Education Instructors

Job Description

The Education Department at Queens Botanical Garden offers public events, school workshops, kids programs and teacher training programs throughout the year following QBG’s mission of cultural connection to plants and ecological sustainability. The Garden seeks seasonal Instructors who are passionate about environmental education to fulfill our teaching and programmatic needs.

Instructors may conduct such activities as workshops, group tours, special event activity tables, and lessons on Garden grounds or at local schools, community facilities, neighborhood festivals, etc. These programs cater to groups of all ages, especially children and families.

About Us

Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) is a private non-profit cultural institution located on 39 acres of New York City public land in Flushing, New York. In FY25, the Garden served approximately 259,000 visitors, including 21,560 schoolchildren. A recently completed visitor survey reveals that 45% of visitors speak a language other than English at home. This fact underscores the importance of the mission and the challenges and opportunities QBG faces daily in creating programs, exhibits and landscapes that serve the needs of people who live in and visit one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation. The Garden has committed itself to addressing the complex and ever-changing needs of its diverse community and to being the place where people, plants, and cultures meet.

Duties & Responsibilities

Teach QBG environmental, art, sustainability and gardening programming to the standards set by QBG either at the Garden or out in the community
Work with Education Manager and other QBG staff to implement interactive and engaging gardening and environmental and sustainability workshops and activities
Create a safe and welcoming space for participants
Prepare and maintain all materials for scheduled programs
Set up and break down programming spaces
Travel from QBG to other locations to implement program, and transport materials as needed
Support horticulture and gardening needs of the department as needed
Support additional needs and tasks of the Education Department

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree or two years relevant experience in education, science, or a related field
Class/ group management experience, especially with children
Experience teaching in subject areas of botany, environmental studies, ethnobotany, or life sciences a plus
Experience and interest in working with diverse communities
Must be able to work with varied size groups of children and adults
Enthusiastic and collaborative attitude
Excellent communication and organizational abilities
Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends

Additional Information

This is part-time seasonal position. Salary: $20/hour

Group Programs: Positions available for Spring (mid-March – early June), Summer (late June – August), and Fall (mid-September – early December) seasons, or for the entire period. We offer programs on weekday mornings, weekdays after school, and on occasional weekends in four hour shifts. Shift commitment needed a minimum of two or more half days of programming per week for a minimum of 8 hours per week. All spring roles must be available for training starting in mid-March.

Youth Programs: This is a fully onsite part-time seasonal position.
Children’s Garden (drop off/ elementary age program) schedule:
March to early June: 5-6 hours/ week: Sundays 12pm – 4pm, plus administration
Late June: 20 hours/ week: Weekday AM training program for summer preparation
July & August: 35 hours/ week: Mondays through Thursdays, 8am-4pm and Fridays, 9am-12pm
September to November: 6 hours/ week: Sundays 12pm – 4pm

Garden Buds (1 hour toddler + grownup program) schedule:
March: 6 hours/ week: Sundays 12pm – 4pm
April to November: 6.5 hours/ week: Sundays 8:30am – 1pm

Application Instructions

For consideration, please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant documents via our Career
Center:
https://queensbotanical.org/employment/#instructor–group-programs

If you encounter difficulties with uploading documents to the portal, please send via email to Human Resources at hr@queensbotanical.org.