UACS PT Garden/Nutrition Group Leader

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Posted Job Title

UACS PT Garden/Nutrition Group Leader

Job Profile Title

Temporary Employee - Non-Exempt

Job Description Summary

PT UACS Garden/Nutrition Educators work as part of the Netter Center UACS team to support nutrition and wellness programming. This place-based position will be rooted at a local K-12 Philadelphia public school. The position oversees the design and implementation of youth-centered, project-based, hands-on, outdoor and indoor garden education and nutrition activities. The position both helps coordinate and provide direct instruction at Netter Center after-school programs.

Job Description

Founded in 1992, the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships is the University's primary vehicle for advancing civic and community engagement at Penn. It brings together the resources and assets of both the University and the wider community to help solve universal problems such as poverty, health inequities, environmental sustainability, and inadequate, unequal education as they are manifested in the University's local geographic area of West Philadelphia and Philadelphia at large. The Netter Center develops and helps implement democratic, mutually transformative, place-based partnerships between Penn and West Philadelphia that advance research, teaching, learning, practice, and service and improve the quality of life on campus and in the community. The Netter Center works with and serves as a model for other higher education institutions across the United States and around the world.

The Netter Center’s university-assisted community schools (UACS) is a strategy to educate, engage, empower, and serve all members of the community in which the school is located and engage students (K-16+) in real world, community problem solving learning. UACS collaborates with partners to advance teaching, research, learning and service, as well as the civic development of their students.

PT UACS Garden/Nutrition Educators work as part of the Netter Center UACS team to support nutrition and wellness programming. This place-based position will be rooted at a local K-12 Philadelphia public school. The position oversees the design and implementation of youth-centered, project-based, hands-on, outdoor and indoor garden education and nutrition activities. The position both helps coordinate and provide direct instruction at Netter Center after-school programs.

Primary responsibilities of this role include supervising K-12 students in safe and fun learning while maintaining a school garden and participating in cooking activities. This involves teambuilding, gardening and cooking, and reflection with K-12 students and Penn students during after-school. A component of the position will be to further implement and develop our University-assisted garden, nutrition and wellness education programming. The position works with staff and partners to implement University-Assisted Garden/Nutrition curricula that is most appropriate and effective for their audience.

This position will work closely with Penn ABCS courses and facilitate connections to faculty partners. This position also works with undergraduate fellows, work-study and volunteer Penn students.

Required Qualifications:

Education: High school diploma required, college degree preferred in education, environment, or culinary fields

Experience: minimum of 1 years work experience with elementary-aged children and/or high school youth development programming, minimum of 1 years work experience in a farm or garden setting

Ability to be excited and actively and constructively engage youth in a variety of garden and cooking activitie s

Comfortable working for multiple hours, outdoors, in a variety of weather conditions

Completion and passing of funder-required compliance documentation and all Federal and State background checks/clearances . You may be required to renew your clearances, before beginning work. Clearances include:

PATCH – PA Criminal History Search

PA Child Abuse Search

FBI Criminal History Search (PA Dept. of Human Services)

National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR)

Mandated Reporter

Act 168 Completion

The University of Pennsylvania does not accept PATCH or PA Child Abuse documents issued by other organizations. We can accept the FBI Criminal History Search, only if it was processed by the PA Dept.of Human Services

Experience with working in School District of Philadelphia, urban settings and diverse student populations

Ability to be flexible and work on a team

Excellent interpersonal, organization and communication skills

Punctual and regular attendance

Responsibilities:

BE POSITIVE, PHYSICALLY ENGAGED, HIGH ENERGY AND FUN!!

Engage K-12 students and University students in safe garden and nutrition activities

Work collaboratively as a part of a team

Use trauma-informed care practices

Ensure that students are safe at all times. This includes reinforcement of safety precautions

Plan and implement enrichment activities alongside other staff with students

Attend all required Netter UACS staff training and meetings

Take attendance, assist with student sign in/sign out process, and manage required paperwork as directed

Support the delivery of academic instruction and curricula as assigned

Play and engage with students in outdoor and indoor spaces during assigned times

Assist with set-up and clean-up of materials, supplies and equipment including preparing and securing instructional spaces (classrooms etc.)

Supervise and direct students according to site-specific and UACS rules and guidance

Be familiar with and strive to be in compliance with the Netter Center University-Assisted Community Schools Expectations and School Dist. Of Phila. Core Standards for Youth Programs

Other duties as assigned

Schedule:

Varies - some average of 20 hours/week Monday - Friday 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

There may be in-person and virtual orientation sessions in August and early September, as schedules allow

The UACS academic year afterschool/OST enrichment programs typically run seasonally from Monday - Friday 9/9/2026 - 6/11/2027

Fall 2026 appointments will be issued from 8/31/26 - 12/24/2026

Spring 2027 appointments will be issued from 1/4/27 - 6/11/2027

Punctual and consistent attendance is required for this program.

Individual schedules may vary (ie: Hamilton Elementary staff must be available at 2PM; Paul Robeson HS program schedule is Monday through Thursday)

There is typically no work on SDP school closure days, however staff training may be scheduled on such dates.

Schedules are subject to change.

Compensation:

$18-22 per hour commensurate with experience

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$7.25 - $18.00 Hourly Rate Salary offers are made based on the can