Growing Beyond Earth Saturday Program Instruc

Position Title: Growing Beyond Earth Saturday Program Instructor

Job Type: Part-Time (8 hours per week, running from October through May and excluding school holidays, for a total of 30 Saturdays)

Salary: $50 per hour

ABOUT FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is among the world’s best tropical botanic gardens where you fill find internationally renowned collections of palms, flowering trees, tropical fruits, vines, aroids, and endangered species, which provide a living laboratory for scientists, and the opportunities for discovery for everyone. Fairchild is also a beautiful venue for family-friendly annual events such as the award-winning light spectacular, NightGarden, Chocolate Festival, Mango Festival, and more. With its picturesque paths, vistas, and displays combined with engaging events and activations, Fairchild provides an unforgettable experience for each and every guest.

Position Objectives:

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is seeking an enthusiastic and experienced STEM educator to lead a new Saturday enrichment program for a select cohort of highly motivated high school students participating in Growing Beyond Earth (GBE), Fairchild’s NASA-funded citizen science program supporting research on food production for long-duration space missions.

The instructor will work with a small group of six to ten students selected through a competitive application process. Students will conduct advanced plant science experiments, analyze data, and contribute to the development and testing of technologies used in controlled-environment agriculture and spaceflight research.

The program will be based in Fairchild’s Innovation Studio, a digital design, fabrication, and experimental laboratory where students explore technologies for growing food in space. Activities may include plant growth experiments, sensor integration, environmental monitoring, data analysis, prototyping, and technology development.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead weekly Saturday sessions for advanced high school students.
• Guide student research projects and experimental design.
• Support students in collecting, analyzing, and presenting scientific data.
• Foster a collaborative, professional, and engaging learning environment.
• Assist students in the use of laboratory and makerspace equipment.
• Coordinate with Fairchild staff on program planning and implementation.

Qualifications:

• Experience teaching STEM subjects to high school students in a classroom, laboratory, or informal education setting, including advanced or accelerated learners.
• Strong communication and mentoring skills.
• Comfort working with experimental computing technologies and scientific equipment.
• Ability to guide student-led inquiry and project-based learning.
• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting student research projects or science competitions.
• Familiarity with programming, microcontrollers, sensors, data acquisition systems, or related technologies.
• Experience with makerspace technologies, including 3D printers, laser cutters, and basic electronics or circuit design.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and move throughout classroom, laboratory, and makerspace environments while teaching and supervising students.
• Ability to work safely around fabrication equipment, including 3D printers, laser cutters, power tools, and associated materials while following established safety protocols.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move equipment and supplies weighing up to 30 pounds.

 To apply, please submit a résumé and brief statement of interest describing your teaching experience and interest in STEM education, research, and technology development.