MISSION 

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

OUR VALUES

• All staff members are expected to embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution and to adhere to the museum’s shared values.
• Our museum reflects and deepens our collective humanity; the arts are integral to an inspired and just society.
• We respect and acknowledge each of our colleagues’ contributions and expertise across all roles within our organization.
• We share in the responsibility to create an antiracist culture built on equity, inclusion, and justice for all, acknowledging that these efforts are intersectional and ongoing.
• We encourage and advance a culture of hospitality, empathy, and gratitude for each visitor, supporter, and member of our staff.
• We embrace innovation and foster change with a progressive understanding of—and obligation to reconsider—our past.
• We sustain an open and dynamic civic platform, inviting and advancing the diverse perspectives of our city, staff, visitors, and supporters.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Learning Center is a platform for culturally responsive experiences that bring young people and the adults around them into dynamic and inspiring encounters with art and creativity. The Ryan Learning Center team:

• champions the role of art and culture in people’s lives,
• promotes access and equitable participation in art and the museum,
• fosters critical and creative thinking.

As a result, youth, teens, families, students, and educators from various backgrounds and abilities engage with each other and with works of art from across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, activating the museum as a place for learning, insight, inspiration, and community. These museum experiences enable young people and the adults around them to feel more connected and confident in their capacity to imagine, create, and make sense of art and their world.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As part of the area of K-12 Student Experiences, the Museum Educator facilitates instruction and administrative support for K-12 student learning experiences and supports teacher inquiries and outreach related to student tours. These activities reflect a pedagogical vision and impact framework for the museum’s K-12 offerings that prioritizes access for all teachers and students to high-quality arts experiences across learning contexts, through an inclusive, multi-sensory, and multimodal approach, with a priority for Chicago Public Schools. The Educator collaborates with colleagues in the K-12 Student Experiences division, the Ryan Learning Center, and throughout the museum to carry out their responsibilities. A member of Chicago’s education and arts ecosystems, the Museum Educator facilitates culturally responsive museum and community-based engagement on a weekly basis, collaborating with teachers, schools, and communities to deepen audience connections and position the museum as a valuable space for connection, learning, and meaning-making.

This part-time position is scheduled from September 3, 2024 - May 30, 2025. The museum educator leads programs as assigned three weekdays per week with the opportunity for occasional weekend and evening hours. 

AVAILABILITY 

Must be available consistently to work a set schedule from October 7, 2024–May 30, 2025. The schedule is 17 hours a week that includes 9 am - 5 pm on Thursdays, and 9:00 am – 2:00 pm two additional weekdays, ranked preference for Fridays, Mondays, and Wednesdays.

Must be available to attend initial training held from September 3 - October 3, 2024 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, which includes a combination of lesson observations, workshops, and at-home readings or resource review. Additional time for collaborative practice will be flexibly scheduled and communicated in advance.

Due to tour scheduling, the Part-Time Educator should not plan extended time off in March, April, or May.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Facilitate K-12 student experiences that are hosted both in the museum and virtually; align with the museum’s pedagogical framework through the strategies of student-centered, inquiry-based museum teaching. 
• Communicate directly with teachers of assigned programs in order to develop tours that best meet the needs of their classroom goals and strategies.
• Collaborate and have professional interactions with fellow educators and department staff. 
• Support the development of materials and strategies that enable accessible and multi-modal student experiences.
• Support program evaluation and data collection through collaboration with staff. Participate in professional assessment and reflection sessions. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with K–12 audiences in informal or formal education environments, including museums, school classrooms, theaters, or other cultural institutional settings required
• Experience teaching with works of art using student-centered, inclusive strategies and general knowledge of art history
• Bilingual in English/Spanish is strongly preferred
• Experience leading virtual learning experiences for K–12 audiences is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to follow lesson plans to facilitate student experiences using thematic routes with predetermined artworks preferred
• Demonstrated ability to work with student and teacher audiences from across Chicago’s diverse communities
• Exceptional email communication, written, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to complete and pass background check and fingerprinting at a Chicago-based, Chicago Public School approved facility which requires ​​a valid, government issued, picture ID (such as a driver's license, state ID, or passport)
• Eagerness to learn and ask questions, as well as willingness to apply feedback
• Experience engaging and supporting students of diverse abilities is strongly preferred. This includes facilitating experiences for students who are blind or have low vision, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and/or students with sensory processing disorders
• Ability to actively move for extended periods of time and lift up to 25 pounds

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Command of or a commitment to learning Microsoft Office Suite and Google suite including Gmail, Google Meets, Google Sheets and Documents, and Google Calendar in advance of beginning role as an educator preferred

APPLICATION 

If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

For full consideration, please submit the following materials, uploaded as one document:

• A resume;
• Brief response (300 words maximum each) on the following prompts: 
  • Describe what you see as the role of a museum educator in preparing for and facilitating strong museum education experiences for students.
  • Share why you would excel as a collaborative member of our teaching community in the Museum Educator position.
  • Referencing the Art Institute’s Mission and Values, describe how you embed antiracism and equity into your teaching practice. 

One of the following: a lesson plan or instruction guide (1-5 pages in total length) you have designed to be used with K-12 students or educators that reflects your practice and articulates clear objectives, processes, learning outcomes, and reference materials.

Closing Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.

Salary Grade 6