Overview 

The Arete Project is a 501(c)3 educational nonprofit that exists to prepare diverse groups of students for lives of citizenship, stewardship, and leadership. We are based in Gustavus, Alaska - a small town 50 miles northwest of Juneau. Located at the intersection of the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus is surrounded by some of the most pristine wildland on earth. As of 2019, the Arete Project is the proud owner of an 18-acre riverfront campus on the outskirts of Gustavus. In 2020-21, our primary goals are to pilot our first gap year while continuing to build new campus infrastructure.

We seek to connect our students to the rich abundance of Southeast Alaska, and we believe that one of the best ways we can do this is by eating locally. Our waters teem with salmon and halibut, our hillsides with wild game, and our gardens with vegetables and berries. We seek a Local Foods Educator who has a passion for transforming this bounty into nutritious meals for our students and staff. At minimum, the individual needs the culinary skills to prepare regular meals for 10-20 people, the organizational ability after a small kitchen, and the desire to pass on those skills to the next generation. We seek candidates who come with relevant experience, but also desire to learn and grow; this is a perfect job for someone looking to gain experience in kitchen management and culinary education. The successful applicant will have the chance to work with local experts in a wide variety of skill sets through either formal or informal mentorship.

The position begins as soon as possible, ideally in September 2020, and runs through August 31st 2021, potentially renewable after that point.

Applicants should expect a warm living-learning community where everyone wears many hats: local foods will be the job’s main focus, but ad hoc responsibilities may include garden and construction work, assisting with program prep and logistics, and serving as student support. While you will have normal work hours, you will be expected to participate in the Arete Project community, taking meals with students and serving as a teacher and mentor. With a new campus, new program, and the challenges of the pandemic, this year will be something of an experiment. Everyone must be ready to roll with the punches. In return, staff will have access to some of the most extraordinary experiences Alaska has to offer. We will do our best to ensure that all our employees can spend time in Glacier Bay, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and exploring with fellow Arete Project community members

The Place

The Arete Project’s new campus is an 18-acre former bed-and-breakfast at the western outskirts of Gustavus, Alaska. The campus itself is a patchwork of forest and meadow with a few buildings and a large new garden, two miles from the town center. In the coming years, we hope to initiate two major building projects necessary to our planned courses. Depending on skill level, the caretaker-educators may play a role in these projects. The town of Gustavus (pop. 450) is located 50 miles northwest of Juneau. There are no roads into town: access is provided by boat, ferry, and plane. Amenities are modest, but the town has a vibrant social and cultural scene and is served by several small local businesses. The real draw is the place itself: situated at the nexus of Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage, Gustavus provides exceptional access to some of the wildest, richest protected land on earth. Educators-in-residence will have an unparalleled opportunity to help students cultivate a relationship with the natural world through study, work, and play in this pristine spot.

Responsibilities

• Cook two meals each day
• Teach culinary and food preservation skills to students, volunteers, and interns
• Conduct regular kitchen inventory
• Cook and preserve produce coming in from the garden
• Assist with regular food ordering and budgeting
• Maximize amount of food made locally (bread, yogurt, granola, etc.)
• Care for ducks and chickens
• Keep kitchen tidy
• Assist with other campus tasks as needed

Covid-19 Considerations

The successful applicant will be subject to all local, state, and organizational Covid-19 protocols. Currently, this means that the individual must receive a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of traveling to Alaska (if traveling from out of state), take extreme precautions during travel, and quarantine upon arrival in Gustavus. The Arete Project provides room and board during quarantine.

The Arete Project community constitutes a self-contained Covid-19 bubble of up to 15-20 people, including our on-site staff, faculty, interns, and students. Upon accepting this position, you agree to refrain from being indoors with anyone outside your own family and the designated bubble (except for brief, necessary trips to the grocery store and post office, during which masks are required). These terms also apply to anyone else in your household. Should you wish to bring another individual or family into the bubble, this must first be cleared with the executive director.

Please email laura@areteproject.org for our complete Covid-19 Response Plan.

Desired Experience/Personal Qualities

• Bachelor’s degree, culinary school degree, or relevant life experience
• Experience feeding large groups (either in a professional or informal setting)
• Experience grocery shopping for large groups within a budget
• Experience teaching and mentoring young people
• Experience with canning, pickling, preserving, fermentation and/or baking
• Experience living and working in diverse communities
• Ability to get creative with garden produce and leftovers
• Valid US driver's license
• Hard worker & self-starter; does NOT need 24/7 supervision
• Excellent teamwork skills
• Flexibility, sense of humor, resourcefulness, and positive attitude
• BONUS: experience managing a kitchen, experience butchering meat or processing fish, experience gardening/harvesting wild foods, and/or knowledge of Alaskan & Alaska Native food traditions

Compensation

• $17,500 annual salary
• Three weeks paid vacation, plus one winter month (Nov-Feb, TBD), unpaid
• Free room, board, & utilities: estimated value of $1,300/month
• Up to $500 reimbursement for relocation costs

Room and Board

The housing available to the Local Foods Educator is a one-bedroom cabin located a quarter mile from the main campus. The cabin has electricity, running water, a shower, and an outhouse; internet access and laundry facilities are available at the campus. Part of the housing arrangement requires caretaking responsibilities for a flock of chickens and ducks on the same property, but we can easily teach you how - it's not complicated. Three meals a day are available at the Arete Project campus, and employees are welcome to take appropriate amounts of garden greens and pantry staples for personal at-home use. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate pets.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The Arete Project is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national and/or ethnic origin, marital status, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, or political affiliation in the administration of any of its educational programs, admissions policies, financial aid, and other related policies and programs, as well as volunteer and employment-related policies and activities.