Teaching Internship (Explorers Program)

Splat Lab is seeking dynamic, engaging, and ambitious emerging education professionals to join our team this fall and assist with residencies, pop up classes, and camp programs. The ideal candidate will have multiple day availability and is flexible to work at different NYC locations.

We serve schools in

• Queens: Jamaica, Sunnyside, Flushing
• Brooklyn: Downtown BK, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, BedStuy, Coney Island
• Manhattan: Inwood, UWS, UES
• The Bronx- all over

As an Explorer, you will be a part of a cohort that receives additional training, feedback, and mentoring. We provide a syllabus of training, Zoom sessions, and homework coupled with formal observations and feedback. All work must be completed to graduate and apply for further positions. 

Explorers:

• Participate in Youth Development Cohort program where you will receive training and homework on our blend of experiential learning, youth development, Montessori, and universal design for learning techniques
• Are paired with a mentor educator to receive guidance and feedback
• Receive written observations and feedback about your progress
• Have the opportunity to apply to be a teaching assistant after graduation

Program Requirements

• Must be available 2 mornings per month  for cohort zoom meetings 
• Must be available at least 2 days per week for after school and or school day placement

• Experience working with youth in some capacity
• Interest in careers in Arts, Science, or Social Studies education; social work and counseling; community building; or arts advocacy a huge plus

About Us: 

Splat Lab is a youth development organization centering play-based learning, with emphasis on STEM, arts, social studies, and social-emotional learning. We grew out of the world of after school, and now partner with over 100 schools to provide high-quality enrichment programming for preschool, elementary, and middle school-aged youth. We partner with schools and community-based organizations to provide afterschool, school day, and special events programming, offer holiday break camp programs for charter and private schools, and host our own summer camps and special events throughout the year. Our programming is offered as two different curricula: Splat Lab and Anthropology Arts. 

Splat Lab is a Montessori-style STEM/arts class with four centers that change each class: a Main Splat (messy hands-on experiment like slime) Splat Create (art station like paper bag monster puppets) Open Splat (open station like sticker art sheets) and Splat Build (hands-on build station like cup towers). We have hundreds of stations we mix and match each session that are differentiated for each age group. Our Anthropology Arts is an art-based social studies class encouraging curiosity about cultures from around the world and throughout history. Classes start with a drawing activity, a small mini-lesson, and art-making activity where youth can create their own version of an artifact. Popular workshops include Egyptian canopic jars, Chinese dragon robes, and Incan llamas.

Position Descriptions: 

Explorers assist Lead Educators in facilitating our curriculum, managing the classroom, and ensuring materials are properly set up and organized. We provide all the curriculum, materials, and logistical support. Explorers work with their lead to ensure the workshops are magical, highly professional, and engaging for all students.

We will provide high-quality training for explorers to learn The Splat Method and curriculum. 

Qualifications

• Must be available for September 9th kick off and monthly training
• Applicant must be a strong communicator and organized worker; keeping up with emails and texts; reviewing relevant curriculum folders and schedules; and communicating with our management team
• Experience working with youth in after school, summer camps, school day, museums, babysitting, or early childhood settings.  
• Comfortable leading youth in classroom settings; comfort with being silly and playful and using your own unique personality that will engage students.
• Interest in a career in education or becoming a teaching artist a plus; desire for an opportunity to gain experience and improve teaching practice through formal feedback
• Interest and belief in strength-based, restorative, positive classroom management practices.
• Ideally candidates is a current undergraduate or graduate student in education, art, history, anthropology, museum studies, or science
• Must be over 18.

Compensation

Explorers  are paid $20 per hour

Candidates will be invited to a group interview where they will demo one of our signature projects. Our group interviews are designed to be a community-building experience that gives applicants a mini-training on how our program works.