Part-Time Garden and Nutrition Education Associate (Temporary) at NEW KENSINGTON CDC – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) is a community development corporation committed to sustainable development in housing opportunities, economic development, vacant land strategies, community engagement, health and wellness, and real estate development. NKCDC advances social equity and economic empowerment by nurturing and creating opportunities for residents to live and actively shaping their neighborhoods of choice. To that end, NKCDC provides free resources to residents and businesses in the Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond neighborhoods.

NKCDC has a strong reputation, both locally and nationally, with longstanding credibility of serving as a trusted and valuable partner and collaborator. The organization is one of only two community development organizations in Philadelphia chartered members of the NeighborWorks America network. Our current work using a trauma-informed community engagement model, applying a racial equity lens across the organization, and leading programs at the intersection of health and housing are keeping NKCDC at the cutting edge of community development. NKCDC draws on the strengths of the communities in Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond — a population of over 62,800, 23% of whom live below the federal poverty level — to make sure neighborhood development benefits all residents. More information can be found at nkcdc.org.

Function

The Garden and Nutrition Education Associate will support the Food System’s department in delivering community-based nutrition education programming, nature-based outdoor activities, and urban agriculture initiatives across community greenspaces. In this role, you will assist with SNAP-Ed aligned nutrition education and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes; assist with delivering programming for participants of all ages; foster partnerships and cross-department collaboration; and help maintain NKCDC’s garden spaces. This position offers a dynamic, hands-on work environment where daily tasks shift based on seasonal priorities and program needs and programming that connects nutrition, food growing and healthy lifestyles in community and garden settings.

Funding

This is a temporary position supported by SNAP-Ed Grant Funding (100%).

The cycles for these funding sources are federal fiscal year (Oct 1).

Reports to

Urban Agriculture and Community Garden Program Manager.

Responsibilities

Greenspace Planning & Community Engagement

• Support community feedback meetings and engage in dialogue with community members to address concerns and suggestions.
• Attend meetings with partner organizations to collaborate on shared initiatives and projects.
• Employ a diverse range of engagement strategies including hosting and facilitating hands-on community events, surveying, distributing flyers, door knocking, and tabling to reach different audiences.

Outdoor Nature-Based Programming & Garden Activation

• Deliver inclusive educational programming for all ages at NKCDC garden sites and partner gardens.
• Cultivate and manage community partnerships to activate garden spaces effectively.
• Support garden-based education activities, including planting, harvesting, and seasonal food learning.
• Assist with basic garden maintenance during program activities.
• Help prepare garden spaces for workshops, volunteer days, and educational sessions.

Nutrition Education & PSE

• Support the development and facilitation of hands-on SNAP-Ed–aligned nutrition education workshops for youth, adults, and families.
• Facilitate cooking demonstrations, food tastings, and hands-on learning activities that connect fresh produce to healthy eating habits.
• Collaborate with NKCDC’s Nourish team to align garden programming with evidence-based nutrition curricula and educational standards and culturally relevant and affordable meal planning.
• Help prepare materials and set up educational activities.
• Assist with administering participant surveys and collecting required program data.
• Assist staff with PSE activities that promote healthier food environments at partner sites and community spaces.
• Support implementation of healthy food access initiatives through program activities and community engagement.

General Responsibilities

• Assist with participant outreach and engagement during community events.
• Use processes provided to collect and organize data.
• Gather community feedback on programming offerings and goals to inform future initiatives.
• Build trust and supportive relationships with community members, modeling healthy lifestyle behaviors.
• Attend regular team meetings, training sessions, and coaching with NKCDC’s Health & Wellness team.
• Act as a bridge between residents and public health, food access, and clinical care systems.
• Gather participant feedback and document attendance, outcomes, and photos for reporting and evaluation.
• Build trust with residents through consistent presence in garden spaces, modeling healthy lifestyle behaviors and food access advocacy.
• Perform additional tasks as assigned.

Compensation

The wage rate for this position will be $25.11/yr. with a part-time schedule, 20 hours per week. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we use a nonnegotiable starting salary system, while benchmarking our pay to competitive markets in the nonprofit sector. Work hours are from 9am-5pm. This position will be on-site at our central office, 2771 Ruth Street, Suite 1, Philadelphia, PA 19134.

Application

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume via our Paylocity Application. Applications received by March 16th, will be given full consideration. All candidate resumes are considered and kept on file for one year, but we cannot always respond personally depending on the volume of inquiries.

Hiring process

Our hiring process includes a 20–30-minute interview with HR, followed by an in-person interview with the hiring manager, and finally an hour-long “panel” interview with 4-8 staff members. Reference checks are conducted after the final interview.

Equal Employment Opportunity

NKCDC provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, race, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, religion, language, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or physical ability. We know groups subjected to systemic oppression– including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ – are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other communities who are marginalized.

• Passion for urban nature, gardening, and community development.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build relationships with diverse community members.
• Interest in teaching or supporting hands-on activities for youth, adults, and families.
• Enthusiasm for outdoor work and learning in all weather conditions.
• Strong communication skills and comfort engaging residents through outreach and community events.
• Willingness to learn about food justice, nutrition, and public health topics.
• Ability to support basic nutrition education, including cooking demonstrations and tastings.
• Reliability and consistency when working in community garden spaces.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Physical ability to bend, kneel, lift up to 30 lbs., and perform outdoor tasks.
• Ability to collect basic program data and follow reporting processes.
• Knowledge of or lived experience in Kensington, Fishtown, or Port Richmond is preferred.
• Proficiency in the Spanish language is a plus.
• Commitment to NKCDC’s mission and trauma-informed, community-driven practices.