Getty Art and Sustainability Fellowship

The Skirball Cultural Center is seeking to engage a two-year fellow with three distinct capabilities:
knowledge of permaculture agriculture practice, ability to tend and direct garden cultivation, and
experience in early childhood education or older adult continued learning. The focus of the
fellowship will center on the launch of a new learning garden at Noah’s Ark at the Skirball,
supporting its ongoing care and cultivation once planted and installed by landscape designers and
installation team in Fall 2025, engagement with visitors to the garden, and relationship building with relevant community organizations. The Fellow will co-create meaningful learning experiences for
children and multigenerational audiences, steward the ongoing cultivation of the garden, and
engage with community partners to extend the garden’s reach across Skirball’s programs and
networks. The fellow will be a member of the Skirball’s Education and Family Programs team,
working closely with Operations team members and consultants and service providers. While the
Fellow will have experience in the areas listed above, this is also an educational opportunity for the Fellow to evaluate the feasibility of sustainable gardening practices across the Skirball’s campus
and in school-based programs throughout the region in the coming years.

Contract Timeframe: Fall 2025 through Summer 2027

Compensation: Research Fellow is a full time, limited term position with an hourly rate of $28/hr.
This role is eligible for Skirball’s employee benefits package.

Contract Scope, Deliverables, and Responsibilities:
• Help develop an ongoing garden cultivation plan as a member of the Skirball’s Education
and Family Programs department and in close collaboration with the Operations
Department, landscape design consultant Farmer D, and landscape maintenance provider
Four Seasons. Note: The garden’s design and initial installation will be completed by
landscape professionals in Fall 2025; the Fellow will focus on care, programming, and
refinement rather than original design.
• Evaluate and recommend future opportunities to replicate success in the learning garden to
other locations at the Skirball and in community.
• To the extent volunteers and third-party service providers, including Four Seasons and
Shemesh Farms, are a part of the garden cultivation plan, coordinate schedule,
responsibilities, supplies, supervision, and logistics among the same. The Fellow will not
oversee construction or initial planting, but if hired before the installation, will observe and
assist with documentation and logistics during the process, ensuring a smooth handoff to
their role coordinating care, programming, and engagement once the garden is operational.
• Help develop and co-teach a new garden curriculum with Skirball educators for weekday
school programs, specifically school groups from local TK through 3rd grade classes.
• Help develop self-guided and “low touch” visitor engagement talking points, prompts, and
activities for visitors to the gardens during afternoon, weekend, and school holiday hours,
anticipating a broad age and literacy range.
• Identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration with other garden learning sites,
using Skirball’s existing network of school and community partners and other curriculum
distribution networks.Key Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will spend approximately 60% of their time on educational program
development, delivery, and visitor engagement, and 40% on garden cultivation and care. We’re
looking for passionate educators first, with a solid foundation in sustainable gardening practices.
• Experience in permaculture and/or biodynamic farming, Jewish farming practices, and
garden cultivation. Familiarity with Mediterranean climate plant care and native habitat
gardening is a plus.
• Experience developing or utilizing early childhood education or adult learning resources.
• Demonstrated ability to lead participatory educational experiences for people of all ages.
• Experience in informal or formal educational settings (early childhood, multigenerational, or
museum-based).
• Experience developing curriculum and educational resources that align with state or
national learning standards, with an emphasis on environmental or garden-based
education.
• Experience developing inclusive and accessible educational materials and programs,
ensuring engagement for learners of all abilities and backgrounds.
• Ability to mentor, train, or support fellow educators, volunteers, and staff in delivering highquality garden-based learning experiences.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, flexibility, and attention to detail, deadlines,
and follow-through.
• Affinity for working consultatively and incorporating the input of others.
• Personal resonance with the Skirball Cultural Center’s mission and values, including its
grounding in Jewish tradition and commitment to social and environmental responsibility,
with the ability to integrate themes of community, civic engagement, and shared
responsibility into educational programming.
• Ability to work extended hours that require physical agility outdoors (e.g., kneeling,
crouching, lifting, sitting on ground) and sustained energy.
• Ability to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays when visits to Skirball are often most
popular.
• Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in Education, Environmental Education, Horticulture, Museum
Education, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Preferred: Prior experience working in a culturally specific organization, with knowledge of
Jewish history, culture, and traditions.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a garden-based learning experience rooted in sustainability,
Jewish values, and human connection. We welcome applicants who are passionate about land
stewardship, education, and creating inclusive spaces for intergenerational learning.

Salary: $28/hourly 

Benefits: 403(b) Retirement Account, Paid-Time Off, Health Insurance, FSA, Dental and Vision Insurance

Education requirements: Bachelor’s Degree

Deadline to apply: September 30, 2025 

Documents required to apply: Resume, Cover Letter

How to apply: Please provide resume and cover letter by applying here.