University-Assisted Community Schools Nutrition Education and Health Improvement Coordinator, Netter Center for Community Partnerships

Job Description Summary

The UACS Nutrition Education and Health Improvement Coordinator will work as part of the Netter Center's University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) team to implement local problem-solving curricula in elementary and high schools in the areas of nutrition, school gardens, and wellness where students work with partners to develop implementable projects that aim to improve school and community wellbeing. A major part of the position will be engaging University students, faculty and staff to be partners in longstanding, successful projects; this will include providing training and reflection opportunities that help continuously improve the partnership and its impacts. The UACS Nutrition Education and Health Improvement Coordinator also will help infuse health and wellness activities and policies throughout UACS programs. The position both coordinates and provides direct instruction during the school day, afterschool, and summer.

These partnerships are designed to strengthen teaching and learning (K-16+) through projects that improve health and nutrition - both in the schools and in the neighboring West Philadelphia communities in which the schools are located. Some projects will include work with Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) courses and other forms of community-engaged scholarship, which integrate service with research, teaching, and learning, and bring together academic expertise with community expertise. This work requires listening to the nutrition and health needs of the K12 schools and community partners and mobilizing mutually beneficial and mutually transformational partnerships that help meet those needs. Through collaborative problem-solving, this work is designed to improve the quality of life and learning in the community and the quality of learning and scholarship in the university. It is also designed to help students become active, creative, contributing citizens of a democratic society.

Recent activities and projects have included implementation of student-led School Wellness Councils, after school fruit and vegetable stands where students learn health, nutrition and other skills by improving the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking programs where students learn by cooking community meals, the Good Food Bag program where students support distribution of healthy foods to families, and Culinary Medicine, where students blend the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine to improve health.

Job Description

Founded in 1992, the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships is the University's primary vehicle for advancing civic and community engagement at Penn. It brings together the resources and assets of both the University and the wider community to help solve universal problems such as poverty, health inequities, environmental sustainability, and inadequate, unequal education as they are manifested in the University's local geographic area of West Philadelphia and Philadelphia at large. The Netter Center develops and helps implement democratic, mutually transformative, place-based partnerships between Penn and West Philadelphia that advance research, teaching, learning, and service. These partnerships help improve the quality of life on campus and in the community. The Netter Center works with and serves as a model for other higher education institutions across the United States and around the world.

University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) background: A major component of the Netter Center's work is mobilizing the vast resources of the University of Pennsylvania to help traditional public schools become innovative University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) that educate, engage, empower, and serve public school students, families, and community members. UACS focus on schools as core institutions for community engagement and democratic development, as well as link school day and after school curricula to solve locally identified, real-world, community problems. At the same time, working with community members to create and sustain UACS provides a powerful means for universities to advance teaching, research, learning, and service, as well as the civic development of their students.

Responsibilities:

Primary responsibilities of this role include, preparing materials and teaching hands-on nutrition education activities and training part-time staff and University students and partners in nutrition education program implementation, including connecting to the school gardens, and preparing materials and teaching nutrition education and wellness activities to K-12 students UACS sites. A component of the position will be to further develop the educational frameworks of UACS nutrition and wellness education programming.

The UACS Nutrition Education and Health Improvement Coordinator supports a comprehensive approach to community health improvement, with a focus on the following activities: nutrition and garden education initiatives, year-round youth development programming, improving access to quality foods for children, youth, families and faculty within partnering public schools and community, increasing activity and exercise levels, as well as increasing awareness and understanding of food systems and environment. Academic programming includes collaboration with school day teachers and administrators to support enrichment activities that support learning across the core subjects through problem-based learning and community development activities. This position requires the ability to collaborate with school-day teachers, after-school instructors, community partners, and university faculty and students to co-develop educational activities that are mutually beneficial and mutually transformational.

Qualifications:

We seek an individual who loves nutrition education, cooking, working with young people in schools, and wants to oversee a team that is working together to develop effective practices for the maintenance and growth of school gardens as living classrooms. A Bachelor's Degree and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination education and experience is required. Master's in Education, Environmental Science, Public Health, or equivalent degree strongly preferred. A strong candidate will have experience in urban education, supervision, and youth development. Knowledge about Penn and West Philadelphia is a plus. Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and foster high quality connections is critical. Must be collaborative, flexible, and work productively with diverse groups. Must be able to work in a wide variety of weather conditions. Must possess a track record of both self-directed and team-oriented accomplishments and be organized, detail-oriented, dependable, and flexible. This position requires full-time on-campus presence unless otherwise approved. This position requires the ability to climb stairs or ladders. This position also involves frequent walking, including walking for extended periods of time indoors or outdoors.

This position is contingent upon grant funding.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$55,000.00 - $65,000.00 Annual Rate