Job Announcement:
Team Leader, Teen Urban Tree Corps

Pictures of youth in bright yellow safety vests eating popsicles.

Have a passion for the environment? Want to make a difference in your community? Apply to be a team leader!

We’re hiring young adults to work closely with Boston teens to learn about, care for, and advocate for trees in Boston.

Details

Date: mid-June to mid-August, 2024 (exact dates TBD)

Hours per week: ~ 30 hours/week 

Salary: ~ $20 per hour 

Application: Submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format, along with 3 professional references to [email protected] and [email protected]. Please include your full name and “TUTC Team Leader” in the subject line. Application will remain open until position is filled. 

Information about Speak for the Trees

Founded in 2018, Speak for the Trees (SFTT) is an urban and community forestry nonprofit in Boston focused on improving the size, health, and equity of Boston’s urban tree canopy. The organization works closely with community groups and residents to transform the urban landscape, its environment, and the relationships between trees and people as a tool to improve racial, environmental, economic, and social equity in the city.

The Teen Urban Tree Corps (TUTC) is a youth summer employment program for approximately 20 Boston teens (ages 15-18). Through this program, teens learn about the importance of trees in their communities, engage in hands-on learning activities, and receive invaluable skills and connections in the world of urban forestry. Through workshops and field trips, teens receive basic job training in issues related to urban forestry and arboriculture, such as assessing tree health, identifying species, considering site characteristics, logging data, assisting with outreach campaigns, and using technology.

Team Leader Responsibilities

Working under the direction of the SFTT’s education staff, the TUTC Team Leader will supervise TUTC youth participants. For approximately 25 hours per week, the Team Leader will work with and oversee a group of 4-5 teens. Approximately 3 days each week will be spent conducting field work that includes watering, mulching, and weeding of street trees. They will co-lead lessons indoors to the entire group, as well as chaperone the group on field trips and outings. An additional 5-10 hours per week will be spent assisting the Program Coordinator with planning curriculum and preparing material. The Team Leader will be required to complete 2 weeks of training in late June in advance of the beginning of the program.

Date: mid-June to mid-August, 2024 (exact dates TBD)

Hours per week: ~ 30 hours/week 

Salary: ~ $20 per hour 

Essential Functions: 

  • Supervise a group of 4-5 TUTC youth in the field 5 hours per day, Monday through Friday
  • Attend 2 weeks of onboarding in June
  • Assist with orientation of youth participants
  • Assist in leading daily youth meetings
  • Assist in leading teens on field trips
  • Mobilize, monitor, and track TUTC team progress
  • Participate in weekly staff meetings
  • Assist in developing educational activities, workshops, and networking events as needed
  • Collaborate with SFTT staff with program evaluation

Requirements: 

  • Experience working with diverse communities 
  • Experience working with or leading groups of high school youth 
  • Ability to work and solve problems independently 
  • Willingness to engage with residents and neighborhood representatives
  • Commitment to issues of public health, environmental justice, and racial equity 
  • Ability to walk 2-3 miles per day
  • Ability to lift 50 lbs

Helpful Skills/Experience: 

  • Fluency in a language(s) spoken by local immigrant groups is preferred. These include Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, among other languages common in Boston
  • Background or interest in environmental or sustainability issues and education 
  • Experience in tree care, arboriculture, or landscaping would be an asset

Please Note: In order to be eligible for a program that involves potential unsupervised contact with children, applicants will be required to undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check.

How to Apply

Submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format, along with 3 professional references to [email protected] and [email protected]. Please include your full name and “TUTC Team Leader” in the subject line.

Application will remain open until position is filled.


Speak for the Trees is rooted in the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and is committed to building a team that represents diverse backgrounds, perspectives, & skills.

Individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.