Living Classroom is seeking a Program Manager to oversee program activities and provide instruction at Sunnyvale Elementary School District (SESD) and other nearby sites that partner with Living Classroom (LC). This part-time position involves 30 hours per week, with the Program Manager also acting as an instructor. In this role, you will coordinate with SESD school administrators, select curriculum materials, learn to use the Caspio scheduling software for lesson management, invite teachers to schedule lessons, and communicate updates to stakeholders about the lesson schedule and status. You will be an essential member of the instructional team, delivering hands-on, experiential outdoor lessons to students in grades T/K through 7th at SESD and affiliated sites. As an instructor, you will engage students’ curiosity and enthusiasm for nature while providing environmentally focused lessons that meet California’s Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
About Living Classroom:
Living Classroom provides garden-based science lessons to students in elementary schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. We are seeking an individual who will partner with the Executive Director - essentially a “second in command” - to oversee nearly all aspects of a thriving, growing organization.
Responsibilities
As part of the instructional team, lead lessons as an instructor.
Set up, delivery, and clean up of lessons
Work with school staff and administration and LC colleagues to decide on appropriate curriculum.
Inform classroom teachers of their lesson options and provide sufficient support materials to allow them to make informed decisions about which to choose for their students and how to request them.
Provide teachers with “send home” materials to inform parents about LC programs. ○ Coordinate lesson prep with classroom educators and garden staff to ensure that each teacher has the needed materials for the lesson.
Assess and update curriculum lessons as needed.
Collaborate with Instructors, Garden Lead and Executive Director to create an alternative delivery in response to site requirements, if needed.
Enter and update content into the Caspio database to allow all stakeholders to review lesson plans, available dates, and sign-up opportunities
Troubleshoot various Caspio issues for LC staff and for classroom teachers; troubleshoot other challenges with school administration and LC staff.
Provide direction and training, if needed, to new staff and teachers on the database system.
Communicate regularly via newsletters and emails with school administrators and teachers.
Teacher communications including scheduling, responding to general inquiries, rescheduling lessons, sending out reminders to sign up for lessons, etc.
Provide curriculum and program information to ED for potential new programs/ clients
Participate in preliminary meetings with potential clients to assess curriculum and programming needs.
Review resumes for open positions, conduct initial phone screenings, schedule follow up interviews and hiring of new staff, when needed.
Oversee quarterly training activities for staff and docents.
Be proactive in recruiting, training and engaging new and existing docent volunteers.
Create and manage individual, small ad-hoc/“one-off” programs as requested.
Manually schedule ad-hoc/“one-off” lessons outside of Caspio using associated spreadsheets.
Compile and share regular reports with LC’s Executive Director to share with stakeholders.
Qualifications:
Thoughtful, resourceful, and creative: this position launches seasonal “mini-programs” every year.
Able to manage relationships with school administration with diplomacy and tact.
Significant problem solving skills and a high degree of flexibility and initiative.
Highly developed sense of organization, with the ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously.
Ability to work with and interpret budgets.
Comfortable with technology and database input.
Educational experience teaching of elementary and middle school-aged children, particularly in an outdoor setting.
Friendly and enthusiastic: the Program Director is an ambassador for the program to current and potential clients.
Collaborates well with those both inside LC and with external stakeholders.
Knowledge or experience with gardening or environmental science is helpful but not required.
Compensation
hourly; $28-30 per hour Part time; +/- 30 hours per week Based primarily in Sunnyvale. May also travel to other Living Classroom school sites located in Santa Clara County.
To Apply
Send cover letter, resume and any questions to: Jobs@living-classroom.org Position is open until filled, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The deadline to apply is April 30th. The position will begin in May 2026.
