Museum Educator

The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. It engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future. Founded in 1923, the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) showcases the city’s unique stories and cultural treasures. The country’s first and largest city museum, MCNY presents immersive exhibitions and programs at the intersection of history, popular culture, and art to 200,000 people annually, including 30,000 students and educators, fostering shared identity, civic pride and engagement, and social cohesion for New Yorkers. MCNY has been recognized as one of the leading museums in New York City by publications such as Condé Nast Traveler and the New York Times, with Time Out New York awarding MCNY “Best Museum” in New York in 2021.

 

The Museum Educator is an essential member of the Education team that is primarily responsible for leading and facilitating English-language field trips and student experiences at the Museum for K-12 students. Educators follow the learning goals of teaching guides provided by the Assistant Director, Student and Family Learning for this purpose. Museum Educators also facilitate interactive experiences for audiences of all ages during professional learning programs for teachers, family workshops, community events, and social impact programming. Programming takes place primarily at the Museum, but Museum Educators are also engaged to work at offsite locations around the city, in schools, and online. Additionally, Museum Educators are responsible for preparing materials and supplies for upcoming education programs, conducting direct outreach, and assisting with program development as needed.

 

Educators fulfill the Museum’s Education and Engagement mission by engaging learners in examining the city’s past so that they may understand the present and envision their role in shaping the city’s future. Educators utilize the Museum of the City of New York’s innovative exhibitions and extensive collections to facilitate experiences focused on four key areas: history, art, culture, and civic engagement.

 

This is a part-time, regular position that reports directly to the Assistant Director, Student and Family Learning. So as to best be able to lead programs for K-12 audiences, Museum Educators will ideally be available when schools are in session on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30am-1:30pm, and Thursdays from 9:30am-4pm. Museum Educators will also ideally be available to support programs on select Saturdays, Holidays, and evenings. 

 

Roles and Responsibilities:  

 

    • Teach high-quality, engaging, and interactive field trips and programs for K-12 audiences in English
    • Arrive promptly for all scheduled hours and provide sufficient advance notice regarding necessary absences 
    • Participate in and contribute to training and discussions around group engagement, which may involve content, pedagogy, and best practices for serving distinct populations 
    • Incorporate new skills and learning into their teaching and participate in reflective teaching practices 
    • Ensure programs and content are in alignment with the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) framework, ensuring that the Museum provides and supports educators in providing student-centered learning environments that affirm racial, linguistic, and cultural identities; prepare students for rigor and independent learning; develop students' abilities to connect across lines of difference; elevate historically marginalized voices; and empower students as agents of social change 
    • Create spaces for shared meaning-making, exploration, and the exchange of ideas 
    • Handle day-of program logistics, including setting up before and cleaning up after group visits and ensuring program participants complete check-in and evaluations
    • Prepare materials and supplies for upcoming education programs and assist with maintaining an organized office space
    • Support Education colleagues in developing and delivering educational programs and initiatives, including events for teachers, family and community members, teens, youth, and adults and educational media and curriculum projects 
    • Perform other duties as needed 

 

A successful candidate will have:  

 

  • Previous museum education teaching experience and/or experience working with K-12 audiences in a direct service capacity, for example as a classroom teacher, an afterschool educator, or similar
    • Fluency or advanced proficiency in English, both verbal and written
    • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, specifically with school children 
    • A desire to work with audiences of varying ages, including young children, teens, and adults
    • Interest in and enthusiasm for teaching NYC history and engaging the art, culture, and civic life of the city
    • A growing ability to communicate complex concepts with audiences of all ages 
    • The desire to work in a collaborative, supportive environment and contribute to the same
    • A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and a passion for advancing equity and addressing structural racism within nonprofit organizations 
    • The adaptability to work flexibly, including taking the lead on certain projects, working independently on others, and asking for guidance and assistance 
    • A high degree of professionalism
    • Experience and comfort using digital communication platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) 
    • Prior experience facilitating museum Access offerings and/or working with audiences with special needs is welcome but not required
    • Formal or advanced studies in history or the humanities welcome, but not required

 

Physical Requirements & Work Environment 

 

To optimally lead K-12 programs, Museum Educators should ideally be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and on Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time and able to traverse through office and museum gallery environment. Requires the ability to operate standard office equipment including computers and keyboards for extended periods of time. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. On occasion, the employee may be required to work outside events with weather conditions including heat and cold. Requires travel to offsite locations throughout the five boroughs, including schools.

  

Benefits

 

This position is paid at $25 per hour for up to 29 hours per week. We provide Vacation and Sick Leave on an accrual basis to all employees. Your employment relationship with the Museum qualifies you for free or discounted admission to other participating cultural institutions.

  

The Museum of the City of New York is committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as New York City and the audiences who are curious about learning more about its history and engaging in contemporary urban issues. Our staff members are dedicated to working towards a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring city museum in the world. 

 

The Museum of the City of New York is an equal opportunity employer. As such, the museum provides equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants without unlawful discrimination with respect to age, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identification or expression, marital status, military status or veteran, national origin, political association, political/personal convictions, predisposing genetic characteristics, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and style), religion (including attire, clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with religious requirements), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and transgender status), sexual orientation, socio-economic status, geographic location, philosophies, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws, in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-off, and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. The Museum complies with applicable state and local law governing nondiscrimination in employment which prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employees, applicants for employment or interns, as well as contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, other individuals providing services in the workplace or their employees in every location in which the Museum has facilities.