Program Coordinator

The Organization

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI) is the nation’s leading American history organization dedicated to K–12 education. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. Since its founding in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute has created powerful and meaningful ways to teach and learn history. Focusing on primary sources, the Institute offers teacher seminars, online courses, exhibitions, digital materials, and print publications that enable students of all ages and backgrounds to study the nation’s past.

The Institute brings the work of today’s leading historians into classrooms and homes around the globe. Through public events, publications, posters, videos, exhibitions, essays, and a dedicated website rich in primary sources, the Institute brings every period of American history to life. The Institute’s diverse education programs, including the acclaimed Hamilton Education Program, provide opportunities to explore five centuries of American history. The Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School network comprises twelve million students and more than 90,500 teachers from more than 35,000 schools worldwide.

The Role

The Institute seeks a Program Coordinator in the Educational Programs Department to manage the implementation of professional development and history education projects serving teachers and students. These projects may range from one-day professional development workshops serving teachers in a specific school district to multi-year grant-funded programs serving schools nationwide. Many of these projects focus on teacher professional development but may also involve the creation of educational resources such as lesson plans or video series. The Education Program Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the planning and implementation of these projects to ensure that they meet teacher and student needs and represent the high standards of the Gilder Lehrman Institute. This will involve collaborating closely within and across departments and working with master teachers, scholars, and other external partners. The Education Program Coordinator will also manage the Student Advisory Council and may be asked to contribute to other projects within the Educational Programs Department as needed.

The ideal candidate should be self-motivated and have outstanding project management skills, communication skills (verbal and written), and flexibility. A background in American history and/or K–12 education is not required but is preferred.

This role will be based in New York City and currently requires working in person at least one day per week in GLI’s midtown office. Some travel and evening and weekend work is required.

This role reports to a Senior Program Manager.

Responsibilities (including, but not limited to)

Program Management (75%)

• Create and manage project plans and communicate these plans internally and externally
• Communicate with scholars, teacher consultants, and partners about project content and logistics
• Participate in shaping the content of a project, such as selecting materials or lesson plans, with support from Educational Programs Department leadership
• Work with colleagues and contractors to ensure that project deadlines are met, the project is within budget, and any changes are communicated on a timely basis
• Work with contractors and editorial staff to ensure that all project deliverables include proper rights and permissions
• Manage professional development session logistics, including moderating online sessions or preparing printed materials for in-person sessions. In-person programming may require the Program Coordinator to be present during the session.
• Participate in the evaluation of projects, including collecting and tracking data and reflecting on areas for improvement

Student Advisory Council (20%)

• Oversee the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Student Advisory Council (SAC). This will require carefully recruiting students from diverse backgrounds, grade levels, and geographic locations to participate in monthly meetings, student contests, and feedback polls on Gilder Lehrman programs and initiatives.
• Work with the Affiliate School network to solicit student nominations for membership in the SAC
• Plan and moderate the Student Advisory Council meetings during the academic school year on the second Saturday of each month. This includes creating meeting agendas and slide presentations for the meetings.
• Oversee the annual David McCullough Essay Prize.

Other duties as needed (5%)

• Contribute to organizational processes to streamline and improve our work
• Work and collaborate on other Gilder Lehrman Institute programs

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in history, education, or a related field
• Experience managing non-profit educational programs and working with K–12 teachers and students
• Excellent writing skills and strong interpersonal and communication skills in person, by phone, and in writing
• Experience working well under pressure, meeting deadlines, and developing short- and long-term strategies to meet objectives
• Proficiency in Google Docs and Microsoft Office, especially Excel

Desirable Skills

• Previous experience using a database, particularly Salesforce, is preferred
• Previous experience with work management software like Asana is a plus