The FAO Schwarz Fellowship at Hudson River Park's River Project
New York City, NY
Hudson River Park’s River Project is a leader in urban river education, offering hands-on STEM education and participatory scientific research to improve water literacy and communicate the ecological importance of the Park’s 400-acre Estuarine Sanctuary.
About the Fellowship Position
The Fellow will assist the Park's River Project department in improving awareness and stewardship of the Hudson River through science and education. By teaching programs, developing curriculum, and supporting the Park's Science Leadership Program, the Fellow will engage with learners of all ages using the Park as an outdoor classroom and living laboratory. The Fellow will also play a unique role in capturing progress and impact of the Trust's Estuarine Sanctuary Monitoring Plan, a key management document for the Park and its partners.
Direct Service
The Fellow will support Hudson River Park’s environmental education and cultural programs for their direct service work. The Fellow will also be an integral mentor and leader in the River Project’s Science Leadership Program, a research-based summer program serving high school and college-aged students.
The Fellow will:
- Teach year-round field trips and drop-in educational programs hosted throughout the Park's inspirational settings including the Pier 40 Wetlab aquarium, Pier 57 Discovery Tank, Gansevoort Peninsula and more.
- Host the Park’s free cultural events including tours, family events and art events.
- Mentor students participating in the Park’s Science Leadership Program and implement leadership and STEM skill-building workshops.
- Support the Park’s community science, research and animal husbandry projects that help the Park foster stewardship and monitor the Estuarine Sanctuary’s health.
- In the second year, the Fellow will design a curriculum and a Science Leadership Workshop based on their interests related to Park research and learning spaces.
Special Project
The Fellow will focus on advancing and sharing progress related to the Trust’s 2021-2030 Estuarine Sanctuary Management Plan (ESMP) for their special project work. The Fellow will play a key role in the development of case studies, interviews, evaluation tools, and visuals to communicate the impact and progress of the Park’s ESMP.
The Fellow will:
- Develop methods to track and visualize the progress of the ESMP.
- Write brief project highlights to share successes and impact of the Park.
- Conduct and edit interviews of key partners to share diverse programming and projects.
- Support the analysis of assessment measures and evaluations to quantify the reach and impact of the ESMP.
- In the second year, the Fellow will explore opportunities to share these success stories and accomplishments with the Park’s Communications team.
LOCATION New York City, NY
WEB hudsonriverpark.org
FOUNDED 1998
STAFF 95
How to Apply
Applicants must be college seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities on track to graduate between December 1, 2024 and June 31, 2025. They must also be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the two-year Fellowship.
The deadline to apply is February 1, 2025 at 9:00 pm ET.
Host organizations will select applicants for interviews and make their decisions by the end of April 2025. Fellowships begin in the summer of 2025.
Learn more about Hudson River Park’s River Project by visiting their website. [LINK]
A Closer Look
About The River Project
The Hudson River Park Act established Hudson River Park Trust (Trust) in 1998 and designated the adjacent 400 acres of water as an Estuarine Sanctuary. The Trust is a public benefit corporation with 503(c) status founded through a unique partnership between New York State and New York City. Since Hudson River Park’s origin, the Sanctuary waters and the ecological abundance that they support distinguish Hudson River Park (Park) and have informed virtually every aspect of Park planning and operations.
Hudson River Park’s River Project is a department within the Trust consisting of 9 full-time staff members, that conducts estuarine research and offers hands-on environmental education with the purpose of connecting New Yorkers to the ecological importance of the Hudson River estuary. Visitors are invited to experience their local ecosystem as a living laboratory for research, stewardship and learning.
Through years of transformative action, Hudson River Park has enabled millions of people each year to access the Hudson River physically and visually. Kayaks, sailboats, historic vessels, water taxis, ferries, commercial recreation boats and more operate from numerous Park piers, helping many people experience the Hudson River from the water. The Park’s four-mile waterfront esplanade and renovated piers also offer opportunities for New Yorkers and visitors alike to relax, learn and play along the River. The Trust and its partners also lead a robust program of estuarine research projects on such topics as oysters, microplastics, water quality and local biodiversity, while meaningfully involving the community in Park science. In the last seven years, Park sustainability efforts have extended far beyond protecting existing resources, and now include Park-wide initiatives related to composting and plastics reduction. The Park’s Community Compost program and Park Over Plastic initiative are both advancing climate smart actions through community participation.
