Volunteer Microplastics Institute Curriculum & Instruction Director

Who We Are

Seaside Sustainability is a nonprofit organization based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Seaside Sustainability's mission is to protect and restore our oceans by educating people of all ages about the critical issues that threaten our environment; promoting best practices for sustainability; and inspiring meaningful advocacy and hands-on action. Seaside works with schools, cities and towns, environmental groups, technology companies, and individuals. Together, we strive to ensure the healthy future of oceans, rivers, wetlands, and estuaries around the world.

Department Summary

The Microplastics Institute, a Seaside Sustainability initiative, is an integrated research, education, and community engagement organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, monitoring, and prevention of microplastic pollution and its implications for ecosystems and human health. Microplastics are increasingly recognized as a widespread environmental contaminant, with particles detected across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. As scientific understanding continues to develop, there is a growing need to better understand where microplastics occur, how they move through the environment, how people and ecosystems may encounter them, and what these exposure pathways may mean for environmental and human health.

The Institute brings together scientific research, environmental monitoring, education, community participation, workforce development, and professional services within a single coordinated framework. Rather than treating these areas as separate efforts, the Institute connects them so that research informs education, education builds scientific capacity, community participation expands environmental monitoring, and professional services help sustain the infrastructure needed to support long-term environmental science. This integrated model is designed to make meaningful participation in environmental science accessible to students, educators, volunteers, researchers, organizations, businesses, and communities.

Development Subteam (Volunteers)

As a Microplastics Institute Development Volunteer, you will be crucial in advancing our marine conservation and sustainability mission through educational initiatives and community outreach. This volunteership provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in marine science research, curriculum development, and environmental education while contributing to impactful projects that inspire stewardship of coastal ecosystems.

Who You Are

The Curriculum & Instruction Director will oversee and finalize the Microplastic Institute’s educational curriculum materials, with a span between pre-K through college level. The content material has mostly been drafted, and this role centers primarily on editing and standardizing that material – ensuring consistent wording, tone, and formatting across grade bands, and preparing the material for publication in a teacher-facing workbook. The ideal candidate brings strong educational experience and a sharp editorial eye to unify content that was developed separately into a single, cohesive resource. The Director will work collaboratively with instructional designers, educators, and subject-matter experts to help bring this curriculum to life.

Responsibilities

• Review and edit existing curriculum material spanning pre-K through college for consistency in wording, tone, terminology, and formatting across grade levels
• Verify that lessons and activities remain scientifically accurate, pedagogically sound, and aligned with relevant science standards during the editing process
• Format and organize finalized material for use in a teacher workbook
• Ensure activities and materials are realistic and appropriate for use in an actual school setting
• Flag gaps, inconsistencies, and/or redundancies across grade-level sections and coordinate revisions as needed
• Collaborate with the instructional designers and curriculum contributors to resolve content questions during the editing process
• Serve as a point of coordination between curriculum content and the Institute’s broader research and education goals

Qualifications and Skills

• 3+ years of experience in K-12 or higher science education, with experience in curriculum review, editing, or instructional design
• Strong editing skills and attention to detail, with preferred experience unifying content from multiple contributors into a consistent final product
• Comfort reviewing and editing educational content across multiple grade levels/age groups
• Preferred experience with environmental or science-specific curriculum work
• Preferred familiarity with relevant science education standards
• Nice-to-have: some experience formatting or producing teacher workbooks or similar instructional materials

Work Environment

• This is a remote position, and all volunteers work from their individual home offices across the globe.
• Volunteers must have access to a computer, tablet, or mobile device with an internet connection to perform duties, attend meetings, and communicate effectively.

Duration

• Duration: 3+ months (flexible)
• 5-10 hours per week (flexible)

Equal Opportunity Statement for Employment: Seaside Sustainability Inc. offers Internship and Volunteer opportunities to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. Seaside Sustainability prohibits workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.