Children's Garden Assistant

Inspiring and engaging future tree champions of all ages is an integral part of The Morton Arboretum's mission and is a focus area for its education department. We are seeking a Children’s Garden Assistant to join the existing early childhood team. A successful candidate in this role will have a genuine enthusiasm for welcoming families to the Children’s Garden and ensuring that they have a positive, engaging, and memorable experience. 

Position Summary: Provide a knowledgeable and welcoming environment for Children’s Garden visitors. Assist with the planning and facilitation of a wide variety of engaging, inclusive education programs for young children and their families at the Morton Arboretum. Provide support for the Arboretum’s Youth Volunteer Program and adult volunteers, ensuring a positive and memorable experience.

Essential Functions: 

• Provide friendly and welcoming customer service in person in the Children’s Garden. Accurately communicate Arboretum activities and policies. Ensure that visitor and member needs are met in a timely and friendly manner, including providing first aid and reuniting lost parties as needed.

• Assist and support a wide variety of programs for young children and their families at The Morton Arboretum. Programs include fee-based programs, free public programs, special events, and other informal learning experiences.  

• Assist with the Arboretum’s Youth Volunteer Program for students in grades 7-12 by helping to plan shift activities, and supervising youth volunteer shifts in the Children’s Garden and at social events. Assist in supervising adult volunteers.

• Assist with the maintenance of supply inventory for early childhood programs.

• Monitor for safety, ensuring an accessible and stimulating environment for all visitors. 

• Act as Children’s Garden Supervisor on Duty as assigned.

• Demonstrate alignment with the Arboretum’s employee core values.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: Early childhood experience in a formal or informal teaching capacity preferred. Strong oral communication skills required, with prior experience presenting in front of an audience a plus. Strong interpersonal skills and genuine enthusiasm for working with children required. Experience working with volunteers also desirable. Proficiency with Google applications beneficial. Must become certified and maintain certification in First Aid and CPR (classes provided). 

Success Factors: Ability to work well as part of a team. Ability to manage multiple tasks with attention to detail. Stamina and ability to lead and deliver programs outdoors in various weather conditions. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Physical Demands: Requires some physical activity:  limited lifting and carrying (up to 30 lbs.), ability to deliver outdoor programs and to travel around the four-acre garden and Arboretum on paved, wood-chipped, and dirt paths over varied and uneven terrain, in various weather conditions. Ability to climb or interact with various playground features that include tree houses, rope bridges, boardwalks, and stone climbing walls. 

• Work Environment: Work is performed in a combined indoor and outdoor setting. 

• Equipment: General office equipment, basic gardening tools, audio-visual equipment, kitchen supplies, utility cart.

• Schedule: Position requires working on Saturday with potential for additional hours throughout the week.

The hiring rate for this position is $21.00/hour. This position is also eligible for a competitive benefits package.    

The Morton Arboretum is a champion for diversity, supporting a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success.  The Arboretum is committed to hire and develop employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status.  

The Morton Arboretum is dedicated to complying with our obligations as an equal opportunity employer.  All applicants are guaranteed equal consideration for employment.