Job Description

Job Summary

Friends of Shelby is looking for someone with a passion for connecting kids to the great outdoors to join our team as the Environmental Education Coordinator (EEC). This part-time position will coordinate Friends of Shelby’s Park Explorer program under the supervision of the Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement. The Park Explorers program works to close the nature gap by helping underserved children at schools and partner organizations near the park connect with the natural world. Through field trips and in-school visits, Friends of Shelby (FOS) brings students to the park and brings the park to students.

Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms is a nonprofit operating at Shelby Park and Bottoms, with a mission to preserve, enhance, and promote Shelby Park and Bottoms for everyone to appreciate and protect. 

Shelby Park and Bottoms is a 1300-acre park on the Cumberland River 2 miles from downtown in the heart of East Nashville. It is a vibrant historic park and expansive natural area with a diversity of activities and users found nowhere else in Nashville. In partnership with the Metro Nashville Parks Department, FOS works to engage the community in beautification and maintenance of park features, create and promote park programs and activities, and advocate for continued funding to fulfill the Shelby Park Master Plan. Community attendance at events, participation in volunteer programs, donations, and membership all support our efforts and help us do more every year.

The primary responsibility of this position is to deliver excellent environmental education.

Job Responsibilities

• 75% Park Explorers program: execute all aspects of the Park Explorers program including
  • Deliver excellent environmental education lessons and activities to students served by partner schools and organizations
  • Host students on field trips to the park
  • Plan lessons, schedule lessons and field trips with program partners, and gather all necessary supplies
  • Improve and expand existing curriculum by updating current activities and creating new lessons
  • Engage program partners in the planning of activities
  • Create communications for partner organizations and participant families
  • Expand the program to new schools and partners
  • Track and report data needed to measure the success of the Park Explorers Program
• 25% Community Outreach
  • Represent Friends of Shelby at community events and programs
  • Host community programs and events
  • Promote Friends of Shelby programs to the public and partner organizations in person and through digital communications
  • Assist with staffing Friends of Shelby events as needed
  • Assist with related administrative duties
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum two years of experience in education, ecology or related fields
• Love of teaching and working with children
• Strong lesson planning and teaching skills
• Excellent writing, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Initiative to learn new skills, overcome obstacles, and suggest innovative ways to deliver on Friends of Shelby’s mission
• Productive when working independently and as a member of a team
• Strong personal convictions with an equal desire to understand different points of view
• Valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation
• Acceptable background checks from Metro Nashville Public Schools and Metro Parks
• Work a flexible schedule averaging 20 hours per week, including occasional early mornings, nights, and weekends. 
• Work in the outdoors under various weather conditions; traverse uneven terrain; walk, stand, bend, stoop, and lift 50lb on a regular basis 
• Maintain a means of personal transportation and communication

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (or four years of relevant work experience)
• Demonstrated interest in community engagement, environment, and nonprofit work
• Experience in classroom teaching and/or outdoor education

Additional Information

Benefits

N/A

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume to info@friendsofshelby.org by November 30, 2025.

Details

• Date Posted: November 5, 2025
• Type: Part-Time
• Job Function: Educator
• Service Area: Children / Youth
• Start Date: 01/06/2026
• Salary Range: 24000
• Working Hours: 20 hrs/wk

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