EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR
The Stone Living Lab (SLL) is an innovative and collaborative initiative focused on testing and scaling up nature-based approaches to climate adaptation in Boston Harbor and beyond. We are a unique partnership between government agencies and nonprofits: Boston Harbor Now, UMass Boston School for the Environment, the City of Boston, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, the National Park Service, and the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag. As a “Living Lab,” we bring research into the real world by engaging scientists and the community in collaborative design and exploration. Our work brings us not only along the coastline of Boston Harbor, but into the water itself and out among the Boston Harbor Islands and other locations. Our areas of focus are research and monitoring, education and engagement, policy innovation, and climate preparedness.
Information about the Lab, including its guiding principles and commitment to equity, is available at www.stonelivinglab.org.
As a member of the Education and Engagement team, the Program Coordinator will develop and implement education programs for the Stone Living Lab, engaging with the general public, youth and student groups, community stakeholders, and more. Additional duties will include some administrative support of Lab activities, including scheduling, internal budget tracking, and other tasks as needed.
Organizational Overview
As an anchor partner of the Stone Living Lab, Boston Harbor Now (BHN) manages the education, communication, and policy efforts of the Lab. As such, this position is based at BHN, along with the Managing Director, Communications Manager, and Senior Program Manager of Education and Engagement.
Boston Harbor Now envisions a vibrant, welcoming, and resilient Boston Harbor, Waterfront, and Islands for the benefit of everyone. Our mission is to ensure that these unique regional resources are accessible, inclusive, and properly adapted to the risks of climate change.
BHN focuses on Coastal Resilience, Access, and Equity. BHN works with public and private partners to increase people’s awareness of and access to parks and public spaces on Boston Harbor through programming, communications, and engagement. The organization serves as the legislated non-profit partner of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park and the city’s partner for the Boston Harborwalk and Moakley Park.
Current priority projects include the Stone Living Lab, focused on finding nature-based solutions to sea-level rise, and Harborwalk 2.0, a framework for improving waterfront development on Boston Harbor as well as imagining a bolder vision for the waterfront and islands. Harborwalk 2.0 goes beyond existing regulations in anticipation of building a more resilient and accessible waterfront that is prepared for the coastal impacts of climate change.
For more information about Boston Harbor Now, please visit: www.bostonharbornow.org
About the Position
Reporting to the Senior Program Manager of Education and Engagement, the Program Coordinator will be an enthusiastic and experienced educator with a track record of both developing and implementing education programming. The preferred candidate will be a team player, capable of communicating and working effectively across partnerships and a diverse and growing staff. They will collaborate to identify programming and opportunities to advance the Lab’s goals while supporting local needs, and bring innovative ideas regarding local climate change education.
The Program Coordinator will develop and implement education programming centered on coastal and climate resilience for the Boston area, while supporting a growing network of partners and educators in the region. They will support existing programs, while developing new programs or partnerships that enhance understanding of coastal climate issues and nature-based approaches, with a focus on identifying and fulfilling needs of local partners.
This is a full-time position, requiring a flexible work schedule. The position is hybrid, with at least three days per week in the office, and attendance at in-person events. Occasional weekend or evening events, particularly in the summer months, are expected. We encourage candidates expecting to graduate in spring 2025 to apply.
We recognize that experience can be gained in various ways: lived, professional, volunteer, and other experience.
We encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, and people with non-dominant gender identities who may not believe they meet all of the described qualifications to consider what they can contribute to Boston Harbor Now and apply.
Responsibilities include:
- Partner with and support the Senior Program Manager on existing and developing education and outreach initiatives
- Lead or co-lead existing education programming, including public pop-up events, youth field trips, classroom lessons, and more
- Identify and develop programming opportunities supporting new and existing partnerships, including Boston Children’s Museum, National Parks of Boston, and others
- Document, standardize, and distribute educational activities via the Stone Living Lab website
- Provide program updates via the Stone Living Lab blog, presentations to Lab stakeholders, social media posts, etc.
- Support a growing network of teachers via the Summer Teacher Institute
- Innovate new programming activities centered on novel Stone Living Lab research activities
- Assist the Managing Director and Senior Program Manager of Education and Engagement with internal administration, including: coordinating internal meetings, internal communications, and tracking program spending
Qualifications and Experience
- Experience leading educational programming for a wide variety of audience and ages, particularly environmental topics
- Familiarity with state-based curriculum standards and lesson plan development
- Experience working in collaboration with a wide variety of partners or stakeholders
- Experience with and comfort in public speaking and communicating complex topics
- Proficiency in Google Suite, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Calendar
- Familiarity in planning public events and event platforms (e.g. Eventbrite), including outreach and promotion
- Experience designing flyers, signage, social posts, etc. (e.g. Canva) preferred
- Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree preferred but not required. Other credentials, traditional and nontraditional, and experience considered and appreciated.
- Fluency in another language(s) a plus
The Ideal Candidate:
- Is highly organized and is able to prioritize multiple tasks and establish and meet deadlines
- Is a flexible thinker and able to adapt plans as needed
- Is a positive and enthusiastic collaborator
- Pays attention to detail
- Values creativity, innovation, and many world views
- Believes in the mission of Boston Harbor Now
How to Apply
Please send your resume/CV and cover letter to employment@bostonharbornow.org for consideration. Please use the Subject line “Education and Engagement Program Coordinator Application (your last name)” in your email. Applications due February 16, 2025.
Benefits and Salary
The salary for this position is $57,000 annually and includes a benefits package, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, vacation, sick and personal time, as well as the option to participate in our 403(b).
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Boston Harbor Now is an intentionally diverse workplace. We are intentional about hiring, developing, and retaining diverse individuals at all levels. We don’t just accept differences – we celebrate them, we value them, we promote them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, volunteers, supporters, partners, and community. We recognize that people bring their personal histories to work and that we make better decisions when we include a wide range of experiences and opinions. Diversity refers not only to race and gender, but also to an array of human differences including: culture, ethnicity, geography, socio-economic position, ability, sexual orientation, background, perspective and more that exist in the community and are reflected in the workforce. We value using an equity lens to manage the organization and create spaces for conversations on equity and ongoing staff and board engagement and empowerment to redesign policies, practices, services and programs. Boston Harbor Now strongly believes that diversity plays an essential role in our mission, fostering innovation and creativity, attracting the best candidates to our team, and enhancing our ability to serve.
We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
