Full-Time
Gardening Specialist
Updated on 9/3/2026
Harlem Children's Zone
1,001-5,000 employees
Breaks poverty cycle through on-the-ground programs
Compensation Overview
$25 - $30/hr
No H1B Sponsorship
New York, NY, USA
In Person
On-site work is required Monday through Friday; summer hours are on-site five days per week.
 Education (1) |
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- A High School Diploma or GED is required.
- At least one year of teaching experience is required.
- Ability to create lesson plans related to the class subject matter and implement project-based learning in the curriculum.
- At least one year of teaching experience is required.
- Experience with youth development and teaching well-developed enrichment courses, social consciousness, self-identity, and efficacy.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively on projects with staff and students and across the full curriculum.
- Applicants should specialize in gardening or a related gardening area, such as vegetable gardening, flower and pollinator gardens, urban or container gardening, composting and sustainability, soil health and plant care, native plant gardening, or school or community gardens.
- Ability to work with students in elementary/middle or high school grade levels.
- Commitment to youth development and the organization's mission and programs.
- Ability to provide consistent and positive instruction and receive constructive criticism.
- Ability to communicate student progress and share insights with team members regularly.
- Prepare and develop age- and skill-appropriate curriculum, lesson plans, activities, and special projects that fuse arts and academic competencies for supervisor review before teaching.
- Plan and facilitate a project-based unit and attend weekly meetings.
- Work with program participants to develop their artistic, educational, and leadership potential.
- Engage youth through the arts in critical thinking, evaluation, risk-taking, rehearsals, hands-on project-based learning, documentation of work, community-building, and activism.
- Coordinate subject-related trips, guest speakers, special events, student exhibitions, and college trips.
- Share knowledge of the history and current state of African, African-American, and Latino issues and interpret it into diverse learning opportunities.
- Act as a role model for all students.
- Perform other duties as assigned by management.
- Conservatory training and/or university-level education and practical experience in the content area is preferred.
- College students currently pursuing degree-level work are encouraged to apply.
- Passion and experience with arts education involving youth.
- Flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm for working with young people.
- Excellent planning, organization, communication, and time management skills.
- Energetic, motivated self-starter, and team player.
Harlem Children’s Zone coordinates a place-based set of programs across early childhood through adulthood in Harlem to help children and families thrive. It operates directly through schools, community centers, and outreach to deliver education, career pathways, health and wellness, and family supports. Programs are integrated, meaning services at different stages coordinate for each family, rather than one-off initiatives. This approach distinguishes HCZ from peers by offering a wraparound, long-term support system in a single community, focusing on mobility and prosperity rather than only schooling. The goal is to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by creating opportunities in education, work, and life for residents of Harlem.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1970
Get referred to Harlem Children's Zone
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 2026 Wealth Builds CSAs are live, with Ascensus and New York's 529 Program.
- HCZ opened Promise Academy II Elementary at 70 East 112th Street, expanding capacity.
- HCZ reports active hiring in 2026, with about 1,530 employees and 104 postings.
What critics are saying
- July 2026 fraud indictments stole $288,529 from HCZ; controls need tightening immediately.
- Wealth Builds depends on $300 million fundraising; a shortfall stalls expansion beyond Harlem.
- Scaling to ten cities strains execution, and charter politics can choke funding by 2027.
What makes Harlem Children's Zone unique
- HCZ runs cradle-to-career schooling, health, and family services inside a 97-block Harlem footprint.
- Wealth Builds pairs $500 CSAs with financial education, internships, and family wealth-building incentives.
- HCZ combines charter schools with social services, unlike standalone nonprofits or pure-school operators.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Commuter Benefits
Employee Referral Bonus
Wellness Program
Hybrid Work Options
Employee Discounts
Company News
The New York Times: New hire in Newsroom Operations. Posted Monday, July 27, 2026 2:00 pm Juanita Powell-Brunson | The New York Times I am excited to share that Aubrey Armstrong has joined Newsroom Operations as an executive assistant. In this critical role, she will support Solana Pyne and Charlotte Greensit as the newsroom's video expansion continues to scale in complexity and output. Most recently Aubrey was an operations and project manager at Harlem Children's Zone in New York. She holds a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's in sociology from Arizona State University. She is endlessly curious and considers learning a lifelong pursuit. Outside of work, Aubrey enjoys baking and sharing the results with friends, running, walking outdoors, and taking barre pilates classes. She also loves getting creative through sewing, jewelry-making, photography and floral design, and is always working on a handmade gift for someone. She is an avid reader, a fan of live performances, a board game enthusiast, and loves hunting down the city's best bakeries - always accompanied by her Australian shepherd. Please join me in welcoming Aubrey to the team. She starts today. Juanita Powell-Brunson is director of Newsroom Operations at The New York Times.
William Julius Wilson Institute and EdRedesign host fourth annual Summer Institute.
The Harlem Children's Zone, an influential anti-poverty organization, said it is raising $300 million for an initiative called Wealth Builds that will launch in Upper Manhattan, where the group operates, and expand to 10 other cities, including Atlanta and Minneapolis.
Additive Agency LLC is proud to have partnered with Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) to develop the name and visual identity for Wealth Builds, an innovative initiative designed to close the racial wealth gap and open pathways to social and economic mobility for more young people in more communities.
The Harlem Children's Zone, an influential anti-poverty organization, said it is raising $300 million for an initiative called Wealth Builds that will launch in Upper Manhattan, where the group operates, and expand to 10 other cities, including Atlanta and Minneapolis.