Screenwriting Instructor

About Free Spirit Media

Free Spirit Media (FSM) partners with young storytellers to transform media and society. We do this through our holistic programming which focuses on community-building, skill-sharing and career and education pathways that support young people to envision and build their futures within the media industry and beyond.

FSM’s goal is to support young storytellers as they form robust and sustainable support systems, gain the skills needed to pursue employment in their creative fields, and understand the powerful and important gifts they bring to the world. FSM’s media arts education and creative workforce investment programs are designed to break down barriers to access, success and leadership for emerging media makers and storytellers from Chicago’s West and South sides.

Located on the West Side of Chicago for 24 years, FSM is located at BUILD, Inc. in the Austin neighborhood. Our collectively realized organizational values are: Young Artist Leadership, Creativity, Belonging, Transformation & Intergenerational Collaboration.

Overview of the Role

Free Spirit Media is seeking an experienced Screenwriting Instructor to lead a culturally responsive, 10-week screenwriting curriculum for our young adult cohort. As the educator, this individual is responsible for guiding participants to collaboratively develop production-ready short screenplays that will be selected to move into the next phase of production.

This role is a blend of classroom instruction and one-on-one mentorship, grounded in Free Spirit Media's mission and our Creative Youth Development (CYD) framework. By the end of the course, the instructor will have prepared the emerging writers for production but also empowered them as professional storytellers by showing them how to register their work with the WGA or Library of Congress.

The instructor will play a pivotal role in creating a safe and collaborative learning environment, modeling professional writing habits, and supporting the final script selection process. Their expertise will be key to helping these writers translate their vision into compelling, production-ready stories.

Candidate Requirements

The ideal candidate for this role will bring a strong background in teaching screenwriting, with proven experience in leading and mentoring young adults. They must have a deep understanding of screenwriting fundamentals, industry-standard formatting, and a collaborative, culturally responsive teaching style. The role requires a professional who is not only skilled in guiding students through the creative process, but also committed to fostering a safe and respectful learning environment. Strong organizational skills are essential for preparing curriculum and documenting progress. Candidates must have access to a laptop and a strong commitment to Free Spirit Media’s mission, community values, and the power of youth voice in storytelling.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead a structured and engaging 10-week screenwriting curriculum, guiding a cohort of young adults to develop three fully-realized, production-ready short screenplays.
• Provide one-on-one mentorship and constructive feedback to participants, helping them navigate creative and technical challenges in storytelling.
• Collect one complete short screenplay from each participant and provide written and 1:1 feedback. The instructor will participate in the final script selection process to identify the chosen script(s) that will move into production, providing the Production Coordinator with the foundational documents needed for Phase 2.
• Communicate and collaborate with the Program Manager, the Production Coordinator, and other key staff to ensure program parameters and goals are met. This includes preparing resources and aligning with FSM’s mission and Creative Youth Development (CYD) framework.
• Foster a safe, respectful, and collaborative learning environment for young people and uphold Free Spirit Media’s mission, community values, and commitment to youth voice and power-building.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Experience teaching screenwriting to young adults (ages 18-24). Experience working within a youth development or arts organization is highly valued.
• Possess a strong background in screenwriting with a deep understanding of industry-standard formatting, narrative structure, and character development.
• Have the ability to guide and mentor emerging filmmakers through creative challenges and parameters of storytelling for production at FSM.
• Have a strong belief in the power of young storytellers to lead social change and a commitment to FSM’s values of equity, inclusion, belonging, and racial justice.
• The ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends, based on the program and production timelines.
• Must be able to pass a background check to work with children in Illinois.

Work Requirements

This is a part-time staff position, averaging 10-12 hours per week. The work is divided into three key areas: independent prep time for curriculum planning and administrative tasks; instruction, which involves leading class sessions and providing one-on-one mentorship; and meetings with FSM staff, the Program Manager, and the Production Coordinator to ensure seamless program alignment. A flexible schedule, including some evenings, is required based on class and meeting times.