Studio Justice
Program Instructor
POSITION DETAILS
Compensation: $25.50/hr - 28.00/hr
Hours: Contractor - up to 16 hours per week
Expected Start Date: 12/4/2023
Expected End Date: 6/18/2024
Reports to: Studio Justice Program Director
Location: Texas Based | Virtual, must be available with Video and Audio and desktop or laptop capabilities on Tuesday afternoons and evenings
Application Deadline: 11/17/2023
Created in 2015 by Women of Color, ELSO, Inc. provides culturally relevant education and leadership development opportunities that invite Youth of Color to Experience Life Science Outdoors (ELSO). Our mission is to teach and frame STEAM and nature-based education through a lens that centers and elevates the stories, ways of knowing, individual needs, and lived experiences of Black and Brown communities. ELSO seeks to reduce the achievement gap in STEAMED (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math, Environment, Design) education and professions while creating a sense of belonging for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the natural and built environments. ELSO uses a multi-cultural approach to STEAMED education rooted in environmental justice and cultural history. We are demonstrating a model for STEAMED education led by People of Color.
ELSO’s Youth Design Program Studio Justice enables leadership and agency for youth ages 14-20 to use design for racial, social, economic and sustainable justice. Studio Justice aims to expand our youth’s STEAMED career pathways to include the professions in the built environment while widening their exposure to green sector careers. Through this vital opportunity, participants will learn about their personal STEAM and social economic identities as well as be introduced, educated and mentored in designing public spaces, the power of place, and health equity for under-resourced communities.
There are no student fees for Studio Justice program events. Instead, we ensure participants receive a scholarship stipend as a just and direct response to historic barriers, constraints and lack of investment and resources that keep Black and Brown community from pursuing careers in the Architectural, Engineering, Construction, and Design (AECD) industry.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Youth Design Program Instructor is a key program support role. Instructors cultivate a positive affirming culture for participants to imagine, vision and develop designs for future communities. Program Instructors cooperatively lead an 8 week cohort with a range between 15 to 18 young adults through the design and development of a project. Instructors work collaboratively with guest professionals and facilitate participants in development and the technical skills of design. In addition to supervising cohort participants, Program Instructors are the primary adults responsible for Youth Design Program participants safety and security.
With the supervision and guidance of the Program Director, Program Instructors will teach and demonstrate the ELSO values, community agreements, and lead participants in restorative justice practices for conflict resolution. ELSO temporary staff members and volunteers are responsible and positive role models who reflect the diversity of the cohort participants.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Cohort Development (40%)
Work with Program Director to develop programs including syllabus & curriculum, community partners, participant recruitment, and public events
- Support the development cohort curriculum within ELSO mission and program framework
- Support the Director in Identify key industry and community leaders to be engaged in guest instruction
- Coordination of planning meetings and ensuring all paperwork and contracts are established with ELSO Special Operations Team
- In Collaboration with Communications team, manage application process for youth participants
- Support the assemble, materials and distribute of design tool kits to youth participants
- Support the logistics and planning of the public Vital Voices final presentation
- Support Research and development of college, site tours
Cohort Instruction (60%)
Instruct class of up to 18 youth participants over 9 weeks
- Responsible for setting up Zoom links, sending out weekly student outreach including parent, and educators communication (via email, and phone) and preparing all materials in advance of each session
- Solicit and respond to feedback from youth participants to continue to grow the cultural competency of the program as a whole
- Serve as role model and mentor for cohort participants and volunteers
- Share out in virtual program team meetings when needed to develop cohort sessions
- Support the onboarding and preparation of guest instructors and volunteers
- Enforce Community Agreements as needed, follow behavioral management and safety protocols, assume responsibility for behavioral management of participants and problem solving issues as they arise using a Restorative Justice approach
- Ensure health and safety of participants (including emotional, and physical well-being) with practices such as listening, watching, and reporting any safety or behavior issues that interfere with youth’s ability to participate fully in the program
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 21+ High School Graduate, or GED complete, can be currently in college, with design experience
- Experience in learning, designing, and implementing curriculum and programming for youth ages 14-20
- Volunteer and/or work experience with youth ages 14-20 in an after school or classroom setting and/ or outdoor setting
- Experience working with culturally competent lessons and activities for Youth of Color from diverse backgrounds
- Proficiency with Zoom, Adobe Acrobat, Google applications such as gmail, drive, docs, sheets, slides, forms, etc., as well as presentation and instructional software such as Miro and Sketchup.
- Must be able to pass a background check as required by the Oregon Department of Education for positions that work directly with youth (Oregon State Department of Education Disqualifying Crimes 342.143) and have clean driving record for 1 year prior to application
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Passion and experience in guiding Black and Brown youth through student-driven learning experiences
- Experience in Design/ Construction Industries iIncluding, but not limited to: architecture, engineering, landscape, development, planning, construction
- Familiarity with and ability to share a justice lens, through design frameworks including: Design as Protest, Spatial Justice principles, environmental justice principles, and Black Space Manifesto
BENEFITS
Job Type: Contract
Pay: $18.78 - $22.62 per hour
Expected hours: 25.50 – 28.00 per week
Benefits:
Grade school specialties:
Schedule:
Work setting:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Sugar Land, TX 77498