Troy Glock, Director of Program Services, ESU3

Gifford Farm Education Center

Educational Service Unit #3

6949 S 110th St

LaVista, NE 68128

History Program/Outdoor Nature Classroom Team Leader

Gifford Farm Education Center is seeking a Team Leader to lead our two History Programs and the Outdoor Nature Classroom at Gifford Farm Education Center.  

Duties of the team leader include:

• Present the program and curriculum as set in place by the administration of Gifford Farm

• Schedule staff to present the programs.

• Train the Outdoor Educators to present the program

• Maintain the training cards and curriculum used in the presentation

• Update the correlations to state standards each year.

• Maintain items and facilities used for the presentation of this program.

• Evaluate the Program staff annually

Friends of Discovery-A Journey with Lewis and Clark

This interactive historical program explores the journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, along with the famous Corps of Discovery. The setting is our 1804 encampment on Gifford Farm. The time frame is 1804-1806. This curriculum and state standards-based program leads 3rd through 6th graders (Some age exceptions are made) through the dwellings of our camp, including cabin, fort, outpost, and tipi, teaching the students about this historical and scientific trek. The team leader, and or the Outdoor educators, also present a session on the Discoveries of Lewis and Clark during this 2-hour program.

Programs are presented on the farm from April through October and taken to schools and after school programs year-round.

Living History of the Plains

This historical program helps students to realize the realities of pioneer and Native American life in the 1800s. Students visit our 1804 encampment with an all-new focus on the dwellings of the camp. Students learn about children’s chores in the cabin, performing such chores as washing clothes on a washboard, hanging clothes on a clothesline, washing dishes outside, peeling carrots for stew, running corn through a corn sheller and stacking firewood. 

In the fort, the students learn about the trails west and the goods the pioneers bought at the forts and then load their wagon with these goods. The tipi presentation shows the life of the Native Americans on the Plains. In the outpost, the students learn about the Underground Railroad and embark upon a journey through the woods to escape to freedom. In our schoolhouse, our students experience lessons in a one-room schoolhouse. 

This curriculum and state standards-based program is a 2-hour experience, leading students in groups through each station. Programs are presented on the farm from April through October and taken to schools and after school programs year-round.

The Outdoor Nature Classroom

The Outdoor Nature Classroom (Nature Explore® certified) program helps students explore their connections with nature in a safe, fun and educational setting.  Students visit the many play and learning centers including nature art, nature music and dance, digging area, climbing area, and a real water pump.