Part-Time Post Secondary Student Position

Love local food, social media, events or getting people excited about new things? Come help us grow the next generation of Northern agrifood enthusiasts.

NWT Agrifood and You Discovery Centre

Position: Youth Engagement & Discovery Centre AssistantEmployer: Territorial Agrifood Association (TAA)Location: Yellowknife, Northwest TerritoriesEmployment Type: Part-time, StudentHours: Approximately 15 hours per week, flexible with school schedule (in advance)Wage: $20 per hour to start

About the NWT Agrifood and You Discovery Centre

The NWT Agrifood and You Discovery Centre is an interactive public education and engagement space that tells the story of food, agriculture, harvesting and food entrepreneurship in the Northwest Territories.

The Centre connects visitors with Northern food production through interactive displays, demonstrations, educational activities, local products, stories and events. It highlights both the history and future of agrifood in the North, including growing, harvesting, processing, food businesses, controlled environment agriculture, pollinators, soil, food security and Northern innovation.

Position Summary

The Youth Engagement & Discovery Centre Assistant will help make the Discovery Centre an active, welcoming and engaging place for visitors, students, families and community members.

The position combines public engagement, social media, event coordination, educational programming and hands-on learning.

A key responsibility will be supporting and hosting Sprout Lab training sessions, helping participants learn through hands-on activities related to growing, food production and Northern agrifood.

The successful candidate will also create social media content, assist with Centre events and activities, help maintain exhibits and learning materials, and support visitors in exploring the Discovery Centre.

This is an excellent opportunity for a student interested in communications, education, agriculture, food, entrepreneurship, tourism, events, social media, community development or working with the public.

Apply with resume and cover letter to ed@nwtagrifood.ca

Key Responsibilities

1. Discovery Centre Visitor Engagement

• Welcome visitors to the Discovery Centre and provide an enthusiastic and friendly introduction.

• Help visitors navigate the Centre and understand the interactive exhibits.

• Engage visitors in hands-on activities and demonstrations.

• Answer basic questions about Northern agriculture, food production and the Centre's programs.

• Help create a welcoming and inclusive environment for visitors of different ages and backgrounds.

• Gather informal visitor feedback and identify ideas for improving visitor experiences.

• Assist with maintaining displays, activity areas and educational materials.

2. Social Media & Communications

Support the TAA's social media presence by:

• Developing and posting engaging content about the Discovery Centre.

• Photographing and filming activities, events, exhibits, visitors and educational programming, where appropriate.

• Creating short videos, reels, stories and other social media content.

• Developing posts highlighting Northern food producers, agricultural activities, Centre exhibits and upcoming programs.

• Maintaining a simple social media content calendar.

• Identifying interesting stories and content opportunities within the Centre.

• Assisting with promotion of Discovery Centre events, workshops and Sprout Lab sessions.

• Following TAA branding and communications guidelines.

• Monitoring engagement and providing basic observations about which content performs well.

A major focus will be turning what happens inside the Discovery Centre into interesting stories that people can see and engage with online.

3. Event Planning & Delivery

Assist with planning and delivering events and activities at the Discovery Centre, including:

• Developing ideas for small educational and community events.

• Helping organize event schedules, materials, supplies and set-up.

• Preparing activity stations and displays.

• Assisting with registration and welcoming participants.

• Helping coordinate volunteers, presenters and community partners where required.

• Hosting activities and engaging participants during events.

• Taking photographs and video for promotional purposes.

• Helping with clean-up and post-event activities.

• Gathering participant feedback.

Events could include:

• Discovery Centre open houses

• Youth activities

• Food and agriculture workshops

• Seasonal events

• Producer demonstrations

• Family activities

• Community learning events

• School and youth group visits

• Special exhibits and activations

4. Sprout Lab Training

The student will play an important role in supporting and hosting Sprout Lab, the Discovery Centre's hands-on learning program.

Responsibilities may include:

• Preparing the Sprout Lab space and materials before each session.

• Welcoming participants and explaining the activity.

• Supporting hands-on growing and food production activities.

• Demonstrating basic techniques and equipment.

• Guiding participants through activities and encouraging questions.

• Ensuring participants follow appropriate safety and sanitation procedures.

• Recording participation and basic program information.

• Cleaning and resetting the space following each session.

• Helping develop new activities and ideas for future Sprout Lab sessions.

• Supporting promotion of upcoming Sprout Lab programming through social media.

The student will receive appropriate orientation and training before independently hosting Sprout Lab activities.

5. Educational Programming

Assist with the development and delivery of educational activities for children, youth and the general public.

Activities may explore topics such as:

• Growing food in the North

• Seeds and seed saving

• Soil

• Pollinators

• Northern berries

• Indigenous food systems and knowledge

• Greenhouses and hydroponics

• Food production

• Food processing

• Food security

• Food waste

• Local food businesses

• Agriculture and climate

• Northern food history

The student will be encouraged to develop new activity ideas that make agrifood interesting and accessible to young people.

6. General Centre Support

• Assist with opening and closing procedures as required.

• Keep activity and public areas clean, organized and ready for visitors.

• Restock educational and activity supplies.

• Assist with inventory of educational materials and supplies.

• Report maintenance or exhibit issues to the appropriate TAA staff member.

• Assist with displays, signage and exhibit updates.

• Support other TAA activities when required.

Qualifications

Required

• Currently enrolled in college, university or another recognized post secondary educational program.

• Strong interest in working with people and the community.

• Comfortable speaking with members of the public.

• Reliable, organized and able to work independently.

• Comfortable using social media platforms.

• Willingness to learn about Northern agriculture and food systems.

• Ability to work some evenings or weekends for special events, with advance notice.

Assets

Experience or interest in any of the following would be an asset:

• Social media content creation

• Photography or video

• Canva or other basic graphic design tools

• Event planning

• Agriculture or gardening

• Food or cooking

• Education or working with children/youth

• Tourism

• Communications or marketing

• Entrepreneurship

• Community development

• Indigenous food systems

• Science or environmental education

No previous food experience is required. The successful candidate will receive training and will have the opportunity to learn about the NWT agrifood sector through their work.

Skills & Personal Characteristics

The ideal candidate is:

• Curious – interested in learning how food is grown, produced and sold in the North.

• Outgoing – comfortable welcoming visitors and starting conversations.

• Creative – able to turn ideas and activities into engaging experiences and social media content.

• Reliable – follows through on responsibilities and commitments.

• Organized – able to prepare materials and manage multiple small tasks.

• Adaptable – comfortable when events or activities don't go exactly as planned.

• Positive – enthusiastic about working with youth, families and the community.

• Entrepreneurial – interested in trying new ideas and finding solutions.

What the Student Will Gain

This position provides practical experience in:

• Public engagement

• Event planning and delivery

• Social media and digital communications

• Photography and video

• Education and facilitation

• Workshop delivery

• Agriculture and food systems

• Northern food businesses

• Community development

• Entrepreneurship and social enterprise

• Project organization and teamwork

The student will also have the opportunity to build a portfolio of real work, including social media content, events, educational activities and community programming.

Success in This Position

By the end of the placement, the student will have:

• Helped deliver multiple Sprout Lab sessions.

• Supported several Discovery Centre events.

• Created regular social media content.

• Developed at least one new educational activity.

• Built confidence speaking with the public.

• Learned about Northern food production and agrifood businesses.

• Contributed ideas for improving the Discovery Centre experience.

• Developed practical experience that can be included on a resume or portfolio.

Help us bring the story of Northern food to life.