Contracted K-12 Educator

About the Position: 

• The Olana Partnership seeks two contracted K-12 Educators to join the Education Team and provide interactive experiences for K-12 school and youth audiences at Olana State Historic Site. 
• These positions facilitate specific student, family, and youth programs on a contracted basis.
• These positions are not full or part-time employment and are paid a per-program rate. 
• Olana’s school, youth, and family programs focus on art, environmental science, history, and architecture through place-based learning at a landmark site of American art, Olana. 
• K-12 Educators at Olana lead field trips, weekend family programs, drop-in artmaking programs, and summer youth programs. 
• All programs incorporate inquiry-based teaching strategies and hands-on activities for all ages. 
• Trainings are provided in the Spring and Fall, for which Educators are paid. 
• K-12 Educators work on selected program days when available Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Compensation: Educators are paid $200 per school field trip ($100 for abridged tours). This rate is inclusive of prep, research and clean-up. The training rate is $20 per hour. This contracted role does not provide benefits. 

Position Responsibilities: 

• Facilitate field trips, school programs, family, and youth programs by engaging students, teachers, and families in inquiry and hands-on activities. 
• Attend 1-3 trainings led by The Olana Partnership staff throughout the year. 
• Work within provided program guidelines for each program and design lesson plans that are responsive to grade level, audience, and developmental needs.
• Prepare materials, research, and teaching tools for each group’s visit. 
• Clean up after each program and aid Education Coordinator in maintaining organization of the Wagon House Education Center.
• Work with full-time staff to communicate about specific program needs, concerns, and/or evaluate programs as needed. 

Qualifications: 

• Prior K-12 teaching experience is required. 
• AA, AS, BA or BS in art, art education, education, history, art history, or museum studies preferred. 
• Prior experiences teaching in a museum or cultural setting is appreciated, but not required.  
• Excellent communication skills and an enthusiasm for working with school-aged children is a must. 
• An interest in researching content related to Frederic Church’s Olana to prepare for field trips and an ability to learn and retain information to support age-appropriate program facilitation is required. 
• A reflective approach and ability to think creatively.
• Ability to work independently and proactively while being a team player.
• An interest in fostering accessible and equitable experiences for school groups in museum and cultural spaces.
• Commitment to equity and accessibility within education environments. Documentation of this commitment preferred.  
• English fluency required; Spanish and/or Bengali language fluency is a plus.
• Red Cross First Aid Certification preferred
• Must be able to carry chairs and tables (around 30lbs), walk longer distances during outdoor programs, and work outside in all seasons. 
• Please note that all contracted educators will be required to go through a background check. 

About the Organization: The Olana Partnership (TOP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization whose mission is to preserve and interpret Olana, Frederic Church’s artistic master work comprised of 250-acres of designed landscape; a Persian-inspired house and studio; and a historic farm complex. TOP operates Olana State Historic Site in a cooperative agreement with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Olana hosts more than 200,000 visitors annually and is a National Historic Landmark. TOP continuously introduces new educational programs to reflect our vision of Olana as a true teaching museum, offering diverse learning experiences like field trips, summer youth programs, family programs, virtual webinars, workshops, and classes, walking tours, performances, and events. 

To apply, please submit a resume, short cover letter, and a sample lesson plan demonstrating your past experiences working with youth audiences in an educational capacity to [email protected].