Land-based Education

Job Title: Youth Program Coordinator
Organization: Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA)
Location: East Vancouver, BC

• Terms: 32 hrs/wk, full-time, permanent
• Start Date: February 4, 2025
• Salary: $39,900 - $41,600 ($29.56 - $33.26/hr)
• Benefits: 4 weeks vacation I Extended Health Benefits I 4 days paid Professional Development

Are you inspired by land-based education for equity-deserving youth? Are you a confident youth facilitator? Do you have experience with land stewardship and/or horticulture? We’re looking for someone to lead environmental education and environmental job skill training programs for equity-deserving youth in East Vancouver. This role involves program planning, designing lesson plans and leading activities on native plant horticulture, plant medicines, and ecological restoration.

Responsibilities

• Plan and facilitate multi-week land-based programs for youth ages 14-18
• Design lesson plans and curricula on native plant horticulture, plant medicines, land stewardship and/or ecological restoration
• Collaborate to plan and deliver programs with other program team members
• Host Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers sharing cultural teachings
• Apply a trauma-informed and decolonial lens to program delivery
• Support and supervise Peer Mentors (youth volunteers)
• Support youth to fully attend and engage with the program
• Create social media content for programs
• Help with the recruitment of youth participants
• Coordinate program logistics (materials purchase, scheduling guests, lunch planning)
• Manage program administrative tasks
• Support program evaluation: youth surveys, interviews, etc.
• Help to maintain EYA’s native plant nursery, medicine gardens, and stewardship sites

Requirements

• Experience in the land-based education, youth work, stewardship or related field
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, ecology, conservation, education, youth work, or a related field OR equivalent lived and/or professional experience
• Experience designing lesson plans and curriculum
• Experience in ecological restoration, horticulture, and/or agriculture
• Clear and open communication skills
• Able to work collaboratively with a small team
• Highly organized and a good problem solver
• Committed to doing your best work
• Personal values fit with EYA mission and culture

Assets

• Knowledge of trauma-informed practice

• Knowledge of local native plants and ecology
• Class 5 or 7 driver’s license or plans to obtain

Don’t meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply even if your past experience doesn’t align perfectly. EYA honours lived experience and welcomes diverse ways of knowing.

Working environment

The Program Coordinator will be supported by the Land-based Education Program Manager and collaborates closely with other members of the Programs Team. This role interacts with youth participants, community partners, and program guests, including Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The position requires working at EYA’s programming sites during programs, including Strathcona Park and Renfrew Ravine. When not working at a program site, this role can access EYA’s office in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighborhood, or work from home. Programs are generally run when school is not in session, which includes weekends.

Prioritizing Applicants From Equity-Denied Communities

To ensure that our team represents the youth in our programs, EYA prioritizes applications from people who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, living with a disability, and folks from other equity-denied communities. We encourage you to self-identify in your application. Your application will only be shared with the hiring team.

To support employees from equity-denied communities, EYA provides extra paid personal days, Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a paid holiday, paid staff socials to connect with coworkers, frequent check-ins, and other supports as needed. EYA strives to provide a total compensation package that is fair, clear, equitable, and provides a dignified quality of life for our team.

About the Organization

EYA empowers youth from equity-denied communities to become environmental stewards. We provide land-based education and paid job training programs that integrate Western and Indigenous perspectives on land stewardship. Our work recognizes the intersection of social and environmental injustice. You’ll be joining a collaborative team of caring, creative, fun, like-minded colleagues and an organization committed to decolonizing action. Find out more about our team and work.

EYA operates on the unceded, shared territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nations, also known as Vancouver. Read our land honouring.

How to apply

E-mail a resume and cover letter to: Erica Ellis, Co-Executive Director, Programs & Operations with “Program Coordinator application” in the subject line to: jobs@eya.ca . We’re not concerned about format, grammar, or traditional cover letter standards. We really just want to get to know you, how your experience aligns with the role, and why you’re excited to apply. More casual written submissions are welcomed, or video/audio submissions if that is more comfortable for you.

Please mention you saw this posting at GoodWork.ca.

The deadline to apply is January 7 or until filled.

We will respond to all candidates who apply, whether shortlisted or not. If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to a 1 hour Zoom interview with two EYA team members. You will be provided with interview questions in advance. We’ll also ask for a sample lesson plan from a past experience.