Position Overview
The Junior Center’s mission is to cultivate curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. Located in the heart of Oakland near the shores of Lake Merritt, the Center is dedicated to providing equitable access to our programs for all youth and their families throughout Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. We harness the power of creativity and experiential learning to inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
We value the necessity of equity and representation in the fields of art and science, and invest in the development of the next generation of creative thinkers and leaders through culturally responsive teaching.
Our team of Teaching Artists are an essential part of the Junior Center’s community. Teaching Artists design and deliver arts and sciences curriculum to students from ages 2 - 17 years old through our youth, family, and community programs. We have several part-time Teaching Artist positions currently open, including: After-school Instructors, Workshop Facilitators, and in-school Artist/Makers-in-Residence.
Start Date: August/September 2026
Duties and Responsibilities
- Teach classes to youth at the Junior Center site and/or at school and community sites throughout Oakland, West Contra Costa, East Bay
- Design and implement course curriculum with specific attention to developing socially relevant projects
If hired, instructors are required to create a curriculum including lesson goals, skills learned, class activities, materials needed, and themes/ ideas explored using the JCAS template. - Maintain a safe, professional and supportive learning environment for all students
- Provide guidance and support to students as needed
- Arrive prepared and on time for class
- Leave storage spaces, studios, and materials clean and tidy after class
- Work collaboratively with the Program Director, administrative staff, and fellow instructors to design and implement program content
- Actively participate in all educator meetings and ongoing professional development training sessions
Desired Qualifications
- Experience designing and implementing developmentally-based curricula.
- Experience designing and implementing arts, arts-integrated and/or science curricula a plus.
- Teaching experience in a classroom or community setting.
- Knowledge of classroom management, common core and/or VAPA/NGSS a plus.
- Strong interest in working in a school and/or community setting.
- Interest in/ability to engage, inspire and challenge youth through the visual arts and/or sciences.
- An active art or science practice.
- Ability to work well in a collaborative/team setting with peers and colleagues on staff; with children and families; with classroom teachers, educational coordinators and broader school communities.
- Experience working with a diversity of student and family populations.
- Emotional intelligence: ability to provide compassionate feedback to students and their caregivers
- Strong people skills and the ability to work well with children, classroom teachers, families, co-workers, and volunteers
- Strong oral and written communication skills; able to communicate clearly and efficiently with a variety of audiences.
- Strong interpersonal skills; ability to facilitate group decision-making.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously; strong attention to detail.
- A strong desire for continued learning/growth in one’s teaching practice.
- must pass a post-employment criminal background check and provide a negative TB test.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made.
- Must be able to regularly lift up to 25lbs.
- Must be able to sit and stand for long durations of time.
- Must have regular access to reliable transportation.
For example, own a working, reliable vehicle and hold a current, valid CA driver’s license or have regular access to public transportation. Staff may be required to bring materials to and from work sites.
NOTE: Many of our opportunities are in Richmond and El Sobrante and a car is very helpful for these sites.
Schedule: Part-time, casual, non-exempt employees
Pay Rate: DOE. Instructors are paid hours for curriculum development, prep, instructional time and clean up, as well as meetings and training sessions.
NO CALLS PLEASE.
Send Resume & Cover Letter to: Cybele Gerachis,
cgerachis@juniorcenter.org
Applicants may be asked to provide a sample lesson plan.
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is an independent, non-profit organization which has been providing educational programs to children and teens for over70 years. JCAS serves thousands of local children annually through school residency programs, after school and summer camps and courses, and a variety of art and science activities for children and their families.
Multilingual, people of color, and LGBTQIA encouraged to apply.
The Junior Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.
Who We Are
MISSION
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) cultivates curiosity and creative exploration for youth through the arts and sciences. Located in the heart of Oakland on the shores of Lake Merritt, the Center is dedicated to providing equitable access to our programs for all youth and their families throughout Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. We harness the power of creativity and experiential learning to inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
OUR VALUES
We value the necessity of equity and representation in the fields of art and science and invest in the future of these fields by providing equitable access to our programs.
We value creativity and imagination – two cornerstones in art and science exploration. We design our programs to support innovation and creative inquiry.
OUR IMPACT
At the heart of our mission is the belief that creativity is a combination of courage, imagination, compassion, and curiosity. Through our programs, we have seen how arts and science education builds resilience and empathy and supports the expression of complex ideas and robust collaboration.