Museum Educator, School Partnerships

Description

Position Title : Museum Educator, School Partnerships

Position Type : Full Time

FLSA Classification : Non-Exempt

Division : Learning and Engagement

Department : School Programs

Reports to : Manager of Museum Education

Compensation Range : $21.20 - $24.03

About Crystal Bridges :

Crystal Bridges is a museum of American art located in Bentonville, Arkansas. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate the American heritage and artistic possibilities.

Founded by Alice Walton in 2005, the museum opened in 2011 and is a public, non-profit charitable organization with free admission.

Position Summary :

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art seeks an innovative and passionate Museum Educator specializing in arts integration instruction within our school partnership program.

This role focuses on designing, developing, and delivering high-quality professional development programs for teachers in our arts integration school partnership program, with the goal of integrating the arts into various educational curricula.

The ideal candidate has strong knowledge of implementing K-12 school partnerships and developing and facilitating teacher professional development within these contexts.

The initial school partnership program focuses on the middle school grades of 6th, 7th and 8th grade. This candidate will inspire and equip educators to foster creativity, critical thinking, and engagement in their classrooms through the arts.

Commitment to facilitating engaging and inclusive educational programs that respect and reflect diverse cultural perspectives is a requirement for this role, Travel to partnership schools across the state is required for this position and constitutes a substantial portion of the educator’s time.

This position reports to the Manager of Museum Education.

Principal Responsibilities :

• Design, in collaboration with the Manager of Arts Integration, and facilitate professional development workshops, seminars, Professional Learning Community (PLC) frameworks and resources that emphasize arts integration, including dialogical teaching methods and the creative process through visual arts
• Provide in-classroom demonstration teaching with K-12 students in our arts integration partnership schools
• Lead in-person and virtual school tours for K-12 students at the museum
• Collaborate with the School Programs team to develop interdisciplinary programs that connect art with other subjects such as STEM, social studies, and language arts
• Utilize current research and best practices in arts education to inform program content and delivery methods
• Utilize digital tools to enhance instruction for teachers and students
• Foster relationships with K-12 educators, administrators, and community partners to understand their needs and provide tailored professional development experiences
• Create a supportive and collaborative learning environment for teachers to explore and practice arts integration strategies
• Offer ongoing support and mentorship to teachers participating in professional development programs
• In collaboration with the Manager of Arts Integration, develop and implement comprehensive curriculum guides and instructional materials that align with state and national standards, focusing on the integration of the arts
• Collaborate with curators and Learning and Engagement staff to create resources that leverage the museum’s collection and exhibitions
• Assist in the design and implementation of evaluation tools to assess the effectiveness and impact of professional development programs.
• Analyze feedback and data to continuously improve arts integration strategies and delivery.

Qualifications and Skills :

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Art Education, Museum Studies, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of K-12 classroom experience, 6th-8th grade preferred
• Strong understanding of arts integration and connections to literacy development
• Strong experience with Visual Thinking Strategies and other dialogical museum education methods
• Strong understanding of museums and art history
• Experience leading professional development for teachers in whole-school settings
• Experience in curriculum development and familiarity with educational standards and best practices in arts integration.
• Strong understanding of the creative process (particularly with visual arts) and its application in educational settings.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively with museum staff, educators, and community partners.
• Proficiency in using technology and digital tools to enhance learning experiences.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Requires access to a vehicle for travel to partnership schools.

Licenses and Certifications :

Valid Arkansas driver’s license with clean driving record.

Physical Demands and Work Environment :

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands : Regularly, while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently regionally and in communities served.

In the work environment described below, position requires working at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone, good eye / hand coordination, bending and stretching, standing and sitting in the ability to move around galleries, the classrooms, and throughout the museum, including travel on the outdoor trails.

Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work Environment : Work will be performed in an office environment, museum galleries, art studios, schools, outdoors on the trails, and in communities served.

Some evening and weekend hours are required. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.

The noise level in the Museum work environment is usually low to moderate.