Seeking Environmental Leadership Coordinator (Part-Time)

About Common Ground High School 

Common Ground High School is the nation’s longest-running environmental charter high school, founded in 1997. Our 230 students form an inclusive, powerful community of learners and leaders. These students benefit from a unique learning environment: an urban farm and 20-acre site, home to state of the art school facilities, adjacent to West Rock Ridge State Park, and located in the City of New Haven. We strive to create a learning environment grounded in foundational building blocks: rigor, responsive relationships, relevance that’s rooted in the local community and environment, and real roles & rights. 

Common Ground High School is part of a community nonprofit organization that also operates an urban farm and community environmental education center. As a whole, Common Ground is a center for learning and leadership, inviting people across ages and identities to connect to their urban environment, build community, grow into their full potential, and contribute to a just and sustainable world. We work toward this mission through active, authentic learning rooted in justice and our environment: a farm, in a forest, in a city. 

About the Position

The Environmental Leadership Coordinator leads key components of our Environmental Leadership strategy — helping to ensure that all students have equitable and robust opportunities to grow as leaders and change agents, working to grow a more just and sustainable world. This employee will: 

Manage the school-wide Environmental Leadership Portfolio process — through which all students create and defend electronic portfolios reflecting on their growth as learners and leaders over time. The EL Coordinator: 

1. • Partners with core subject classroom teachers and guidance groups at every grade level to plan and facilitate opportunities for students to shape their own definitions of leadership, reflect, and grow as leaders.  
   • Works intensively with seniors — in Senior Environmental Justice Capstone, guidance groups, and at other times — to support students as they complete their portfolios and prepare for their defenses. 

• Works closely with junior students in Junior Seminar, guidance groups, and additional sessions to help with student pathway planning, with a strong emphasis on college and career exploration and readiness readiness.

• Rallies and coordinates the capacity of others — guidance teachers, staff who sign up to be portfolio reviewers and panelists, community members, families, other students — to support students, especially seniors, as they work on their portfolios.
• Plans and facilitates professional development that supports the portfolio process and Common Ground’s commitment to help all students grow into powerful leaders. 
• Coordinates senior portfolio defenses, sophomore portfolio presentations, and the other key grade level outcomes.
• Plans and facilitates end-of-semester Presentations of Learning & Leadership and mid-semester Portfolio Days. 
• Evaluates and strengthens portfolio expectations, activities, and supports for students at each grade level — with a particular focus on developing a strong four-year progression and developmentally appropriate supports at each grade level.  

• Collaborate with students, teachers, staff, and community partners to strengthen opportunities for students to grow as leaders, particularly around environmental and social justice issues. This includes:

1. • Acting as advisor for Common Ground’s student government, supporting student members of the Board of Directors, and working to create other opportunities for students to take part in decision-making roles within the school community  
   • Supporting all teachers — through professional development, planning sessions, one on one meetings, etc. — as they integrate opportunities for leadership and social and environmental justice issues into their curriculum.
   • Identifying community-based leadership opportunities, and encouraging students to participate in these opportunities.  
   • Act as a key member of the team selecting and engaging Common Ground’s annual Environmental Leader in Residence.

Hours and Reporting

This is a half time (20 hour/week) position. The Environmental Leadership Coordinator reports to the Assistant School Director.  Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to applications@nhep.com AND jtolman@nhep.com.

We are looking for candidates who demonstrate some or all of the following: 

• Strong program management and systems skills — able to manage multiple priorities, help to strengthen and develop systems, etc. 
• A passion for and experience with work at the intersection of environmental, social, and food justice.
• Experience and skill in youth development, leadership development, organizing, and/or helping young people grow into agents of change.  
• Experience working directly with racially and economically diverse high school aged young people, and with low income young people and people of color in particular.
• Capacity to co-plan and co teach with classroom teachers, lead effective professional development
• Knowledge about and passion for working for an organization that is committed to social justice, the dismantling of systems of oppression, and creating a just, equitable, and inclusive culture.
• Experience developing and sustaining relationships with community partners.
• Creativity, sense of humor, and commitment to collaboration and relationship building
• Excellent communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 

We are also excited to consider candidates who have: 

• Understanding of the history and present-day dynamics of the city of New Haven, as well as connections/social networks within our city.
• Strong writing, presentation/facilitation, and reflection skills — and an ability to help young people develop those skills.
• Experience in trauma-informed work, restorative justice, social emotional learning/literacy.
• Passion and experience in curriculum development and working closely with classroom teachers.
• Background in experiential, place-based, and/or project-based learning. 
• Experience working with Google applications, online course management platforms, and other online learning tools.
• A minimum of three years experience working in school or community organization setting.
• Connecticut teacher certification, or the ability to gain certification.