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Education Programs Manager

West Michigan Environmental Action Council
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EDUCATION PROGRAMS MANAGER

Reports to: Director of Environmental Programs

FTE: 1.00 (35 hours per week)

Compensation: $45,000 – $50,000 per year, salaried/exempt

Benefits: Hybrid work environment; ample Paid Time Off, including 10 holidays and bereavement, jury duty, and parental leave; stipends for a health care plan and home office technology; group dental and vision policies; group life insurance and long-term disability insurance; savings match for SIMPLE IRA after 3 years

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

West Michigan Environmental Action Council’s (WMEAC’s) mission is to work collaboratively alongside our diverse community to educate, engage, and advocate for environmental values, environmental and climate justice, and a healthy and resilient community for all. WMEAC has been a key environmental education, engagement, and advocacy organization since 1968, and is a registered 501c3 nonprofit. We serve West Michigan communities, with primary emphasis on the Grand Rapids, Holland, and Muskegon metropolitan areas.

POSITION OVERVIEW

WMEAC’s Education Programs Manager will deliver place-based, environmental education programs and teach a variety of topics such as climate change, freshwater biology, geology, forestry, and the history of resource management in West Michigan to a diverse audience including public and private schools, businesses, higher learning institutions, and local community organizations in West Michigan. WMEAC environmental education programming will be delivered across the organization’s eight-county area of service with a strong focus on serving 4th – 8th grade scholars in the metropolitan areas of Grand Rapids and Muskegon.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Develops and manages initiatives to achieve WMEAC’s strategic goals for environmental education about nonpoint source pollution, green stormwater infrastructure, climate change resiliency, and municipal solid waste reduction measures such as composting and recycling
  • Supports fund development activities for Environmental Education Programs including grant writing to local, state, and federal funders, earned income opportunities, and sponsor recruitment for workshops and events
  • Manages all aspects of WMEAC’s Teach for the Watershed (T4W) outdoor education program
    • Liaison to Grand Rapids and Godfrey Lee Public Schools to deliver T4W programming
    • Manages the rental and sharing of Environmental Education equipment for T4W programs with local educators and organizations for fee-for-service programs
  • Manages all aspects of WMEAC’s Zero Waste in Landfill (ZWIL) waste reduction education program
    • Liaison to Kent County Department of Public Works (KCDPW) to facilitate WMEAC’s Recycling and Zero Waste Internship and collaborates on strategies to improve participation and product quality for recycling in Grand Rapids and Kent County
    • Delivers K-12 curricula about recycling, composting, and living sustainably to scholars in West Michigan
    • Manages WMEAC’s office vermicompost bin which includes weekly maintenance
    • Manages and supports implementation and growth of WMEAC’s Green Infrastructure Education Program activities, including, but not necessarily limited to:
      • Rain Barrel and Green Infrastructure Workshops: Delivers educational programming to workshop participants; liaises with community and corporate partners and sponsors; manages inventory of materials and supplies; recruits and directs volunteers and interns to prepare and build rain barrels and green infrastructure stations, and to assist with workshops
      • Rain Gardens, Rainscaping, and Green Infrastructure Maintenance and Implementation: Assists with development and implementation of DIY rain garden education and programming in West Michigan; conducts Grand River Rainscaping assessments and assists with consultation for implementation of green stormwater infrastructure practices on private properties; manages volunteers and interns to plant, tend, and maintain WMEAC’s on-site rain garden, native plantings, and green roof
  • Supports WMEAC’s Adopt-A-Stream and BID credit program
  • Evaluates the scalability of T4W and ZWIL components to continue to grow the number of scholars who participate in this programming with grant-funded opportunities or fee-for-service programs
  • Hires and supervises a team of 2 – 4 Seasonal Environmental Educators to support the development and execution of Environmental Education programs, public outreach events and workshops, and professional development opportunities for educators.
  • Oversees the purchasing, management, and inventory of Environmental Education materials and tools (such as waders, nets, educational models, microscopes, power tools, and other scientific equipment) both at the WMEAC office and off-site storage unit
  • Oversees all data tracking and reporting for EE programs including grant deliverables and expenses
  • Liaison to school administration, teachers, and students, and community education organizations
    to solicit WMEAC-branded EE experiences and curricula
  • Supports the management of the WMEAC van
  • Works as a team player to ensure the continued success of WMEAC and its programs by assisting program and administrative staff with special projects, as requested and assigned

WORK HOURS AND LOCATION

The Education Programs Manager is expected to work out of WMEAC’s office in Grand Rapids. Our staff works a hybrid schedule where full-time staff members work 2-3 days per week in the office and 2-3 days per week at home. Our Grand Rapids office is closed to the public on Mondays and Fridays, and in-office hybrid days are Tuesday – Thursday. We also have a Muskegon work space that can be utilized.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: AUGUST 12, 2024

DIRECTIONS TO APPLY

Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter online at wmeac.org/careers. The position will remain open until filled. If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, contact admin@wmeac.org. Otherwise please refrain from contacting WMEAC staff members for more information about this position.

WMEAC is an equal opportunity employer. No one will be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
West Michigan Environmental Action Council is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Our Board of Directors, staff, and interns are committed to enhancing and celebrating diversity in all its forms. All employment decisions at WMEAC are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.