Central Park Conservancy : Scholars Educators

Scholars Educators

The Central Park Scholars program is a 4-hour Saturday enrichment program that runs during the academic year and aims to help 7th - 9th grade students learn about Central Park and themselves through a structured program of exploration, recreation, and community service in one of the world’s greatest outdoor classrooms. A two-person teaching team is responsible for leading up to 25 students in each grade. Each team explores Central Park through unique lenses: the Park’s environment in grade 7; the Park as a man-made work of art & design in grade 8; the Park as a significant public space with an emphasis on community outreach in grade 9. Teaching teams can look forward to working closely with each other and the Central Park Conservancy’s Education Department throughout the entire year.

Position Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Provide our young people with a safe, structured way to explore Central Park and engage in positive educational, recreational, and community service activities every week of the program year.
Set a tone of high expectations and accountability with our students.
Nurture supportive relationships with students and families (connecting with parents/guardians happens outside of program hours in an ongoing way via e-mail and telephone).
Create and implement a thoughtful, dynamic, engaging Park-specific curriculum (lesson plans, supplementary materials) with the support of the Central Park Conservancy Education Department.
Devote 5-10 hours per week outside of the Saturday sessions to program planning and administrative housekeeping.
Manage scheduling and coordinating of activities in Central Park, on-site visits from guest experts, and off-site field trips to cultural institutions.
Supervise CPC volunteer assistant(s) during class sessions.
Monitor and maintain educational supplies.
Evaluate and report on student work

Qualified applicants will have:

Schedule that permits making this part-time job a real priority.
Youth development background, preferably in non-traditional or outdoor learning environment.
Desire to work and ability to connect with urban youth.
Enthusiasm for team-teaching model.
Excitement for using Central Park as an outdoor classroom.
Ability to teach concepts related to program themes with creativity and spunk.
Flexibility, self-motivation, ability to juggle multiple tasks.
B.A. or B.S. in education or a related field.
Experience in the NYC public school system preferred.
Possession of a valid driver’s license

Position Schedule and Compensation:

This is a part-time, contractual position (September 1, 2008 June 30, 2009). The program runs on Saturdays, October through May, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (educators work from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm). Additional time will be necessary each week for the following: curriculum planning with teaching partner, which includes debriefing about each session, building consensus about moving forward, addressing student needs that reveal themselves; writing lesson plans; preparing materials for each Saturday session; direct contact with students and families; orientation during the month of September and wrap-up during the month of June. Compensation for this contract is $25 per hour, typically 10-15 hours per week.