The Park has always prioritized hands-on education at the River as an essential starting point for inspiring our next generation of River stewards. River Project’s programs reach over 30,000 visitors and 5,000 students annually, deepening knowledge of the River through environmental education and community science. In 2023, the Park hosted 377 educational programs. Of these, 232 drop-in public science programs resulted in 31,00 participants and 145 pre-registered education programs generated participation from about 5,000 visitors.
Impact
Our Impact
To many teachers, students and Park users, Hudson River Park has become an essential “outdoor classroom” and environmental education resource. The Park’s model for environmental education is founded on a principle of access for all by offering free and low-cost programming to schools and summer camp groups.
The Park positions itself as a unique, accessible natural resource, curating memorable learning experiences for K-College students. In post-program surveys, 100% of teachers rated educational programs as “excellent” or “good” for 2023 field trips.
Additionally, about 50% of visiting student groups booked are returning, indicating a high level of satisfaction, while still allowing space for new student groups to experience the Park’s science programming.
Over the past two decades, the Park has built lasting relationships with local teachers and schools. Below are a few testimonials from New York City educators who brought their classes to the Park:
“[The educators] did an amazing job keeping my students engaged throughout the program. My kids had a great time and one said he now wants to be a marine biologist!”
— Elementary summer camp, the Bronx
“The educators were amazing! [They] were very patient with them, engaging, and overall just wonderful. My students enjoyed the trip tremendously and learned a lot.”
— Elementary summer camp, the Bronx
Policies
COVID POLICY
The Trust follows NYC DOH guidelines.
REMOTE WORK
Normally, Trust employees are expected to report to the Trust’s offices to conduct Trust business. Periodically, however, there may be limited instances in which an employee may be approved to work from home.
In order to be eligible for a short-term telecommuting arrangement, the position in which the employee is or will be working must, in the Trust’s opinion, require only minimal in-person supervision and the work is or will be capable of being accomplished remotely.
Further, the employee must have demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the employee’s supervisor, the ability to work independently. The Department Head must also be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the President or Executive Vice President that adequate measures are in place to supervise that person remotely.
Since certain work can only be done from within either the office or the park, telecommuting will not be possible for all staff even if the above conditions can be met. Telecommuting arrangements are only possible with the prior approval of your Department Head and the Trust Executive Vice President or the Trust President. When working from home/remotely staff must be available and responsive by phone and email during the employee’s regular work hours.
Telecommuting arrangements may be modified or eliminated at any time at the Trust’s discretion and subject to applicable laws.
NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
The Trust is an equal opportunity employer.
The Trust is committed to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination and unlawful harassment. We are committed to making all personnel decisions without regard to age, race, creed, religion, color, sex or gender (including actual or perceived biological sex, gender, gender identity and gender expression), national origin, disability, marital or domestic partnership status, sexual orientation/affectional preference, citizenship, pregnancy, military or veteran status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, or any other category protected by federal, state or local law, rule or regulation. If you believe that you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of any of these characteristics, or
if you believe you have been retaliated against for making a report or participating in the investigation into a complaint, you are urged to immediately report the incident to your supervisor or the Head of your Department.
If you feel uncomfortable speaking to your supervisor or the Head of your Department, or if you feel your report has not been adequately addressed, please speak to either the Director of Human Resources or the Executive Vice President. Procedures for reports of unlawful harassment apply to reports of unlawful discrimination as well.
Compensation & Benefits
For general questions about compensation, please see the Fellowship FAQ.
Compensation
First year: $50,000 (includes $2,000 start-of-Fellowship bonus)
Second year: $55,000 (include a $3,000 end-of Fellowship bonus)
Benefits
Benefits package including: paid holidays, vacation time, sick and personal time, transportation allowance or parking pass, medical, dental and vision insurance, and retirement savings options.
Typical Work Schedule
The Fellow will work a predominantly Monday through Friday (9am-5:30pm) schedule, with an on-call weekend rotation shared amongst staff, resulting in about one Saturday per month. The Fellow will work with the team and their supervisor to schedule these on-call dates at least a month in advance.
Due to public programming, we host some evening programming (typically on Thursdays) that the Fellow would also support up to two times per month and would flex their hours accordingly. This position is fully in-person at Hudson River Park. The team starts most of their days at the Park’s office. On occasion, for special events, staff may meet directly at Park indoor and outdoor classrooms like Pier 57 and Pier 84.