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Extension Instructor or Open Rank Extension Educator - 4-H Youth Development (Colfax County)

Employer
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Location
Lincoln, NE
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Job Details

Working Title:

Extension Instructor or Open Rank Extension Educator - 4-H Youth Development (Colfax County)

Department:

NE Ext Engagement Zone 7-12356

Requisition Number:

F_240143

Posting Open Date:

09/23/2024

Application Review Date: (To ensure consideration, please submit all application materials before review date):

10/28/2024

Open Until Filled:

Yes

Description of Work:

OVERVIEWThis position is based in Schuyler, NE with the geographic accountability region of Colfax and Butler Counties. The major responsibility of this position is to provide regional leadership for Nebraska Extension’s 4-H and Youth Development Program. The extension professional is expected to interact closely with 4-H clientele in these communities and deliver programs in their geographic area.
The Positive Youth Development – 4-H extension professional will contribute to the integrated (extension, research, and teaching) land-grant mission of the home unit and IANR as an effective scholar and citizen, including supporting student recruitment and IANR science literacy. In 4-H, we believe in the power of young people. We see that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around us. We are America’s largest youth development organization, empowering nearly six million young people across the U.S. with the skills to lead for a lifetime. Nebraska Extension is an organization that values excellence, and as a member of the Nebraska Extension team, you will create and deliver world-class learning experiences focused on critical issues that empower Nebraskans to improve their lives.

This twelve-month, non-tenure track position carries the title of extension instructor or open rank extension educator, depending on the candidate’s level of education. Those possessing a graduate-level degree in the requested area of instruction will be considered for an open rank educator position, a full-time, promotable, non-tenure track appointment. Those in possession of an undergraduate degree in the requested area of instruction, will be considered for an instructor position, a full-time, non-promotable, non-tenure track appointment that will be renewed annually for a maximum of five years in the appointment. If hired as an instructor, the incumbent will be expected to make satisfactory progress toward and complete a master’s degree within the initial five-year appointment period. As part of the Nebraska benefits package, UNL offers tuition remission for full-time employees, up to 15 credit hours per year. Once the master’s degree is earned within that period, the position will advance to an assistant extension educator appointment.

Nebraska Extension professionals are committed to engaging with community partners, organizations, and all audiences, as well as individuals in ways that reflect an understanding and value for individual differences. Nebraska Extension strives to ensure that innovative programming, translational research, and learning opportunities promote equity and inclusion.

PROGRAMMATIC RESPONSIBILITIES (approximately 80%)

  • Uses innovative strategies and current technologies to support a robust 4-H youth education program designed to 1) inspire youth to be young leaders and stewards of their individual pathways, 2) engage youth in learning experiences that allow them to strengthen their innovation and design thinking skills and practice those skills in real-life settings, and 3) support the development of entrepreneurial thinking and how that mindset can support their long-term goals. This includes a variety of engagement methods including out-of-school programs, special interest groups, 4-H clubs, school enrichment, and other creative strategies that engage youth.
  • Engages in a collaborative-learning environment with young people and volunteers to apply research-based information.
  • Delivers educational programming for youth development programming statewide and within the assigned geographic region. Within their geographic region the extension professional will also engage with lead educators, extension advisory committees, and local stakeholders to determine needs and provide access to educational opportunities.
  • Works in a multi-disciplinary team environment with extension professionals and partners to translate and teach the latest research-based information.
  • Uses entrepreneurial practices to secure grants, program fees and partnerships to leverage the extension educational program’s resource base and reach.
  • Partners with research faculty in action research that can be applied to educational programming
  • Practices effective extension scholarship by conducting needs assessments, identifying priorities, measuring program impact, and reporting results at professional meetings and in professional publications.
  • Develops a professional development plan by teaching to enhance and maintain professional expertise in youth development and extension pedagogy.

ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP/LEAD EDUCATOR ROLE (approximately 20%)
  • Serves in, contributes to, or supports the specific Lead Educator roles as described in the Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Educator document found at https://myextension.unl.edu/lead-educator-position-description as determined in partnership with the supervisor(s).
  • Coordinates with Engagement Zone Coordinator(s) and other Extension professionals locally and in accountability region to develop a robust Nebraska Extension presence by
    • Cooperating with local faculty and staff in a team environment to promote Extension’s educational opportunities and impact in the host county.
    • Cultivating a culture of collaboration with local leaders and community members that builds positive relationships between the University and the community.
    • Supporting engagement of advisory or policy groups such as the Extension Board, Ag Society, or County Commissioners/Board of Supervisors.
  • Understands and adheres to Equal Employment Opportunities; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Civil Rights compliance efforts.
  • Accepts committee assignments, reporting responsibilities, and other special ad hoc assignments as requested at the administrative unit, college/division, institute, and/or university level.

