanish.
• Provides program introductions in English and/or Spanish to groups of PreK-12th students, teachers, and parent chaperones.
• Teaches Cultivation Cruiser programs in English and/or Spanish to groups of PreK-12th grade students at area schools.
• Prepares and delivers assigned programs, including but not limited to onsite guided tours, Children’s Garden drop-in activities, family events, and homeschool days.
• Sets up and take down program materials.
• Leads children in hands-on, interactive activities for up to seven hours per day.
• Supervises children during lunchtime.
• Develops activities to be used in down periods and during activity transitions.
• Coordinates with other staff regarding daily activities.
• Maintains a safe environment for visitors or participants and address first aid issues.
• Sends out program confirmations to teachers and volunteers.
• Works in coordination with horticulture staff with care of living plants used in programs.
• Communicate with parents regarding their child’s presence at camp or other programs.
• Assists in developing and revising program curriculum.
• Assists with other children’s programs as needed.
• Coordinates programs and volunteers as needed.
• Keeps accurate records of attendance, programs, confirmations, or other matters as needed.
• Works to assure the highest quality experience for all Denver Botanic Gardens visitors.
• Maintains satisfactory working relationships with managers, co-workers, and others.
• Maintains a positive, helpful, and solution-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving members and visitors.
• Regular attendance at the worksite may be required. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work. Remote work is at the discretion of management at all times.
• All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must be capable of moving and communicating for a long period of time.
• Must be capable of working independently and in a team environment.
• Must be at least 18 years old, show 460 documented hours of experience with school-age children, have passed all required background checks, and be able to pass State of Colorado required certifications and trainings, including CPR and First Aid.
• Knowledge and experience in teaching a variety of age levels and diverse populations using a hands-on, constructivist philosophy.
• Must have proven excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills in dealing with the public.
• Ability to maintain stability under pressure and able to deal well with stressful situations.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to modify plans, when necessary, throughout the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite products, specifically Word, Excel and Outlook and Teams.
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.
• Must be a positive representative of the Gardens both internally and externally at all times.
• Must work with respect and cooperation at all times with fellow employees and the public.
• Must be committed to working safely at all times.

Experience/Education:

• Bachelors degree and/or combination of education and equivalent experience is required.
• Previous experience in a school setting or as a licensed teacher is desirable.
• Experience teaching biological, botanical, or environmental topics is desirable.
• Written and oral fluency in Spanish and English is required.
• Position requires a valid driver’s license.

Travel:

Up to 10% travel required. Requires the ability to travel to remote locations (or other Garden locations) where environment may vary significantly.

Come work for a place that offers you SO much more than just a paycheck!