Substitute Educator

About Chicago Children’s Museum: Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) is committed to improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. We embrace creativity and collaboration, we never stop learning, and we remember to stop and play along the way. CCM’s staff is a dedicated group of curious individuals who embrace the playful spirit of childhood. Every employee is empowered to reach their potential and be recognized for the impact they have on our organization, visitors, and the community we serve. Over its 42-year history, Chicago Children’s Museum has provided innovative exhibits, arts programs, STEM experiments, imaginative play, and more to over 11 million children and their caregivers. Located at Navy Pier, the museum is intentionally designed for experimentation, creativity, and the universal pursuits of childhood. CCM focuses on accessibility, inclusion, and learning for all children, ensuring valuable and memorable experiences for all visitors. 

Position Overview: 

The Substitute Educator facilitates arts, tinkering and early learning programming for Chicago Children’s Museum’s visiting children and their families, ensuring a playful, engaging and educational experience. This person is essential in the creation of a welcoming, safe, and accessible atmosphere for all Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) visitors. 

Principal Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provides high quality facilitation of CCM developed arts, tinkering and early learning programs, this includes, but is not limited to:  Adapting activities to meet the needs of a wide-range of visitors (ages, abilities, interests, backgrounds and perspectives) while considering overall program goals. Programs include 45-minute process-based workshops and play sessions; drop-in programs; and events.  
• Uses public speaking skills, such as projection and pacing, when presenting to groups large and small, including school groups, general visitors, etc. 
• Connecting with visitors in positive, educational, creative and respectful ways, including children and their caregivers, early learners, school groups and adults participating in special events.
• Manage daily operations and facilitation of visitor space both independently and as a team.  
• Contributes to ongoing organization and maintenance of facilitation spaces and materials, including changes to day-of program set-up as needed. 
• Creates and maintains a physical environment that is comfortable, safe, and engaging for both adults and children. Conducts all established health and safety protocols. 
• Manages capacity, including managing timed visitor check-in to the space. 
• Collects attendance numbers, surveys, and documentation of programs.  
• Assists with collection and preparation of materials for programs. 
• Fields general museum questions from the public and acts as a museum representative.  
• Participates in required trainings and meetings regularly (combination of in person and virtual). 
• Supports the museum’s work in diversity, equity, access and inclusion and actively ensures that DEAI principles are upheld in all work with fellow staff and with visitors. 
• Contributes to other functions of teams in a variety of ways such as the assistance in development of a variety of programs; facilitation of special events and occasional offsite programs.    

Qualifications: 

• Experience working in art education, engineering, science, tinkering, making, art, early childhood education, child development, museum education or comparable experience museum education or similar role (this includes relevant paid and unpaid work/volunteer/community work). 
• Educational and/or customer-service related experience with children, caregivers, and families from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, experiences, perspectives. 
• Engaging, responsive facilitation skills and a creative and passionate, respectful approach to the educational needs of children. 
• Commitment to child-centered, multi-sensory, process-based, open-ended experiences. 
• Experience and/or desire to work with a variety of authentic tools and materials (including but not limited to power drills, hand saws, basic electronics, sewing).   
• Ability to rely on written lesson plans and instructions to facilitate clear, dynamic, responsive programming. 
• Ability to work alone and in team-oriented environment, ability to accept feedback graciously and integrate it and work independently without supervision. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, effective verbal communication with staff, children and caregivers. Comfortable leading large group discussions as well?as in one-on-one interactions with visitors. Written communication includes daily reflections of individual’s museum practice, tips for next day’s educators, and connecting with supervisors.  
• Strong organizational skills relating to materials, visuals, space, and ideas.  
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor in a variety of situations; demonstrated problem-solving, reliability and flexibility. 
• Enthusiasm for learning and mastering new skills on an ongoing basis; willingness to be informed/certified/trained through institution-offered courses and to work within Diversity, Equity, Access, Inclusion (DEAI) frameworks and actively engage in learning about these frameworks 
• Fine arts, tinkering, loose part play, messy play, and making skills encouraged.  
• Course work in art education, fine arts, early childhood education, child development, or museum education a plus. 
• Bilingual skills encouraged  

Physical Requirements of the Position  

• Stamina and physical endurance to stand and walk in museum spaces, maintaining quality interaction with museum staff and visitors.  Bending, lifting, and reaching is required to access supplies. Push, pull and lift up to 40 pounds. Ability to crouch down/ sit on the floor/interact at the level of the child 
• Repetitive friendly and courteous communication while engaging with visitors and staff and speaking to groups.  
• Dress code required. 
• Ability to work-in and withstand loud/crowded spaces, including power drills and hammering. 
• Ability to engage in virtual meetings via Zoom, Microsoft TEAMS, etc. 

Hours: This is a part-time position. $19.13 hourly. Currently, Museum school season hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10am-2pm; and Friday – Sunday, 10am-5pm. Holidays and School breaks schedule increase to 7 days a week, 10am-5pm. Typical school season schedule is an average of 4 shifts per month, holiday schedule can be up to 4 shifts a week, working with staff availability. Shifts are 4-8 hours. This position requires some weekend and weekday availability.  

Location: This position will work on-site at Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier.