Summer STE(A)M Classroom Program Instructor (Intercube)

Company: Beam Center

Position: Summer STE(A)M Program Instructor (Intercube/Career Connect)

Compensation: $28/hr

Employment Status: This is a part-time temporary position.

Dates of employment: June 8th - August 21st

Hours:

• June 8th - July 3rd: 20 hours/week
• July 6th - August 21st: 24 hours/week

Work Schedule:

• Monday, June 8 through Friday July 3rd: Monday-Thursday 9:30am-2:30pm at Beam Center
• Monday, July 6 - Thursday through August 21st: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-2:30pm at your designated school site (TBD)

Program Overview:

NYC Public Schools' Career-Connected Learning initiative integrates academic instruction with real-world work experiences, aiming to provide students with long-term economic security. This includes partnerships for paid internships, industry-validated credentials, and early college credits, often in collaboration with initiatives like CareerWise New York.

Job Description:

The Summer Program Instructor works as part of a team to develop and implement hands-on project-based curriculum with youth ages 15-18. This position works directly with teachers, supporting their professional development as they learn and implement a hands-on program designed by Beam Center that involves art, technology, and craft. The Summer Program Instructor will work with teachers and youth across several schools as they build projects, learn new skills, and make connections to related career paths. This person contributes collaboratively to the program design, helps lead professional development for teachers, helps teachers to create a positive and supportive learning environment for a population of multilingual students, and provides technical assistance. This position is also responsible for co-leading programming with teachers when required, and may lead activities independently during field trips. The Summer Program Instructor reports directly to the Program Lead.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Program Instruction & Classroom Support

Support classroom teachers in implementing Intercube projects with strong alignment to Beam’s curriculum, pedagogy, and intended learning outcomes. This includes:

• Supporting teachers in facilitating hands-on STE(A)M project activities with youth participants
• Communicating program structure, project arc, and intended outcomes with classroom teams
• Providing technical and creative support to students in alignment with project learning objectives
• Supporting positive classroom culture grounded in creativity, collaboration, exploration, and accountability
• Informally coaching youth assistants to support strong facilitation practices and effective classroom support
• Troubleshooting challenges related to project facilitation, classroom management, or safety, and elevating instructional needs to the Program Lead when appropriate
• Responsively adapting facilitation approaches to support student engagement and learning

Youth Staff Supervision & Development

Support youth assistants in developing professional skills and contributing effectively to classroom learning environments. This includes:

• Providing clear guidance to youth staff regarding their roles and responsibilities
• Modeling professional communication, collaboration, and workplace norms
• Providing informal coaching and feedback to youth assistants to support skill development
• Facilitating brief check-ins with youth staff to address questions or support needs
• Supporting youth assistants in completing required timesheets and documentation
• Communicating youth staff support needs or concerns to the Program Lead as appropriate

Site Coordination & Implementation Support

Provide consistent on-site presence to support smooth program implementation and communication across classroom teams and Beam staff. This includes:

• Acting as an on-site point of contact for classroom teams and communicating emerging needs to the Program Lead or School Partnerships Coordinator as appropriate
• Supporting coordination of materials and tool use within classrooms, including identifying supply or equipment needs
• Supporting accurate attendance tracking alongside classroom teams
• Communicating relevant program reminders to youth participants as needed
• Supporting basic site logistics that enable effective program delivery, and elevating facilities or operational issues to the School Partnerships Coordinator

Instructors will receive training in: hands-on disciplines (electronics, model-making, mechanics, fabrication & digital design); learning through collaborative hands-on projects; and Beam Center’s design & prototyping process.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for this position has experience facilitating educational experiences with diverse learners, a knack for figuring things out, and superior communication skills.

Strong applicants will have:

• Program facilitation & classroom management experience;
• Ability to supervise youth and early career staff with patience, clarity, and consistency
• Comfort working with diverse groups of people (both youth and adults)
• Strong organization skills and ability balance multiple priorities
• Ability to be adaptable and comes prepared to improvise when the situation demands it
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills
• Understands the value of collaboration, and ability to delegate
• Familiarity with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development is a plus
• Familiarity with Social Emotional Learning framework is a plus
• Multilingual proficiency a bonus