Educator, Education Administration

The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education is seeking a full-time Educator for environmental education at partner elementary schools in Aspen, CO. Responsibilities include teaching K-4/5 classes, managing students, developing lesson plans, and leading field science programs. The role involves engaging with the community through camps and events while promoting ecological literacy and environmental leadership. The position requires on-site presence and is not remote.
ACES is a nonprofit environmental science education organization. Since 1968, ACES has inspired a lifelong commitment to the Earth by providing innovative and immersive programming for all ages. We have three locations in the Roaring Fork Valley:
Hallam Lake, Rock Bottom Ranch, and Catto Center programs reach more than 140,000 individuals every year, and focus on ecological literacy, regenerative agriculture, forest and ecosystem health, land restoration, and environmental leadership. ACES works diligently to directly affect environmental and climate change education, awareness, and action. We also engage our community by hosting public lectures and events. ACES collaborates with land trusts, public agencies, and other nonprofits to achieve our mission.

ACES has full-time environmental education classrooms at three elementary schools:
Aspen Elementary School, Basalt Elementary School, and Crystal River Elementary School. Educators teach K-4/5 students in our partner schools, lead field programs for school groups at sites from Aspen to Rifle, and facilitate winter, spring, and summer camps.

Please visit the ACES website for more information on our education programs.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Teach in the ACES classroom at one of our partner schools. (50%)
• Teach ACES' K-4/5 environmental education classes. ACES is a "specials" class in our partner schools, like art, library, PE, and music. ACES Educators teach by themselves and with a co-teacher in our full-time classrooms.
• Be solely responsible for managing and supervising students in a classroom environment.
• Develop and revise units and lesson plans for grades K-4/5 that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and 2020 Colorado Academic Science Standards.
• Create, prepare, and obtain classroom materials and resources.
• Coordinate and communicate with other classroom teachers, school principals, and administrative staff.
• Participate in school faculty meetings, professional development, and parent/teacher conferences.
• Assess and track students' progress; submit grades for students.
• Plan, coordinate, and teach occasional evening programs for school families.
• Maintain an understanding of best practices in education and classroom management.
• Teach ACES field science programs. (30%)
• Teach non-residential environmental science field programs at various sites throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and Garfield County.
• Lead and safely manage students (K-12) in a wide range of environments and seasons (e.g. programs at 11,200 feet in elevation in winter conditions).
• Maintain an understanding of best practices in environmental and outdoor education, and knowledge of local ecology.
• Lead other ACES programs as needed, including some overnight, evening, and weekend programs, as well as pre-K, adult, and family programs.
• Teach ACES community programs. (20%)
• Teach children’s day and weeklong camps during summer, winter, and spring breaks. Weeklong summer camps are based at Hallam Lake and Rock Bottom Ranch, and may include hikes off site and overnight camping.
• Be solely responsible for managing and supervising youth in grades K-8 in an outdoor environment.
• Develop, revise, and document curriculum for associated programs.
• Organize, create, and prepare educational resources and materials for ACES youth programs.
• Lead and support other community programs as needed, including adult and family programs, and events.

Secondary Responsibilities
• Assist and become involved with visitor center maintenance including resident animal management, ranch animal husbandry, interpretive exhibits, and other ACES projects.
• Perform on-site visitor center hosting responsibilities. This includes greeting and engaging guests, answering telephone calls, informal visitor education, selling merchandise, and fielding questions.
• Maintain site organization and cleanliness.
• Other duties as assigned to further the mission of ACES.

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent experience in natural sciences, environmental education, agriculture education, or related field
• Minimum of two years’ teaching experience in a…