LEAD TEACHER
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS IN MUSIC,
DANCE, VISUAL ART, WRITING, NATURE, RECREATIONAL ARTS
POSITION SUMMARY:
The teacher will be responsible for the creation, implementation, teaching, and assessment of a 2 or
7 week course at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts. The course will be taught on Usdan’s campus in
Wheatley Heights, Long Island, NY.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
− Art and Design: Filmmaking, Video Game Design, Lego, Early Childhood Art, Photography,
Comic Art, Painting People, Fiber Arts, Narrative Art, Sculpture.
− Music: Clarinet, Violin, Piano, Guitar, Guitar/Ukulele, Low Brass (Trombone, Baritone, Tuba),
Bassoon, Early Childhood Music/ORFF, Alto Saxophone, Elementary age Choral Conductor,
Middle and High School age Orchestra Conductor.
− Dance: Tap, Contemporary Hip Hop.
− Recreation: Yoga, Games Hoops and Nets, Quidditch.
− Nature.
− Creative Writing.
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS:
Teachers will be passionate artists and educators with a focus growing and learning. They will seek
rigorous exploration of ideas, have a willingness to try new things, and be open to and interested in
feedback. They will work enthusiastically with children, with an understanding of their needs both
individually and in the modern world. Usdan teachers will be flexible both in and out of the
classroom and interested in collaboration with Usdan’s faculty within and across disciplines. They
will be authentic, reliable, respectful, thoughtful, and organized.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
− Work with the Department Chair and/or with the Administrative staff to set goals for the
class and plan the student experience.
− Submit course plans prior to the start of camp.
− Work with administrative staff to order supplies and materials
− Prepare and organize the setup of the studio.
− Teach four hours per day and prepare for each class.
− Supervise students at daily assemblies and in passing periods.
− Attend department and staff meetings and trainings as required.
− Prepare for exhibitions and performances, when relevant.
− Lead or attend one 1-hour professional development workshop after camp hours.
− Have student safety as a top priority at all times.
− Create a joyful, fun and engaging atmosphere in the studio.
− Use inquiry, exploration and experimentation as primary teaching tools.
− Differentiate instruction to be both challenging and developmentally appropriate for each
student’s age and ability, which varies within and across classes.
− Teach skills that are both technical and cognitive. Encourage students to explore ideas and
their art form and to actively reflect on the process.
− Have a curriculum that is rooted in diversity by incorporating and encouraging multiple
perspectives from historic and contemporary content.
− Create an environment where teachers are learners, there is respect and trust among all
participants, and a belief in student capacities.
− Model the behaviors of artists, how they think, work, and live.
− Two week session teachers will collaborate with one other teacher to create a cohesive
program for students.
QUALIFICATIONS:
− Bachelor’s degree in your art form, education, or equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities.
− A minimum of two years of teaching experience, preferably with students of varying ages
and abilities.
− Teachers in arts departments: an active artistic practice, with recent performances,
exhibitions, or publications and knowledge of contemporary arts teaching practices.
− Must be certified in Child Abuse and Neglect/Maltreatment Identification (can be obtained
online at no cost).
2017 SUMMER SEASON DATES, TIMES AND LOCATION:
− Orientation Day, Wednesday, June 21, 2:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
− Monday – Friday, June 26 – August 11, 9:15 AM – 3:15 PM (Usdan is closed on July 4).
− A limited number of offers will be for two week sessions.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
− Salary commensurate with experience; 7 weeks $6000-$7000.
− We encourage our faculty and staff to utilize Usdan for their own artistic purposes.
Proposals for pre and post season studio use are welcome.
− Discounts for children of faculty.
− Transportation:
− Free parking on campus
− NYC faculty also has the option on a subsidized train ride or faculty bus with
central pickups for a maximum out-of-pocket cost of $350.
− Activities:
− Daily faculty swim.
− Lead or attend workshops with other faculty and staff such as yoga, archery,
gardening, theater, dance, music and art.
TO APPLY:
− Please email the following to Jillian Greenberg, Director of Education at
Employment@usdan.org. PDF files are preferred attachments. No phone calls please.
− Cover letter communicating interest in Usdan and teaching philosophy.
− Resume with three references.
− 2-3 samples of your own and student work (websites okay).
− Proposals for pre and post season studio use are welcome with your application but
if hired can be submitted by April 1st. Please specify the duration and nature of your
project.
ORGANIZATION:
Usdan is the nation’s preeminent not-for-profit day camp for the arts. Profiled in The New York
Times and in Time Magazine, Usdan has been declared a “Best Of” camp by TimeOutNY/Kids, and by
NY Metro Parents. Diverse and playfully rigorous from the start, for nearly fifty years we have
brought world-class teachers and visiting artists – actors, directors, playwrights, painters,
sculptors, musicians, composers, dancers, poets and novelists – to teach and collaborate with Usdan
campers ages 4 to 18. On 140 acres of natural beauty, students find the literal and metaphoric space
to push their existing talents and delve into new ones. With nearly 70 classes and 1,500 students
each summer, every camper from beginning to advanced is guided on a path of individual creative
growth by a team of artists and talented arts educators. Our alumni include actors Natalie Portman,
Jackie Hoffman, Olivia Thirlby, Stacey London, and Lisa Gay Hamilton; singers Jane Monheit, Taylor
Dayne, and Mariah Carey; Tony-nominated playwright Michele Lowe, Grammy-Award winning
producer Adam Abeshouse, Broadway personality Seth Rudetsky, and members of major American
orchestras, dance and theater companies.
USDAN SUMMER CAMP FOR THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
AND WELCOMES APPLICATIONS FROM ALL.
