Agriculture and Environmental Program Assistant, Part-Time

$32,094 - $42,827/Yr

Milton Hershey School - Hershey, PA

Part-time

Hershey, PA

Educational Services

About the position

The Agriculture and Environmental Program Assistant at Milton Hershey School is a part-time role focused on supporting the Agricultural and Environmental Education Centers. This position involves providing hands-on educational experiences in agriculture, horticulture, and environmental stewardship to students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The assistant will work closely with instructional advisors to facilitate engaging programs and maintain the health and productivity of the school's extensive agricultural resources.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the Instructional Advisors at all AEE Center to provide engaging, authentic, hands-on educational experiences which includes animal husbandry, environmental stewardship, greenhouse operations including hydroponics, outdoor gardens, and orchard areas.
• Facilitating educational and inspiring after-school clubs and other AEE activities and programs.
• Supporting operational functions that ensure the barns, fields, greenhouses, gardens, and orchards are healthy, well maintained, and annually productive with products students can plant, nurture, harvest, and sell.
• Utilizing farm equipment and greenhouse mechanical systems.
• Assist with greenhouse and outdoor garden and orchard management (cultivar selection, scheduling, crop management, harvesting) as well as care of animals, and land management.
• Assist with integrated pest management and pesticide applications.

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED. Degree in horticulture or agriculture recommended.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated success in ensuring healthy and productive livestock, fields, gardens, meadows and orchards. Experience with all is not required, a willingness to learn about management of all areas is required.
• Knowledge of integrated pest management systems, as well as fungicide and pesticide application. PA Pesticide Applicators license a plus. Willingness to obtain one is required.
• Demonstrated success in providing youth with engaging agricultural or horticultural educational programming.
• Experience with diverse Pre-K -12 grade students from lower income backgrounds a plus.
• Skilled in utilizing farm equipment (tractors, trucks, mowers, chain saw, pruning equipment, sprayers, plows, front end loaders).
• Proficient with Microsoft applications, Google docs, and Internet, as well as the ability to effectively incorporate various technologies into educational experiences.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate, lead, educate, and inspire.
• Ability to work an average of 29 hours/week on a flexible schedule (including weekends as needed).

Benefits

• Starting pay in the range of $15.43 to $20.59/hour, determined based on experience.
• Flexible schedule allowing for an average of 29 hours/week, including weekends as needed.