Education Program Specialist (Intermittent), IS-1720-9

Company: Smithsonian Institution
Location: Washington
Posted on: April 13, 2025

Job Description:

Education Program Specialist (Intermittent), IS-1720-9Department: National Museum of Asian ArtEmployment Type: Contract / TempLocation: Washington, DCCompensation: $33.50 / hourDescriptionOPEN DATE: April 1, 2025CLOSING DATE: April 15, 2025 (This job will close once 50 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date.)POSITION TYPE: Trust FundAPPOINTMENT TYPE: Intermittent SCHEDULE: Part TimeDUTY LOCATION: Washington, DCPosition sensitivity and risk:Non-sensitive (NS)/Low RiskOpen to all qualified applicantsTrust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.OVERVIEWThe Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) is committed to preserving, exhibiting, researching, and interpreting art in ways that deepen the public and scholarly understandings of Asia and the world. NMAA opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. We now steward one of the , with works dating from antiquity to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the pre-Islamic Near East, and the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa). The museum also stewards an important collection of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art.Today, NMAA is emerging as a leading national and global resource for understanding the arts, cultures, and societies of Asia, especially at their intersection with America. Guided by the belief that the future of art museums lies in collaboration, increased access, and transparency, NMAA is fostering new ways to engage with its audiences while maintaining its commitment to excellence.Located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the museum is free and open 364 days a year. The Smithsonian, which is the world's largest museum complex, welcomes twenty to thirty million visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, please visit .Description of department and roleNMAA is committed to providing quality PreK-12 school and teacher programs that deepen learners' understanding of Asian arts and cultures, develop the capacity for slow looking, and broaden one's perspective-taking capacities. School programs at NMAA promote and encourage the following dispositions: 1) Slowing down: finding value in uncovering complexity in arts and cultures; 2) Thinking critically: fostering engagement with ideas by making thinking visible; 3) Examining perspectives: developing empathy for people in other cultures and time periods; and 4) Experiencing joy: sensing the museum as a fun place for learning. Programs for students include on-site and virtual field trips guided by intermittent education specialists or docents.Teacher programs at NMAA engage PreK-12 educators in creative teaching strategies that explore interdisciplinary curriculum connections focused on National Museum of Asian Art's collections and exhibitions. Programs are designed to inspire emerging and experienced educators alike to use Asian art in the classroom via participatory teaching strategies. Educators leave each professional development session with ready-to-use classroom resources.The Intermittent Education Specialist will assist the Education Department with the development, execution, and evaluation of PreK-12 gallery programs, hands-on workshops, virtual field trips, teacher workshops, docent training, family workshops, and cross-departmental programs. This position is exempt with a maximum of 20 hours per week.The Education Department expects to make multiple hires for this position.The details of each program in which the intermittent staff would work are as follows:Gallery Programs: Fairfax County Public School ToursSince 2023, NMAA has partnered with Fairfax County Public Schools to bring hundreds of 6th grade students to visit NMAA annually. Students visit nearly every Tuesday between October and April for a unique two-hour program. Intermittent staff will develop, implement, and evaluate the gallery tours for on-site Fairfax County Public programs.Virtual Field TripsNMAA offers reserved PreK-12 virtual field trips Monday through Friday. Virtual field trips are PowerPoint presentations designed by intermittent staff who facilitate the program on the Smithsonian Zoom platform. Intermittent staff will develop and implement virtual field trips and webinars as well as manage virtual field trip scheduling, reporting, teacher correspondence, and program evaluation.PreK-12 Audience ResearchBeginning in FY 2025, the Education Department has implemented on-site surveys for all PreK-12 programs. Intermittent staff will conduct surveys on-site with PreK-12 teachers for all gallery programs.PreK-12 Hands-on WorkshopsNMAA implements studio art and other hands-on projects for PreK-12 school audiences to complement a tour or a self-guided visit. Projects may include printmaking, preparing tea, book arts, and more. Hands-on projects are typically 30 minutes to 1 hour in length. Intermittent staff will assist with the development and implementation of hands-on workshops.Teacher WorkshopsNMAA hosts about 10 annual teacher professional development on-site and virtual workshops to highlight special exhibitions or designed in partnership with educational organizations such as universities, school districts, and school administrators. Workshops are typically facilitated on weekday evenings or Saturdays. Intermittent staff will assist with the logistics of teacher programs, including materials preparation and event staffing.Docent TrainingNMAA docents lead PreK-12 tours and receive occasional methodological training from the EDU staff. Intermittent staff may assist with the logistics of docent training. Duties may include modeling techniques, materials preparation, and staffing docent programs.Family Workshops and Cross-departmental ProgramsSince FY24 docents have developed Family Fun workshops to support NMAA festival days including Chuseok, Diwali, Lunar New Year, and others. Intermittent staff will assist with the planning and development of gallery activities and support Family Fun programs during festival days. They will also assist with staffing other museum-wide, cross-departmental events, as needed.DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESAn Intermittent Education Specialist will:
  • Communicate visiting logistics to teachers prior to on-site school visits, greet school group visitors, assist groups with wayfinding, and send post-visit e-mails to teachers.
  • Coordinate with Education Department members to develop, facilitate, and evaluate on-site gallery tours, studio arts lessons.
  • Manage all aspects of virtual tour coordinating including: sending confirmation e-mails to PreK-12 teachers/program coordinators; scheduling Zoom meetings with teachers/program coordinators prior to virtual field trips, when requested; developing and facilitating PowerPoint presentations; evaluating virtual field trips; reporting statistical information on virtual field trips.
  • Assist with program set-up for teacher events (i.e. collecting resources and supplies from the Education Department) before the program and program implementation (i.e. assist with event logistics such as greeting, wayfinding, catering set up, and evaluation) the day of the event.
  • Attend Education Department meetings, as needed.
  • Participate in planning, information sharing, and training sessions with NMAA staff and volunteer docents, as needed.QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTSEducation: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess:1. Degree: that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses.or2. Combination of education and experience -- at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience must reflect the level and kind described in C below.or3. Four years of experience that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the principles and practices underlying the work of this series. This experience must have been of such character and diversity to demonstrate that the applicant possesses an understanding of the field comparable to that normally acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university.or4. At least 1 full academic year of professional teaching experience. This experience is defined as full and primary responsibility, under general supervision, for instruction of assigned students in an accredited school or institution. This includes responsibility for preparing and presenting lessons and for evaluating students' progress, including a determination of the students' success or failure according to established criteria. Serving in an assistant capacity to a professor without the authority to determine the students' success or failure to meet course requirements does not meet this criterion.Experience: Experience required for this position is as follows:
    • Experience in museums and/or PreK-12 classrooms and/or with PreK-12 educators.
    • Familiarity with and prior experience implementing Project Zero Thinking Routines.
    • Experience facilitating tours for a museum, gallery, recreation/nature center, etc.
    • Experience facilitating art-making activities for PreK-12 audiences.
    • Familiarity/experience with public schools in DC, MD, and VA.
    • Knowledge of Asian arts and cultures is a plus.
    • Fluency in another language, especially Spanish, is a plus.Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.Relocation expenses are not paid.The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact nmaa-hr@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian's .The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. See Smithsonian EEO program information: .
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Keywords: Smithsonian Institution, Harrisburg , Education Program Specialist (Intermittent), IS-1720-9, Education / Teaching , Washington, Pennsylvania