Adult Education Apprentice

Job Description

The Education Department at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens engages visitors with Arboretum grounds in unique ways, curating educational opportunities that inspire inquiry and ignite curiosity and creativity on themes surrounding the relationships between plants, people, and place.

The Adult Education Apprentice is an integral part of the team that develops and delivers educational programming for professionals, adults, families, and children. The apprentice works with staff to plan and deliver over 150 fee-based classes annually with over 3,000 registrants of all ages. The apprentice provides program support for the Education Department, assisting in the planning and execution of continuing education classes, annual conferences, lectures, interpretive signage throughout the Arboretum’s grounds, and more. This position is supported by the McLean Contributionship Education Apprenticeship Endowment.

Duties & Responsibilities

Work with staff to plan and implement a robust adult and family course curriculum.

Help plan and organize professional seminars, annual conferences, and public lectures. 

Work with instructors on scheduling their classes, writing course descriptions, and working out class logistics. 

Greet instructors and make sure they have handouts, and any other supplies needed to run their classes.

Host virtual classes.

Communicate with students. 

Work with Morris Arboretum & Gardens Department of Marketing on advertisement and publicity of courses. This may include writing articles for local news outlets and generating content for social media and/or the Arboretum's website.

Participate in apprentice learning sessions and field trips to area gardens and natural areas.

Help monitor the system for online evaluation of classes.

Perform additional duties as requested. 

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a related field is required.

Must have good communication skills, both written and oral.

Must be familiar with or able to learn software systems, including database systems, to register students for classes.

Good interpersonal skills are required.

Must be adaptable and flexible. 

Flexibility with a weekly schedule to accommodate evening and weekend programming. Saturday morning hours are required from March through June and September through October. 

The ideal candidate will work well in a collaborative atmosphere and have a demonstrated interest in lifelong learning, environmental education, and/or public gardens. 

Work Environment

The Adult Education Apprentice has their own workstation in a shared office.  Most days are spent indoors, though the apprentice should be comfortable in outdoor settings. The Adult Education Apprentice has an excellent opportunity to meet others in the field of public gardens, and to learn about and work with other Departments at the Arboretum.