Tinkering Camp Coordinator

Position Title: Tinkering Camp Coordinator
Status:  Full Time, Benefits Eligible, Non-Exempt ; Dates of Employment: May 19 – August 8, 2025
Job Classification: Educator
Hourly Rate: $22–25 per hour

Job Summary:  

The vision of DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) is that all children reach their full unique learning potential through equitable access to hands-on play and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) based experiences. The Tinkering Camp Coordinator (TCC) serves a critical role in advancing the vision by being a vital part of and leading DCM’s Summer Tinkering Camp.

The TCC will lead and support the Tinkering Camp Leads, Tinkering Camp Interns, and participants by encouraging and modeling the importance of open-ended and multiple outcome experiences. Such activities might include: helping children design and build their own inventions, teaching safe tool usage, and supporting campers’ creative and artistic expression. The TCC will be responsible for ensuring volunteers/interns/staff work collaboratively with each other to provide a positive learning environment and maintain a safe, educationally sound, hospitable, and challenging environment for the camp. 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Manage the care, safety, protection, and supervision of the camp environments, staff, and participants.
• Plan, prepare, and organize daily activities, camp site (i.e. set up and clean up), and camp administrative tasks (i.e. camper check in/check out documentation, materials prep for the next day)
• Lead interactions with children to deepen their learning experiences during the day’s program.
• Direct participant and staff safety and program readiness to include: practice and train staff and participants in safe tool usage; lead set up and cleanup of programs, which may include cleaning/disinfecting of materials as needed during assigned shifts.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of DCM mission, philosophy, policies, and procedures as related to camp activities.
• Provide excellent service to participants and caregivers.
• Manage and mentor staff/interns/volunteers; create a positive and open learning environment for both staff and participants.
• Participate in all staff training.
• Follow proper opening and closing procedures for the day as needed.
• Encourage communication and enhance team support/spirit among the DCM camp staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Relationships:

• Reports to the Arts & Maker Specialist.
• Appreciate, encourage, and coach museum volunteers/interns/staff.

Education and Experience:

• Experience working with young children and/or interest in working with children a must.
• Degree in, or in pursuit of, Early Childhood and/or Elementary Education, or relevant field, strongly preferred.          
• Experience leading child-directed arts and maker activities strongly preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent customer service verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well with tools is a plus.
• Must exhibit problem solving, critical thinking, and troubleshooting skills. 
• Must work well in a values oriented collaborative team environment.
• Fluency in Spanish, and/or other languages aside from English, a plus.

The following abilities are required for the position:  (a) Visually keep track of visitors, materials, and camp functioning; (b) effectively understand and communicate with children; (c) Assist visitors in emergency situations; (d) Display dexterity necessary to work with tools and building material; (e) Manipulate camp components and facility operating/maintenance equipment; (f) Stand, kneel and move for extended periods of time; (g) Climb up and down stairs or use an elevator daily (h) Bend, kneel, climb, and reach; (i) Lift up to 50 pounds; (j) Tolerate noise and dust in the environment and handle disinfectant and cleaning materials; (k) Work outside in the heat and sun for an extended period of time.

Other:

• Must adhere to appropriate dress code.
• Varied work schedule includes weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on a regular basis.
• Shift availability dependent on camp registration numbers
• Must be available for training May 28–30.

HOW TO APPLY:

Download an Application
Please include a cover letter and your resume.

Submit to: [email protected]
or
DuPage Children’s Museum
301 N. Washington St.
Naperville, IL 60540
Attn: Human Resources

Benefits:

DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) offers paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program, free family membership to the museum, and a 403b plan and will match an employee’s contributions up to three percent of their salary.

For full time employees (those scheduled to work 30 hours or more per calendar week) DCM offers an extensive medical and ancillary benefit package to include: 

• Medical insurance through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois to include two PPO options and an HMO option. Coverage options are employee only, employee and child(ren), employee and spouse/domestic partner, and full family. Deduction cost sharing with each coverage option.
• Dental insurance through Guardian. Coverage options are employee only, employee and child(ren), employee and spouse/domestic partner, and full family. Deduction cost sharing with each coverage option.
• Vision insurance through Guardian. Coverage options are employee only, employee and child(ren), employee and spouse/domestic partner, and full family.
• Short Term Disability insurance through Guardian. Benefits can be up to 60% of an employee’s salary (limitations exist for some preexisting conditions) and may cover day eight through week 13 of missing work and income due to an injury or illness.
• Life insurance through Guardian. Coverage options for self, spouse, and child(ren) with varying coverage options. Evidence of insurability required above enrollee guaranteed minimum.
• Flexible Spending Account through Flexible Benefit Service LLC with both medical and dependent care enrollment options.