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Louisiana Farm to School Institute--Action Plan Implementation Coach

LSU AgCenter
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FACILITATION JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Posting Date:  January 1, 2025

Closing Date:  February 14, 2025

Job Title:  Louisiana Farm to School Institute--Action Plan Implementation Coach

Length of Job:  March 2025-June 2026

Compensation:  $25 per hour (part-time) for a maximum of $2500

Format: Work is a mix of in-person activities (training, team retreat, site visits) and virtual (meetings and reporting). 

Location: Facilitators (coaches) should be domiciled in the area and will be matched with one school team in either Baker, Louisiana; Breaux Bridge, Louisiana; Central, Louisiana; or Lafayette, Louisiana.

What is the Louisiana Farm to School Institute?

The Louisiana Farm to School Institute is a unique, year-long professional learning opportunity for selected school, district, or early childhood teams who wish to enhance existing farm to school programming while designing lasting policy, systems, and environmental change. The purpose of the Farm to School Institute is to help whole-school teams grow sustainable farm to school programs through action planning, coaching, peer networking, and skill building. Selected teams will receive extended support to develop and implement their farm to school plans from July 2025 until May 2026.

To help ensure success, each team will be assigned a coach to support them as they implement a vision and action plan for their farm to school program for the upcoming school year and beyond. Coaches will also work with teams throughout the year to support continued progress on farm to school journeys.

What are we looking for in a coach?

Coaches are individuals who are committed to supporting schools, school districts, and early childhood programs to create and accomplish farm to school goals. No prior experience with farm to school or gardening is necessary. The ideal coach should:

  • Have a strong background in group facilitation and goal development.
  • Be able to work both independently and collaboratively with their team and fellow Farm to School Institute coaches to support teams on their farm to school journey.
  • Have or develop knowledge and experience of the culture, history, and language of their assigned team.  
  • Minimum bachelor's degree.

What will you do as a coach?

Orientation: All coaches must attend an orientation training session April 16, 2025, at LA House on the LSU-Baton Rouge campus. The purpose of the orientation is to review plans for the Institute, to learn the roles and responsibilities of a coach during the school year, and to review school data. The cost of your hotel room for the night of April 15th and meals during the training (breakfast and lunch) will be paid. Additionally, you will receive an hourly fee for your time traveling and attending the training.

Coach Networking: Coaches will meet each other at the April orientation. Coaches will learn about their teams by reading team applications prior to the Institute retreat. We are planning several activities at the orientation in addition to regular virtual coaches’ training to support coaches as they build strong working relationships with their fellow coaches and respective teams.

Farm to School Institute Retreat: Coaches are required to attend the Farm to School Institute retreat July 15-18, 2025, during which they will formally meet and begin assisting their assigned teams in developing farm to school program action plans.

Facilitation: All coaches will facilitate the action planning process with their assigned team at the Institute retreat and then coach the team through plan implementation from July 2025 to May 2026.  Coaches will provide at least 20 hours of guidance/facilitation, tools, resources, and connections during this time. Coaches will also participate in quarterly virtual training calls.

Reporting: Coaches will participate in the evaluation of the Louisiana Farm to School Institute by sharing updates on their team’s progress throughout Cohort 2025 via a monthly coaching report.  Coaches will also complete an end-of-cohort report.

Final Reflection: Coaches will help their team complete the final reflection, year 2 action plan, and rubric, and will join them in the May 2026 final virtual gathering where teams will present their progress to the full cohort.

What are the time commitment and compensation? The rate of pay for Farm to School Institute coaches is $25 per hour. It is estimated that the program will pay about $2500 for the period February 19, 2025, to May 2026. Anticipated time commitments for coaches are as follows:

  • Coaches’ orientation and training for the evening of April 15th to 4 PM on February 16th at LA House on the LSU-Baton Rouge campus. (12 hours pay including 4 for travel).
  • Farm to School Institute Retreat from 2 PM on July 15 to 1 PM on July 18 (30 hours pay including up to 4 for travel).
  • Quarterly calls requiring one hour prep and one hour attendance/facilitation (2 hours pay)
  • Two to four hours per month of calls or site visits to support teams (2 to 4 hours pay)
  • One hour per month reporting district progress on their F2S plan (1 hour pay)

Applications should be completed via the LSU Qualtrics system at https://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cAAOUW0J7qCutvg

We recommend completing your responses to the application narrative questions in a separate document. You can copy/paste your responses when you are ready to submit your application. Please email F2SInstitute@agcenter.lsu.edu or call 225-578-1037 should you have any questions.