Education Director
Updated: May 9
Summary: The 501(c)(3) Native American nonprofit, Elderberry Wisdom Farm (EWF) is hiring its Education Director. This is a full-time exempt salaried role. The Education Director will work with a team of educators and establish a leadership role coordinating the Native Agriculture Biodiversity Accelerator (NABA).
The Education Director will be responsible for coordinating culturally-tailored experiential training for cohorts of Native Americans pursuing agricultural, horticultural and conservation career pathways who are also interested in becoming owners and operators of their own microenterprise business. This includes an opportunity to provide educational services to Native American youth.
Elderberry Wisdom Farm is a Native American 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. The Education Director would work on a two-acre farm in the Mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, and live near the Salem area. This offers significant leadership and career growth potential serving on a four-person executive management team which administers the nonprofit.
Salary: Commensurate with experience, up to $72,000 annually plus medical benefits
Apply: Send letter of interest and resume (or Q's) to Sara at info@elderberrywisdom.org
The Native Agriculture Biodiversity Accelerator (NABA)
The Native Agriculture Biodiversity Accelerator provides paid internships and externships to Native American adults and youth pursuing microenterprise career pathways in environmental conservation, horticulture and agriculture. These internships include academic classroom training plus outdoor experiential service-learning activities that integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and food sovereignty perspectives. EWF is forming three businesses and a farm cooperative: Native American Plant Nursery LLC, Native American Habitat Restoration LLC, Blue Elderberry Farm LLC; and the Native American Farm Cooperative and Farmers Market. Interns and externs will be trained over several years to serve as emerging owners and operators of these businesses. They will receive technical assistance as they become owners and operators of their own businesses.
Duties and Responsibilities
Help plan 8-week Regenerative Organic Farming Internship with staff and educators (each Spring)
Help plan 8-week Habitat Restoration Internship with staff and educators (each Fall)
Oversee development of classroom lesson plans and outdoor experiential work plans
Recruit cohorts of Native Interns for spring and fall classes
Coordinate paid Externships in the winters and summers to expand skills and experience
Provide microenterprise business training for Interns/Externs transitioning to LLC ownership
Work with collaborative partners integrating Western science practices into classes
Work with technical advisors who help prepare feasibility studies and business plans
Help Organic Farm Interns form the Native Farm Cooperative during weekly planning sessions
Help develop the Volunteer Plan so volunteers can join interns in afternoon service learning
Attend weekly team planning meetings; submit weekly reports; draft newsletter updates
Requirements
Experience with Native American education, including STEM, ecology, agricultural and/or horticultural principles and practices
Understanding of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and how it integrates with academic agriculture, horticulture, and conservation
Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field (or comparable education and experience)
Positive project management and mentoring skills that integrate Native American leadership, communication, and cultural values
Positive communication and consultation skills working with diverse interns, staff, and partners
Ability to work effectively in a digital environment and with face-to-face diplomacy
Valid Oregon Driver’s license
Must successfully pass a background check and fingerprint clearance
About Elderberry Wisdom Farm
The 501(c)(3) Native American nonprofit, Elderberry Wisdom Farm (EWF) was founded in 2019 in Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley. EWF strives to provide holistic workforce opportunities for Native Americans pursuing meaningful career pathways. We are committed to positive communications with those individuals and populations we serve. Our services include their voices as we help them achieve multigenerational prosperity by providing culturally tailored educational achievement; social and economic development; and health and wellness resilience designed to strengthen cultural identity and positive self-esteem.
Vision
With our commitment to Native American cultural sustainability, multimedia education and race reconciliation, Elderberry Wisdom Farm is engaged in the lifelong pursuit of supporting Native Americans— community by community— as they restore exemplary cultural values and cultural heritage of their ancestors, and achieve health and wellness, meaningful career pathways and eventual prosperity.
Mission
Elderberry Wisdom Farm provides opportunities for Native Americans, communities of color and public audiences to raise their awareness of the rich cultural heritage and traditional ecological knowledge of America’s First Peoples. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for all. We strive to strengthen awareness and understanding, as well as appreciation and respect for the Wisdom and knowledge of Native American elders, cultural leaders and indigenous scientists.