Bethel Woods Center for the Arts 

Peace. Love. Arts. You (P.L.A.Y.) Program  

Teaching Artist Position from July 29-August 2 

Teaching Artist Position from August 12-August 16 

Job Descriptions: Animation Lab Teaching Artist, Game Lab Teaching Artist 

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is seeking part-time Teaching Artists to facilitate our P.L.A.Y. All  Day summer programming for youth. We are seeking candidates who specialize in various aspects  of art, music, and education programming. The Teaching Artist will be responsible for co-designing and delivering curricula for youth participants, submitting lesson plans based on project-based  learning units, as well as ensuring the safety and engagement of all participants. The position  requires a passionate, creative, energetic, team-building leader committed to providing the highest  quality of programming for youth. 

P.L.A.Y. All Day: P.L.A.Y. All Day introduces children to the visual and performative arts in a fun,  relaxed camp-like setting. Students dip into history, legacy, leadership, and imaginative ways of  thinking through fun, collaborative, arts-based activities and gain foundational skills in various art  forms while weaving together Bethel Woods themes of community, caring, and creativity.  

The P.L.A.Y. program celebrates our heritage and helps build creative capital by inspiring individuals,  to contribute positively to the world around them. Active engagement in the creative arts allows  young artists to experience the power of building relationships, respecting each other, embracing  the unknown, articulating their own creative process, and celebrating divergent thinking. Through  the unique lens of our historic site and museum collections, P.L.A.Y. participants explore themes of  art, music, theater, nature, science, social, and civic engagement shaped by the era of the 1960s and  come to realize the importance of community and their impactful role in it.  

P.L.A.Y Animation Lab: This special one-week session of P.L.A.Y All Day is designed for participants  aged 10-12 with an affinity for the digital arts. The Animation Lab will introduce the fundamentals of  basic 2D and 3D animation, giving participants hands on experience in a state-of-the-art Mac Lab,  with programs like Stop Motion studio and Adobe Animate. The week will include ample  opportunity outdoors on the beautiful campus of Bethel Woods—a marriage of the natural and  digital realms. Students will work independently and collaboratively to create short animations,  which will be shared with family and friends, and possibly on a wider stage, at the conclusion of the  program. 

P.L.A.Y Game Lab: Pre-teens interested in the art of gaming will come together in this one-week  session of P.L.A.Y All Day to explore the theory and design of game play. Using programs like  Minecraft, Scratch, Unity, and Stencyl, participants aged 10-12 will play and build collaboratively  with peers and talented Teaching Artists from Game Design disciplines. This process based, hands on program will take place both in Bethel Woods’ new state-of-the-art Mac Lab, and outside on our  beautiful historic grounds. 

We are seeking Lead and Assistant Teaching Artists to facilitate our P.L.A.Y Animation and P.L.A.Y  Game Labs. These individuals will help us design and deliver two, one-week long sessions of  summer programming that will take place in our new computer lab. These labs will host 10-15  children aged 10-12 years old, who have a displayed interest in digital animation and/or game  design. Teaching Artists will engage these children in programming that explores creative, process oriented, FUN approaches to the art of animation and game design, using software like Scratch,  Minecraft, Stop Motion Studio, Adobe Animate, Stencyl and more. Integral to the success of each  session will also be plenty of time outdoors on our beautiful, historic grounds. 

Program Goals 

• Youth participants will be introduced to foundational digital animation and game  design skills in individual classes, small group, and whole group activities. 
• Youth participants will be able to collaborate though shared learning activities and  experiences and will be able to share their artistic creations with friends and family,  and possibly through public channels to engage wider audiences. 
• Through immersion in specific and scaffolded activities that are framed by our legacy  location, youth participants will gain practical experience in the creative process,  such as brainstorming and synthesis of ideas using the imagination.  

Job Responsibilities 

• Design and deliver curricula and enrichment activities for your area of expertise (game design, animation.) as well as supplemental activities – opening and closing rituals, structured free time activities, transitions between activities, etc. for the full program day (9:00am-4:00pm.) 
• Lead activities that are engaging and age appropriate, with varying levels of support from 1-2 additional part-time staff, and 1 full-time Program Manager.
• Actively monitor and engage all participants during all program activities. • Develop positive, caring relationships with young people and their families. • Attend 2-3 mandatory pre-planning meetings via zoom, and 2 days of in person training on June 1st and 2nd, 2024 (Compensated at $50/day, with transportation and housing assistance  available).
• Collaborate with other Bethel Woods Teaching Artists and Program Managers around effective program operations.
• Participate in assessment and evaluation processes throughout and at the end of programming as needed.

Requirements 

• Proficiency with modern animation and game design platforms, including, but not limited to, Scratch, Minecraft, Unity, Adobe Animate, and Stop Motion Studio.
• Playful, patient, energetic, and creative. Ability to see the power of the process! • Experience working with youth in a school, afterschool or summer camp setting preferred. • A sound understanding of the English language including reading, writing and speaking; bilingual abilities a plus. 
• Ability to collaborate well with others.
• Availability between 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday, approximately 40 hours a week, during program weeks.
• Background check as directed by Bethel Woods Human Resources.

Compensation 

• The compensation for this program is delivered at the completion of the project. The project includes pre-planning meetings, curriculum development and submission, in-person training, and delivery of the program for the week you’re assigned. Total payment is: $800-$1,500,  depending on position (Assistant or Lead Teaching Artist) and commensurate with experience,  plus $50 per day for training dates. 

Additional benefits 

• Roundtrip transportation reimbursement for those travelling from further distances by  public transport. 
• Housing during program and training dates if needed. Shared housing in a 4 bedroom, 2  bathroom house on our campus. 
• Ongoing supervision and support 

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Associate Director of Museum Education and  Creative Programs, Candace Rivela, at education@bethelwoodscenter.org with “P.L.A.Y. All Day  Teaching Artist” in subject line. In your cover letter briefly explain the skills or abilities you would bring  to the role, as well as your prior experience working with youth.