Life Lab is hiring! Join us as we continue to cultivate children’s love of learning, healthy food, and nature through garden-based education. Learn more about our opportunities below.
We are seeking an individual with a passion for garden-based education and hands-on horticulture & deep construction experience. The ideal candidate is interested in developing school gardens as nurturing learning environments, mentoring educators, and creating systems for sustainable program development.
See full Garden & Facilities Leader description
We are seeking an energetic, skilled and dedicated individual who has experience, passion, and expertise in culturally responsive, experiential garden-based science, literacy, nutrition, environmental education and cooking. The Training & Curriculum Specialist will train, mentor, and coach a team of 9 Life Lab’s Garden Instructors, and the team of Instructors will grow to 16 over the next 3 years.
See full Training & Curriculum Specialist description
We are seeking an energetic, skilled and dedicated educators who have a passion for engaging elementary-age children, and a devotion to teaching experiential garden-based science, literacy, nutrition, environmental education and cooking. In addition to working directly with TK-5 students at garden classrooms at each school, Garden Instructors also co-create and implement programs for family involvement in the gardens and family cooking nights with their school site communities.
See full Garden Instructor description
Life Lab’s Partner School Program strives to create a culture of garden-based learning in elementary schools to enhance science and nutrition education during school day instruction. Our team of Life Lab Instructors lead lessons alongside classroom teachers at our partner schools every other week at seven elementary schools. We host Next Generation Science in the Garden classes for all TK-2nd graders and Kids Cook Nutrition Education and hands-on cooking classes for 3rd-5th graders. All second graders also experience an enriching three-hour field trip to our Blooming Classroom on a western Watsonville farm. We facilitate school garden workdays and plant donations, and provide teacher training. Our partner school teachers report that our NGSS in the Garden program improves students’ scientific knowledge, enthusiasm for learning, school pride, and connection to nature. In our Kids Cook program, over 70% of students report that they like or love what they are tasting, and 50-60% are trying a new fruit or vegetable for the first time each class. Learn more about Life Lab’s Partner Schools Program
Life Lab’s Watsonville office is along the City Plaza in downtown Watsonville and is the primary work site for this position. Parking next door is available free up to 3 hours or with an annual city parking permit, and public transit is available close by. The schools of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District are located in and around Watsonville, Las Lomas and Aptos. The Partner School sites include expansive, flat and sloping garden areas with in-ground and raised beds, dirt and mulch pathways, and a mixture of shaded and sunny areas. The Life Lab Garden Classroom and main office are located on the UC Santa Cruz organic farm, a 5-10 minute walk on a dirt path from the nearest parking lot. Closer parking is available for anyone with a disabled parking placard, and Life Lab makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with known physical or mental disabilities. UCSC parking requires a paid permit. Life Lab offices, the Garden Classroom, the UCSC campus, and PVUSD schools are all non-smoking areas.
Life Lab staff working at our PVUSD Partner Schools sites are required to follow school district policies regarding COVID-19 safety and vaccination requirements. Life Lab staff working at our UC Santa Cruz Garden Classroom and office site are required to follow University policies regarding COVID-19 safety and vaccination requirements. Currently, the University is requiring all staff and visitors to campus to be vaccinated. Life Lab encourages all of its team members to be vaccinated for their own health and community safety, while respecting that individual needs and circumstances may create barriers to vaccination.
