Reports To: Director of Residencies/Program Director
Department: Residency Programs
Report Locations: Various NYC Public School Sites
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Job Status: Part-Time (Monday–Friday; 15-20 hours per week.)
Pay Range: $45-$65 per hour (commensurate with experience)
LEAP (Learning Through an Expanded Arts Program) is currently seeking Teaching Artists – Murals & Visual Arts for various Elementary, Middle, and High Schools.
WHAT WE DO:
At LEAP, we believe in the transformational power of the arts. We started as a grassroots movement with just four schools. Today, our teaching artists serve 25,000 youth across the city in over 140 New York City public schools. Every day, our educational arts programs inspire diverse school communities to be more engaged in learning and build critical skills. Our quality educational arts programs promote access and equity for New York City students underserved in the arts.
We are seeking educators who share our belief in the power of experiential learning. LEAP Teaching Artists function as the lead instructors in LEAP after school programs.
If you love working with children in the Arts, this a wonderful opportunity to share your passion in the Arts in our afterschool programs, summer programs and special projects.
Teaching Artists are enthusiastic, experienced teaching instructors with a personal stake in arts education for long term teaching opportunities at our partner schools in all five boroughs. The teaching artist must have demonstrated previous experience in their trained specialty, ideally in NYC public school settings.
LEAP's Mural Programs use a social justice framework to explore and create large scale artworks, culminating in a final mural unveiling and presentation. Artworks are created through student-centered collaborative processes as they share personal and cultural experiences through engaging in dialogue rooted in a social justice framework, allowing the conversations to shape the mural design. Muralists must be skilled in both visual arts techniques for large-scale works as well as in working with large groups of students in mural creation.
Teaching Artists function as support staff in the after-school environment, helping to ensure a safe, positive, and organized environment for youth participants, but not limited to the following:
- Represent LEAP through collaborative planning with school partners to support shared goals.
- Plan engaging and active lessons that combine the arts and academics.
- Establish and deliver clear lesson objectives writing daily lesson plans using the LEAP lesson plan format and the LEAP way.
- Prepare your room and all materials prior to facilitating planned activities.
- Promote positive character development, a love of learning, and a growth mindset through modeling and instruction.
- Make LEAP a visible and exciting part of the school community.
- Aid in the organization and execution of student culminating performances and celebratory events.
- Work closely with the LEAP staff to gather your data, attendance, assessment, and teaching documentation.
- Attend and actively participate in required training and our professional development Learning Labs.
- Lead experiences that drive student growth in creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking.
- Support learners to make meaning of their experiences through routine thoughtful reflection.
- Acknowledge, participate, respond to, and celebrate the culture of the communities that we serve.
The successful candidate will have the following Qualifications:
- 2 years of experience working with the NYC DOE (or other major city) school system
- Demonstrated excellence in Mural and Graphic Arts.
- Experience successfully teaching and instructing youth in the arts
- Familiarity working with Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners
- Passion for inclusion and advocacy in the arts
- Enjoy working with youth in a team environment
- Effective writing, communication, and interpersonal skills
- Must be punctual, responsible, resilient, and dependable
- Self-motivated, highly efficient, and able to problem-solve
- Initiative-taking, hands-on approach, as well as a professional work ethic
- Flexible schedule and willingness to travel to multiple boroughs
LEAP provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to age, citizenship, color, disability status, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, protected veteran status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Please note: In accordance with organizational policy, LEAP do not sponsor individuals on O-1 visas.