Nutrition Program Educator - Middletown, NY

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Nutrition Program Educator teaches nutrition education to low-income families in various settings throughout the community. With comprehensive training and supervision, the Nutrition Program Educator will be expected to plan and facilitate a series of 6–8-week lessons that focus on general nutrition, food preparation, food safety, and food resource management/ budgeting. The Nutrition Program Educator is required to perform duties and provide education in both English and Spanish. This position is located at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Orange County, 18 Seward Avenue, Middletown.
The educator must:

• Be confident speaking in front of groups and engaging adult and youth participants in class activities,
• Possess strong interpersonal skills to effectively recruit and retain participants and collaborate with community agencies, and
• Have excellent time management skills and are self-driven, to successfully work independently with minimal supervision.

THIS IS A GRANT-FUNDED POSITION. FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM IS THROUGH THE EXPANDED FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM (EFNEP) AS PART OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (NIFA), AN AGENCY WITHIN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA).

Duties include, but are not limited to:
• Planning and Preparation: plan recruitment events; prepare for events and classes (including grocery shopping and food prep)
• Teaching: communicate and engage appropriately with culturally diverse audiences while facilitating evidence-based curriculum in person and virtually; think critically and be adaptable to potential challenges that may arise while maintaining focus on achieving educational outcomes
• Data & Reporting: perform detail-oriented data collection and entry while ensuring confidentiality at all times; submit accurate and timely administrative reports
• Recruiting and Networking: identify, form, and maintain relationships with community agencies; encourage enrollment through health/resource fairs, group presentations, virtual coalition attendance and regular correspondence, and printed materials

    

Required Qualifications:

• Associate degree or Equivalent Education (GED/High School diploma plus one year of transferable program educational experience is acceptable)
• Bilingual in English and Spanish 
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including regular evening shifts and/or some weekends. 
• Ability to work well with other people and diverse program participants while maintaining cultural humility
• Ability and comfort purchasing and preparing foods and reviewing and following recipes
• Computer skills, including MS office, Outlook, Zoom, data entry software, or willingness and ability to learn 
• Ability to keep written or digital logs of activities and complete reports 
• Ability to communicate effectively, clearly, and tactfully through verbal, written and electronic methods
• Ability and willingness to work with a high degree of integrity, accuracy, organization, sound professional judgment, and the ability to handle confidential, sensitive information
• Must have the ability to travel, including overnight (for occasional trainings, paid for by CCE) 
• Reliable and consistent transportation (mileage reimbursed) year-round; while using a private vehicle for official business, the successful candidate must have current automobile liability insurance and possess a valid driver’s license
• Ability to work in a typical office environment which may include lifting, moving, and/or transporting office supplies, work related materials, and equipment with or without accommodation. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experienced in education and facilitation with adults and/or youth groups 
• Relevant food or nutrition knowledge, skills, and/or work experience 
• Familiarity with the community in which the work will take place
• Knowledge and experience working with targeted population (low-income/limited resource families) 

Responsibilities/Essential Functions: 

Program Responsibilities:

Program Delivery - 90%

• Utilize existing program materials and educational framework to teach the targeted number of adult and youth participants in the Nutrition Program in both virtual and in person settings.