Coronation Schoolyard Naturalization & Outdoor Classroom Project
Job Description: Project Coordinator
Closing Date: January 26, 2024 at midnight
Position Type: Part-Time (15 hours/week) – Grant Funded
Duration: January, 2024 – March, 2025
Salary: $35.00/hour
Location: Hybrid – remote and in-person – North Glenora, Edmonton.
Working for the North Glenora Community League
North Glenora is located on Treaty 6 territory – the ancestral lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Metis, Dene, Nakota Sioux, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples.
We respectfully acknowledge the relationships established by this Treaty and are committed to honouring its principles. We humbly accept our responsibility as stewards of this land.
Together we will foster a community that understands our past, creates a sense of belonging, and strengthens supportive relationships with each other and the land.
Position: The Project Coordinator manages the implementation of the project activities, events and deliverables in collaboration with other project team members and volunteers. The Project Coordinator works closely with a designated project lead (who is a member of the NGCL Sustainability Committee) to keep the project leadership team informed of project activities and funding.
Duties:
- Lead the coordination of the project activities with the support of the project team.
- Finalize project workplan and track budget spending.
- Periodically convene and facilitate project & budget activities with project team and leadership.
- Collaborate with the project team to communicate regular project updates and activities to the community and partners.
- Help coordinate and facilitate project related community events and engagement activities.
- Work closely with the project’s Indigenous Elder Consultant, organizing engagement activities and recording relayed knowledge as it relates to the project.
- Work with the Coronation School Principal, staff and students (when necessary) to gather input and organize activities.
- Communicate project milestones (including photos) with the NGCL Communications Director to share with the community.
- Complete monthly timesheet of working hours, tasks, etc. and provide invoice for payment by the 25th (deadline) of the month to NGCL.
- Submit quarterly reports of work completed to update the leadership team.
- Track expenses and keep receipts for reimbursement and project expenses.
- Assist with periodic reports to funders.
- Other tasks/ responsibilities may arise as the project progresses.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work with large complex groups of community partners from different sectors.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with a variety of stakeholders from students, families, educators, elders, administrators and funders.
- Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work with little guidance as well as in a team environment
How to Apply: Please submit an expression of interest along with your copy of your resume to: [email protected]
Further Information:
Background: The Sustainability Committee of the North Glenora Community League (NGCL) in partnership with the Coronation Parent Council, and Dr. M. Anne Naeth from the University of Alberta (making up the project leadership team), have embarked on a project to naturalize the Coronation Schoolyard and create outdoor classrooms.
The proposed naturalization of the school site will enable the conditions to maximize carbon sequestration by a native plant garden, and will demonstrate a scalable nature-based solution to aid in achieving net zero emissions for the City of Edmonton (COE). The creation of outdoor learning spaces will both complement the learning goals of students and contribute to new insights in carbon sequestration for the wider community.
Specific objectives of the project include to:
- Maximize soil organic carbon sequestration and biodiversity gain – These twin objectives are intimately related and mutually-reinforcing. The University of Alberta (assisted by Dr. Naeth) will assist in measuring and monitoring progress.
- Facilitate student-led environmental stewardship and learning – The school curriculum contains environmental learning goals and encourages ecological stewardship. Students and staff will be involved in all phases of the project.
- Enhance community adaptation and resilience – This project is one among a number of other community projects to engage and invite residents to consider direct climate change resilience practices.
- Activate community connectivity and inclusion – The naturalization of the Coronation schoolyard will be revealed as a beautiful native plant garden and community members will be invited to assist in its development. It will be a site for community pride, connectivity and inclusion.
- Integrate Indigenous knowledge and leadership – Naturalization of the schoolyard will involve careful selection of keystone plants, for both cultural and ecological reasons. Indigenous community members will inform which native plants are to be featured.
- Demonstrate a scalable nature-based solution to address climate change – This project is an opportunity to demonstrate to the other 309 Edmonton school sites that community-driven nature-based solutions are possible to tackle climate change.
- Facilitate knowledge transfer of project successes and lessons learned – Project outcomes could inform other similar initiatives, contribute to student learning and potentially advise policy makers.
Project Milestones:
- M 1. Completion of kick-off meetings with project team and partners
- M 2. Site plan and layout for schoolyard naturalization finalized
- M 3. Plants and other materials needed for naturalization procured
- M 4. Carbon sequestration and biodiversity baseline measurements completed
- M 5. Commencement of Naturalization process and ongoing monitoring
- M 6. Walking paths and accessibility features completed
- M 7. Outdoor learning spaces completed
- M 8. Cultural and inclusivity elements considered and installed
- M 9. Project report completed and knowledge dissemination in progress