DreamYard is currently hiring a Maker instructor for an after school program at a middle school site in the Bronx. The program runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 (we need the instructor to arrive by at least 3:15 each day). The program will begin as soon as possible, and run until the end of the school year at the end of June.
We have had a successful middle school Maker program at our Art Center facility for three years, and expanded this work to four middle school sites beginning in September 2014. Instructors create their own curriculum, and we have a cohort of Maker instructors who will meet together throughout the year to discuss challenges and brainstorm projects. We have some equipment, like Arduinos, Lego robotics kits and MaKey MaKeys, that is shared and rotated around to schools, and each instructor also has a budget for consumable materials. The school site is Entrada Academy (977 Fox Street, Bronx, NY 10459), which is accessible by MTA subway/bus.
This is a salaried part-time position, and we are looking for someone who can commit to teaching all scheduled classes from the beginning of the program until the end of the school year. The instructor and students will present work at a Maker showcase event at Lehman College in early June. The position involves additional compensation for participating in DreamYard professional development sessions.
Our approach to Maker programming is more art-based and focuses on using design and technology to engage students in hands-on creative projects and structured challenges. We are interested in having students develop a deep understanding of the design process while gaining technical skills with materials and software. We are also focused on social justice, and want students to engage with projects that are relevant and connect to the larger community. Access to equipment and technology will vary somewhat depending on school site, so we are looking for Maker teachers who can be creative given the available resources. Sample projects we have done successfully in the past include simple robotics, building functional objects and musical instruments from recycled materials, pixel art using Perler beads, animation/game creation using Scratch, and working with circuits and LEDs.
Qualifications
- Maker, technology or arts teaching experience, ideally in a public school setting
- Bachelors degree in related area
- Ability to develop own curriculum/projects
- NYC Dept of Education fingerprinting clearance is required. We will support the instructor in taking care of this if they are not already fingerprinted.
To apply or for more information please email a resume to Keith Kaminski, Director of School Programs:kkaminski@dreamyard.
About DreamYard
DreamYard Project uses project-based arts learning to ignite the transformative spirit in youth, public schools and communities. DreamYard’s school-based and out of school programs help thousands of K-12th grade Bronx young people each year pursue educational pathways towards higher learning and meaningful careers; it is our expectation that our youth will develop the tools to become engaged citizens, life-long learners and the leaders and innovators of the 21st century.
Co-Executive directors Jason Duchin and Tim Lord founded DreamYard in 1994. Over the past decade, DreamYard has worked with more than 100 public schools and over 100,000 young people and families. DreamYard has developed a robust educational community in the Bronx – from its in-school partnerships and launch of the DreamYard Preparatory High School to its Out of School Programs at the DreamYard Art Center in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx. DreamYard is focused entirely in the Bronx, a borough that possesses incredible cultural, human and economic assets. The organization believes that the arts are a necessary part of developing those assets to their greatest potential.
