Reports To: Folk Culture Program Coordinator

Compensation: $55 p/h, up to 10 hours a week

Status: Part-time/temporary (through June 30, 2025)

Overview

Mind-Builders' Creative Arts Center is looking for a passionate educator seeking to make a deep impact on the Dr. Beverly J. Johnson Folk Culture program.

The Folk Culture program is an intense and immersive internship open to NYC-youth between the ages of 14-21 years old. The program involves two seasons of instruction and engagement: a 25-week course in the fall/spring and a 5-week intensive in the summer. The program provides ethnographic and folk culture research training and skills building centered on tradition bearers, cultural expressions and communities primarily of the Bronx and New York City. Core objectives of the Folk Culture Program are to:

• Provide youth with hands-on training focused on interview and research skills, digital documentation, video editing, and community archiving.

• Increase understanding and awareness around the historical roots, social significance and vitality of wide-ranging artistic and cultural practices, as lived and celebrated throughout New York City.

• Foster connections and consciousness between students, and their backgrounds and realities with culture bearers’ histories and values.

• Support tactical and practical skill building for students as they prepare to enter a larger work force or continuing education.

• Foster greater visibility for voices and practices rarely documented or recognized for their artistic or cultural contributions.

• Create and expand an archive of research and documentation celebrating cultural expressions and communities of New York City.

This role is one of two principal facilitators for the program. As a part-time position that works with the Program’s Lead Coordinator and Facilitator, it includes periods of class and program event planning, teaching, research, and field trip participation. The 2024-2025 season for the Folk Culture program includes classes twice a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, 4:30 – 6:30pm), occasional field trips/site visits, and special workshops from November 2024 through April 2025. It concludes with a year-end demonstration in the spring, preceding a summer intensive. This is a part-time/temporary opportunity for the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 season beginning no later than November 1st, with an opportunity for extension for summer 2025 and following class seasons.

Specifically, the Folk Culture Instructor will:

• Meet with the Program Lead for unit and class session planning and overview.

• Contribute to and support development of class lesson plans.

• Support classroom preparation and logistics.

• Work in tandem with the Program Lead to create an engaging and interactive learning environment, that facilitates dynamic presentations and lessons throughout the year.

• Identify/recommend culture bearers/guest facilitators for classroom sessions.

• Support and contribute to public presentations of the program (3 per fall/spring).

• Support the interview/screening process of prospective program students/interns.

• Assist Program Lead in the documentation and organization of research, interview, and archival material.

• Assist guest facilitators in the delivery of their presentations.

• Help organize program field trips and special workshops.

• Accompany students on off-site trips and facilitate learning exchanges with hosts.

• Support the Lead Facilitator with intern/student evaluations

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• BA preferred

• An experienced educator with significant prior engagement with community arts and urban youth organizations or schools.

• Minimum two years teaching/leading Middle School – High School age groups.

• Must be available during class sessions from November 2024 through April 2025.

• Understanding and appreciation of folk and traditional arts required. Training in folklore/folk arts traditions, a plus.

• Ability to develop lesson plans and execute interactive lessons for program target age group.

• Experience with respect to production and technology such as digital photography, video research and documentation, and community archiving.

How to Apply:

Applicants should reply with a resume and cover letter that references their experience in relation to the qualifications listed in the job description. All inquiries and resumes should be submitted via email to jgutierrezrivera@mind-builders.org.

For specific questions regarding qualifications, contact the above email.

Mind-Builders is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and lifting the leadership of people from communities historically underrepresented.