Conservation Program Coordinator

About Us: Urban Roots is a Saint Paul organization whose mission is to cultivate and empower youth through nature, healthy food, and community. Urban Roots focuses its programs on the East Side of Saint Paul, MN and our vision is a world where all communities have unlimited access to nature and healthy food.  We place the tools of personal and community development in the hands of young people and families.

Urban Roots, formerly the Community Design Center of Minnesota, was incorporated in 1969. Over the past 50 years, Urban Roots has provided a range of community development services in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and southern Minnesota, including architecture, urban planning, economic development, and organizational development—with a common thread of empowerment, engagement, and innovation. Since 1996, we’ve operated our food and environmental programs on the East Side of Saint Paul, engaging thousands of under-resourced youth in education, training, and work projects that provide service to the community, develop young leaders, and improve health and the environment. We offer three programs to engage and support youth in paid internships—Market Garden, Cook Fresh, and Conservation.

Position Summary:

The Conservation Program Coordinator works under the direction of the Conservation Program Manager and Program Director to further the development of the program. 

The Conservation Program engages and instructs youth interns in the work of habitat restoration in public green spaces on St Paul’s East Side. Work with the interns includes identifying and removing displaced plant species, planting native trees, shrubs, forbs and grasses, installing and maintaining rain and pollinator gardens, and engaging in citizen science projects to monitor our impact in local parks. Interns are also trained to lead outreach programs for the community to help build connections with the environment. Youth interns explore career pathways, post-secondary education, and engage in opportunities in: natural resources, entrepreneurship, cooking, public speaking, hands-on lessons for the community, and social/environmental advocacy.  This position will also engage in service learning opportunities with our wider community and have a hand in habitat restoration work.

This is a seasonal position of 40 hours per week, 26 weeks/year from May-October.

Essential Functions: 

Youth Education and Training-

• Facilitate youth internship training in natural resources, environmental systems, & environmental justice. This includes modeling excellent work ethic and motivating the youth interns to perform to high standards and accomplish challenging tasks.
• Coordinate youth interns and lead daily work shifts.

Program Development-

• Collaborate to plan, develop and propose program content and implementation with the planning team and implement programs as required.
• Ensure program activities and goals meet specified objectives as determined by the planning team and administration.
• Maintain and report on detailed records for program-related activities and youth development content.
• Community outreach/collaborative leadership 
• Participate and co-lead in planning community-based education events within the scope of the Conservation program.
• Work with the Conservation team in collaborative efforts and other grant projects.
• Driver’s license with a clean driving record required. 
• Other duties as assigned within the scope of work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1-2 years of experience in environmental education and/or youth development. 
• Knowledge of youth development best practices.
• Experience working on natural resource projects (invasive species removal, native plant installations, rain garden maintenance) 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Suites and other standard office tools. 
• Excitement and passion for working with youth and teaching all ages.
• Commitment to Urban Roots values, which include collaboration, inclusion, stewardship and experiential learning.
• Experience riding a bike in an urban landscape.

Compensation: $19.64/hour DOE, paid prorated holidays and sick time.

To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references to David Woods at Dwoods@urbanrootsmn.org. Please include “Conservation Youth Coordinator” in the subject line. No phone calls please.

Urban Roots is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build a staff reflective of our values of equity and inclusion with regard to race, culture, ethnicity, class religion, physical ability, age,  gender identity and sexual orientation. Urban Roots is committed to fostering the leadership of BIPOC individuals (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and others living in marginalized communities.