Teacher (Gardening + Mindfulness)

Green Arrow Co-Lab provides a gardening and mindfulness curriculum for youth who have had involvement with the justice system. Our mission is to support young people harmed by systemic injustice, structural racism and a societal disconnect as they reconnect to themselves and their future opportunity for success through an earth-based program of healing, self-actualization and connection to community and nature.

Currently, we offer gardening and mindfulness programs to organizations and institutions that work with youth and young adults impacted by the criminal justice system.

We are expanding and looking for a part-time teacher to teach 2-3 times per week in the Koreatown/Hollywood area. Classes are 1-1.5 hours long and held at partner organizations and schools where we provide our curriculum. Class sizes range between 2-8 people and is not consistent week to week. The young people we work with have usually been previously incarcerated and/or experienced/are experiencing homelessness.

We take a trauma-informed approach in our teaching and integrate somatic practices to help regulate the nervous system and build greater resiliency. We have a curriculum you can use to structure the classes but creativity and meeting the young people where they are at is strongly encouraged over "following the plan".

We offer these “come-as-you-are” no-judgement spaces for youth that are in a big transitions. Using mentorship and deep listening as pillars for our work, our classes give breathing space for what comes up and needs to be addressed (both in the garden and internally in the emotional landscape of the group and the individual members) while still teaching life lessons, agriculture skills, and decolonization and justice theory.

Ideal Skills:

- Trauma-informed and/or restorative justice training or experience

- Passion and some basic knowledge of gardening and mindfulness. If you are stronger in one area and willing to learn and grow that’s great! We encourage team discovery and group learning. Showing up to learn something new as a team is powerful! You don't have to know all the answers as the "teacher"

- Collaborator, curious, understanding, compassionate

- Knowledge or experience in working with folx that have experienced chronic trauma

- A positive attitude focused on connecting and getting to know these young people

- Emotional understanding of others and self

- Actively doing inner self-work

Responsibilities:

- Teach gardening and mindfulness 2-3 times per week (see class times below)

- You must arrive at least 10 mins before class to set up, get yourself grounded and centered, etc

- Attend weekly 1-hour virtual teacher meetings to review and plan curriculum for that week, celebrate wins and discuss roadblocks and support needed.

- Class planning based on current curriculum (we do a grounding and welcome circle, an interactive lesson or time in the garden or a deeper council practice, and a closing circle)

- Reflections after each class - can be done written, audio, video

- 6 month commitment unless otherwise discussed

- Reliable transportation

Class Times:

At the moment, times and days are flexible for Class 2+3 depending on your availability and most impactful time for the young people

-Class 1: Thursday from 12-1:30 in Koreatown, Los Angeles, once a month we offer a cooking class during this time

- Class 2: 1 hour, 2 days/week (likely before 2pm, in Hollywood)

- Class 3: TBD (1 or 2 hours, 1 or 2 days /week) in Koreatown