Contracted K-12 Educator
The Olana Partnership, Hudson, NY

Department: Education
Reports to: Education Coordinator & Director of Education and Public Programs
FLSA Status: Contracted – these positions are not full or part-time employment and are paid a per-program rate.
Compensation: Educators are paid $200 per school field trip ($100 for abridged tours). This rate is inclusive of prep, research and clean-up. The training rate is $20 per hour. This contracted role does not provide benefits.

Position Description:

• The Olana Partnership seeks two contracted K-12 Educators to join the Education Team and provide interactive experiences for K-12 school and youth audiences at Olana State Historic Site.
• These positions facilitate specific student, family, and youth programs on a contracted basis.
• These positions are not full or part-time employment and are paid a per-program rate.
• Olana’s school, youth, and family programs focus on art, environmental science, history, and architecture through place-based learning at a landmark site of American art, Olana.
• K-12 Educators at Olana lead field trips, weekend family programs, drop-in artmaking programs, and summer youth programs.
• All programs incorporate inquiry-based teaching strategies and hands-on activities for all ages.
• Trainings are provided in the Spring and Fall, for which Educators are paid.
• K-12 Educators work on selected program days when available Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Position Responsibilities:

• Facilitate field trips, school programs, family, and youth programs by engaging students, teachers, and families in inquiry and hands-on activities.
• Attend 1-3 trainings led by The Olana Partnership staff throughout the year.
• Work within provided program guidelines for each program and design lesson plans that are responsive to grade level, audience, and developmental needs.
• Prepare materials, research, and teaching tools for each group’s visit.
• Clean up after each program and aid Education Coordinator in maintaining organization of the Wagon House Education Center.
• Work with full-time staff to communicate about specific program needs, concerns, and/or evaluate programs as needed.

Qualifications:

• Prior K-12 teaching experience is required.
• AA, AS, BA or BS in art, art education, education, history, art history, or museum studies preferred.
• Prior experiences teaching in a museum or cultural setting is appreciated, but not required.
• Excellent communication skills and an enthusiasm for working with school-aged children is a must.
• An interest in researching content related to Frederic Church’s Olana to prepare for field trips and an ability to learn and retain information to support age-appropriate program facilitation is required.
• A reflective approach and ability to think creatively.
• Ability to work independently and proactively while being a team player.
• An interest in fostering accessible and equitable experiences for school groups in museum and cultural spaces.
• Commitment to equity and accessibility within education environments. Documentation of this commitment preferred.
• English fluency required; Spanish and/or Bengali language fluency is a plus.
• Red Cross First Aid Certification preferred
• Must be able to carry chairs and tables (around 30lbs), walk longer distances during outdoor programs, and work outside in all seasons.

Please note:

The Olana Partnership is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

As required by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, all candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening, and all offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. Olana State Historic Site is a tobacco-free environment.

To apply, please submit a resume, short cover letter, and a sample lesson plan demonstrating your past experiences working with youth audiences in an educational capacity to Carolyn Keogh at ckeogh@olana.org.

About Olana and The Olana Partnership: Olana is the greatest masterwork of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), the most famous American landscape artist of the mid-19th century and the most important artist’s home, studio, and designed landscape in the United States. Church designed Olana as a holistic environment integrating his advanced ideas about art, architecture, landscape design, and environmental conservation. Olana’s 250-acre artist-designed landscape with five miles of carriage roads and a Persian-inspired house at its summit embraces unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains and welcomes more than 170,000 visitors annually. The landscape is open for guided touring, and reservations are highly recommended. The landscape is open daily 8 AM-sunset.

Olana State Historic Site, administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, is a designated National Historic Landmark and one of the most visited sites in the state. The Olana Partnership is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cooperative partner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation at Olana State Historic Site.