BAX is seeking LEAD COUNSELORS for its
2018 SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM
(Candidates must be at least college-aged)

SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Monday July 2, 2018 – Friday August 17, 2018 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (7 weeks)
          Early bird drop-off program (optional program add-on) starts at 8:00 am

Regular drop-off is at 8:30 am and regular pick up is at 3:00 pm

Extended Day program (optional program add-on) offered from 3:00 – 5:45pm

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

Approx. 65 children entering Kindergarten – 6th grades (age range: 4 ½ -11) separated into three total groups:
GigaBAXers  – entering 4th grade – 6th grade (max group size per week is 20)
MegaBAXers – entering 2nd grade – 3rd grade (max group size per week is 25)
NanoBAXers – entering Kindergarten – 1st grade (max group size per week is 20)

No special talent or experience is required of students – students come in with all levels of skill and interest in any given discipline.

The Mega and GigaBAXers explore a different arts specialty each week, working with a dedicated guest arts specialist (one per group for each week) to build their skills and foster their creativity throughout the week. Each week culminates in an informal performance in the BAX Theater for friends and families.

Mega and Giga-BAXer Art Specialties Include: Visual Arts, Media, Tumbling, Musical Theater, Circus Arts, Theater, and Dance.

 

The NanoBAXers engage each week in a different exploratory theme through a variety of art specialties each day. Nanos work with a new guest arts specialist every day to create work that is collected and presented in a gallery-style sharing at the end of the week.

Nano Themes Include: Homelands and Heartlands / Makebot Robot / Imagining Future Cities / Where the Wild Things Are / Fairy Tale Fantastic / Heroes Come Along / Surf’s Up

The Summer Arts Program is overseen by the School Breaks Director and Education Department staff. Additionally, each group is supervised and supported by a core staff with one Group Leader, one Lead Counselor, and two to three additional Junior and Senior Counselors (staffing structure varies slightly from group to group). These staff members remain with students throughout the day and throughout the summer, provide support to the guest arts specialists, and facilitate additional activities and projects that relate to the weekly discipline/theme and support the culminating performance/gallery.

Similarly, there is an Outdoor and Extended Day staff that works with all the children during their mid-day outdoor time and oversees an after-care program that serves students whose families are not able to pick them up at the regular dismissal time. This staff is solely responsible for facilitating both outdoor/indoor games and supplemental creative activities and will not collaborate with guest arts specialists. Often activities planned during the Extended Day program support the week’s culminating performances and may include set or prop construction.

LEAD COUNSELOR POSITION DESCRIPTION:

We are seeking one Lead Counselor to work with each of our groups: NanoBAXers, MegaBAXers, GigaBAXers, and Outdoor/Extended Day.

Lead Counselors will be a primary support to their assigned Group Leader and work in close collaboration with their Group Leader to establish daily program structure and build an inclusive student, group, and staff culture. In addition to mentoring a diverse population of student participants, Lead Counselors will also serve as peer-mentors and role models for high school and early college age Junior and Senior Counselor staff. To do this job successfully, Lead Counselors should have familiarity with the educational and age appropriate needs of children in the program and demonstrate a collaborative, flexible spirit and willingness to engage proactively in issues of diversity and inclusion as it relates to our student and staff populations. Lead Counselors will be expected to be the primary supervisor of students and peer staff in their Group Leader’s absence (during a break or in the event of illness, etc.) and should have sufficient teaching/facilitation and classroom management experience to feel comfortable in this position.

 

Responsibilities include (varies slightly from group to group):

-Participate in two weeks of training, which will occur in the evenings and select weekend dates during the two weeks prior to the start of the program (Weeks of June 17-July 1 2018; specific schedule TBA);

-Assist Group Leader with establishing the daily schedule, including arrival and departure procedures, workshop transitions, travel to and from the park for lunch or outdoor play, snacks and clean-up;

-Support Group Leader and Guest Arts Specialists during their lessons/activities as necessary;

-Plan and facilitate original artistic Counselor-led lesson plans and activities (“CLA”) that supplement weekly performing arts curriculum;

-Support Guest Arts Specialist and Group Leader in preparing for the culminating share/performance at the end of each week, and participate in culminating share as necessary;

-Communicate incidents (physical, emotional, etc.) that take place during the day to Group Leader and Program Director to ensure proper follow up;

-Resolve conflicts among children;  

-Supervise and organize children in small groups;

-Prepare and provide snack;

-Daily cleaning of space before and after program;

-Supervise Early-Bird Drop Off program participants on a rotating basis (small group of 10 children maximum). This responsibility does not apply to Outdoor/Extended Day staff.

 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Lead Counselors must be at least college aged students or early career teaching artists/educators with prior experience working with youth in a leadership role and expertise or experience in a specific arts or recreation discipline. Prior experience within a summer camp and/or classroom setting is strongly preferred. Experience working with children with special needs is a strong plus.

 

Lead Counselors will ideally be able to commit to working the entirety of the 7-week Summer Arts Program. Priority may be given to applicants who are able to commit to a greater portion of the summer and have previous experience working at BAX.

 

HOURS & COMPENSATION:

Hours for Counselors assigned to Nano, Mega, and Giga Groups:
Hours for counselors are 7:30am – 4:00pm on Mondays and 8:00-4:00pm, Tuesdays-Fridays (hours for Giga counselors on Fridays will be 8:00-6:00pm).

 

Lead Counselors will also be required to arrive early at 7:30 am approximately once per week to supervise our Early Bird Drop-Off program that begins at 8:00 am.

Hours for Counselors assigned to Outdoor//Extended Day
Hours for counselors are approximately 10:00am – 6:30pm, Mondays-Fridays with the possibility of early dismissal.  

Lead Counselors will receive an hourly wage of $15/hour.

 

TO APPLY:

Please send the following materials via e-mail only, and address to Education Manager, Casey Hayes-Deats: education@bax.org. Please write “Lead Counselor SAP 2018” in the subject line. Due to high volume of applicants we will only contact candidates we are inviting to interview. No phone calls.

 

Include:

A cover letter including the specific Lead Counselor position you are interested in and citing specific professional experiences that make you qualified for this particular leadership position;

A current resume highlighting your related experience and education;

Two Employment/Character references with titles, addresses, contact number and/or emails.

 

The most successful applicants will become familiar with BAX, our education philosophy, and our summer program. More information is available on our website: http://youth.bax.org/general-information/school-breaks/  The Education Department actively engages in discussions about how race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other aspects of identity affect access to, representation in, and experience within all of our programs and curriculum.  BAX is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and developing an inclusive staff team. People of color and individuals of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Positions will be filled on a rolling basis.