Some travel is required. Must meet driver standards according to UNL policy and have a valid driver’s license.

Recognizing that diversity enhances creativity, innovation, impact, and a sense of belonging, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and Nebraska Extension are committed to creating learning, research, Extension programming, and work environments that are inclusive of all forms of diversity. Consistent with the University’s N2025 Strategic Plan, we see every person and every interaction as important to our collective well-being and our ability to deliver on our mission.

This position is not eligible for employment-based permanent residency sponsorship. UNL may be able to sponsor temporary work authorization (e.g., H-1B) for the successful candidate.

As an EO/AA employer, the University of Nebraska considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See https://www.unl.edu/equity/notice-nondiscrimination.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in youth development, education, or a closely related field (extension instructor) OR master’s degree in youth development, education, or a closely related field (extension educator). If hired as an instructor, the incumbent will be expected to make satisfactory progress toward and complete a master’s degree within the initial five-year appointment period.
  • Successful experience teaching in a formal or non-formal setting.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate (i.e., publications, presentations, web, and social media).
  • Experience and demonstrated ability working with youth and youth organizations including understanding of positive youth development and youth program management.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Demonstrated experience working in a team, displaying strong leadership and organizational skills.
  • Demonstrated experience/training in the recruitment, training, mentoring, and management of volunteers.
  • Experience and ability to engage diverse and under-served audiences.
  • Ability to speak language(s) other than English; Spanish preferred.

Work Location (City, State):

Schuyler, NE

Criminal History Background Check Required:

Yes

How to Apply:

Click “Apply for this Job” and complete the faculty information form. Attach the following documents:

  1. A letter of interest that describes your qualifications for the job and anticipated contributions.
  2. Your curriculum vitae or resume (attach as “Curriculum Vitae”).
  3. Contact information for three professional references.
In addition, within the application, please complete the required supplemental question(s), one specifically describing your experience working in teams or groups and your anticipated contributions to creating inclusive environments in which every person and every interaction matters. See https://ianr.unl.edu/tips-writing-about-commitment-to-deib for guidance in writing this statement.

For questions or accommodations related to this position contact:

Marci Sturek
msturek2@unl.edu

Job Category:

Faculty Non-Tenure Leading

Job Category (old):

Faculty Non-Tenure Leading

Job Type:

12 Month (Faculty Only)

Position funded by grant or other form of temporary funding?:

No

Organizational Location:

Default Location

Organization

Working at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

For 150 Years, A Leader in Higher Education 
Always a place of high ambition, University of Nebraska was one of the first institutions west of the Mississippi River to award doctoral degrees - the first was granted in 1896. The University of Nebraska established the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory. The discipline of ecology was born here, and the campuses reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. An early institutional interest in literature and the arts provided the foundations for today's Prairie Schooner literary magazine, for the University of Nebraska Press, and for the Sheldon Museum of Art, which houses one of the world's most significant collections of 20th century American art.

Today, Nebraska is one of the nation's leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities. Nebraska is also a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Benefits
The University of Nebraska offers an extensive benefits package that includes health, life, disability and long term care insurance; retirement accounts; tuition reimbursement for employees and their spouses and dependent children; and reimbursement accounts for health care and dependent day care. Leave policies are designed to help employees deal with personal or family events or crises.

Diversity and Inclusion
In the spirit of the phrase "Every Interaction Matters", UNL has an enacted commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence for our faculty, staff, and students. On our campus, diversity and inclusion are important priorities. Examples include: Husker Dialogues, which is an event that helps first-year students focus on diversity and inclusion and practice handling difficult conversations around difference; three Chancellor's Diversity Commissions that are charged with informing and advising the Chancellor and addressing issues of constituent campus communities; and the establishment of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion whose leader operates at the Vice Chancellor level. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we strive for excellence in all that we do. True excellence requires that each individual be able to work and learn in an atmosphere of respect, dignity, and belonging. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion requires each of us to continuously ensure our interactions are respectful, protect free speech, and inspire academic freedom.

About Lincoln
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is located in an up-and-coming and safe city of 300,000 people that has many of the cultural and entertainment benefits of a much larger city, with the feel of a friendly Midwestern community. The Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013, routinely hosts major touring acts. A buzzing entertainment district, the Railyard, connects the arena area to the Historic Haymarket. Cuisines from all continents provide the entree to dynamic urban nightlife and a wide variety of ways to enjoy time with friends. Nebraska's City Campus is one with Lincoln's city center, as it has been since the university was founded.Lincoln has more parkland per capita than Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and all but a handful of U.S. cities. The well-manicured Pioneers Park, the native woods of Wilderness Park and the open grassland of Nine-Mile Prairie are each within a 10-minute trip from campus. Connecting many of these parks is an extensive trails network.

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