Teaching Artists for School Year 2026-27

The Bureau of Fearless Ideas, a non-profit literary arts education organization in Seattle, is seeking practicing writers and teaching artists in the community to join our small team bringing storytelling magic to Seattle area schools! Fearless Ideas empowers young people to be the authors of their own stories and to re-imagine our world in their own unique voice.

We are hiring a new small team of contracted Teaching Artist positions for the coming 2026-2027 school year as we expand our Community Partnerships programming that provides in-school classroom education for elementary school students throughout Seattle Public Schools. Thanks in large part to vital grant funding, BFI is able to offer teachers programming at no-cost to the school.

Fearless Ideas believes in the power of storytelling in all of its forms and welcomes applications from writers of diverse mediums; we are looking for poets, fiction authors, prose writers, lyricists, musicians, memoirists, and more! We especially encourage Black writers, Indigenous writers, writers of color, writers from the LGBTQ+ community, bilingual writers, and writers from interdisciplinary backgrounds to apply. Fearless Ideas Teaching Artists must show a demonstrated commitment to anti-racist pedagogy and practice.

BFI Community Programs staff will work with Seattle Public Schools teachers to coordinate partnership visits throughout the year. School visits are primarily scheduled in the Fall but additional partnerships are added throughout the year. Teaching Artists will be expected to lead and deliver 2-part lessons across BFI scheduled school partnerships - which produce an artifact of our time together. Each school "partnership" will include 2 visits and may include 1-3 classes per visit, per school. (Note: The number of classroom visits may vary depending on school availability and needs.) Teaching Artists will work alongside our Teaching Artist Coordinator and Community Programs Manager who will assist with classroom management and individual one-on-one help during classroom visits.

The Bureau of Fearless Ideas has four primary standards:

Be Kind:

We believe that acts of kindness both to ourselves, and to others encourage our best creative selves. Here are some examples of what our students and volunteers have offered in regards to what it means to be "kind" while working in creative community:

"Be Inclusive"

"Be kind to yourself, take breaks, drink water"

"Give compliments - Give confidence!"

"Encourage each other's ideas"

Be Creative:

We believe in challenging our imaginations to stretch and grow. Creativity is something that is encouraged and supported when we lean in and say "yes" to new ideas. Here are a few notes on what being "creative" looks like to our students and volunteers:

"Any idea can be a masterpiece, like a spark can be an inferno!"

"Be weird!"

"Collaborate and build off each other's ideas"

"Ignore the editor inside and have fun"

Be Fearless:

To express with courage is at the heart of all artistic mediums and practice. Acts of bravery come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some ways our students and volunteers define what it means to be "fearless" while working in creative community:

"Think sideways! Make bold and different choices!"

"Speak up and share out"

"Everyone starts somewhere, might as well be now!"

"Do something you've never done before"

Have Fun!

The most important of them all! Fearless Ideas is built on the principles of joy, belonging, play, exploration, community connection, and socioemotional growth, while uncovering ideas that make us say "wow," that make us wonder, make us laugh, and inspire one another.

Required Qualifications:

• A deep commitment to making classrooms a space for joy and belonging for all students.
• At least 1-2 years of teaching or mentoring experience with elementary school students.
• Successful and enthusiastic collaborator who demonstrates adaptability to meet expectations and outcomes
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a willingness to grow, learn, and adapt.
• A sense of humor, flexibility, and responsiveness to differing student needs within a public school classroom setting.
• Positive attitude; friendly and respectful manner when working with students, BFI staff, teachers, and other school partners.
• Outstanding organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and a high degree of reliability.
• Demonstrated engagement of your artistic work within the community, whether published, performed, and/or widely shared.
• Availability to complete every session of a scheduled school visit— as scheduled by BFI staff.

Expectations

In the Classroom

• Uphold BFI standards of Kind, Creative, Fearless…and Joy!
• Guide students through exciting and innovative creative writing lessons
• Lead and deliver 2-part lessons across BFI scheduled school partnerships — producing an artifact of our time together. Each school "partnership" will include 2 or more visits and may include 1–3 classes per visit, per school. (Note: The number of classroom visits may vary depending on school availability and needs.)
• Work in coordination with the BFI Teaching Artist Coordinator and Community Programs Manager to deliver lessons in the classroom
• Collect permission slips for any and all student work, images, or likenesses that are shared outside of partnered classrooms

Planning & Administration

• Work in collaboration with the BFI Teaching Artist Coordinator and Community Programs Manager to learn, develop, and refine lesson plans and curriculum
• Document each classroom visit in BFI's "Reflection Studio" Google form as part of paid planning hours
• Attend post-partnership debrief meetings with BFI Community Programs Manager following each completed 2-part school partnership (1hr paid)
• Prompt and responsive communication with BFI Staff via email and/or text when appropriate

Training & Onboarding

• Attend Fall Teaching Artists Orientation/Retreat (late August/early September, paid)
• Attend paid BFI Teaching Artist trainings and follow BFI safety protocols and guidelines
• Pass a required background check prior to employment
• Required completion of all child-safety and abuse prevention training as provided by The Bureau of Fearless Ideas and Seattle Public Schools
• Community: Come be in community with us! Attend Fearless Ideas community events and gatherings as available

Compensation & Opportunities

Pay Rate

$75 per contracted teaching hour, plus 1.5 hrs of paid prep and travel time per visit

Each school partnership = approximately 3–9 total paid hours depending on classes scheduled

Estimated Annual Earnings — 2026–27

Approximately 70–140 contracted hours and $5,250–$10,500 in total compensation depending on the number of school partnerships and classroom hours assigned

BFI anticipates growth in Year 2 with opportunities for expanded hours and compensation

Payment Structure

Teaching Artists are paid as Independent Contractors via monthly invoices for scheduled classroom visits

Reports to: BFI Community Programs Manager

How to Apply

Send application materials to: info@fearlessideas.org, subject line: BFI TA Application 26-27

NOTE: Please save all application materials as one PDF and label it

Firstname.Lastname_BFI2026-27

Application Deadline: July 24th, 2026 at 11:59p

Please submit:

• A resume.
• A brief cover letter and introduction. Please include a description of your teaching approach and experience and how it aligns with The Bureau of Fearless Ideas' standards and expectations. (Apx 500 words)
• Your general availability/schedule for the upcoming school year
• Names, phone numbers, and email addresses for three professional references. We'd love to chat with teachers, collaborators, or supervisors who you've worked with in an educational capacity and can speak to your classroom and/or teaching style and experience.
• * Optional: a 1-page creative or work-related writing sample of one’s own writing. We'd love to see the magic you are putting into the world!
• *Optional: a sample creative writing lesson plan for a 1hr class

Hiring Timeline & Process

• Applications due: July 24, 2026
• In-person interviews: August 3rd-7th
• Fall Teaching Artist Orientation/Retreat (attendance required) - Late August/Early September

We here at Fearless Ideas understand the effort and lift it takes to gather and send off materials for an application and are especially versed in the nature of working as contracted Teaching Artists. We see you, and want to say a big thank you in advance for your time and your interest in working with us!

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