Museum Educator

COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY

The Missouri Historical Society commits to a process of listening attentively to one another and leveraging best practices and resources across our organization to promote a culture of inclusion where individuals from all racial and ethnic identities; ages; nationalities; social and economic statuses; sexual orientations; gender identities/expressions; religious, political, and ideological perspectives; and abilities are able to be engaged, feel valued, and thrive. click here for the full Commitment to Racial Equity

About the Missouri Historical Society

One of the leading historical societies in the country, the Missouri Historical Society is in the midst of a transformative decade. We believe public history has the power to build stronger communities, and creating incredible experiences for our visitors is central to that work. With the help of every member of the MHS team, we're committed to expanding our efforts to share more history with more people than we ever have before.

Founded in 1866, the Missouri Historical Society operates three locations - the Missouri History Museum, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, and the Library and Research Center. Together our locations serve as the confluence of historical perspectives and contemporary issues to inspire and engage audiences in the St. Louis region and beyond. We do that by telling local stories that focus on the history of this region and its people. This approach has led to some of the most consistently successful years in MHS's history.

The Early Childhood and Family Programs team and the K-12 Programs team work together to welcome children and families and to provide educational programming focused on local history, historical thinking skills, and museum literacy. These teams sit within the Education and Community Engagement (ECE) Department, which develops and facilitates a high volume of high-quality, engaging, and unique programs for diverse audiences while continually considering ways to reach new audiences.

Position Summary:

The part-time Museum Educators' primary responsibility is to facilitate engaging and participatory experiences for school groups, families, and youth organizations through programming and free play in the History Clubhouse. Our staff focus on helping students and families to feel safe and welcome in the museum, develop museum literacy skills, and engage with diverse perspectives and stories.

Part-time educators will work on either the Early Childhood and Family Programs team or the K-12 School Programs depending on experience, skills, and museum staffing needs at the time of hire.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• 80% of time is spent working with students and families leading facilitated programming or serving in the History Clubhouse. This involves interpreting historical content while interacting with visitors in a friendly and professional manner. This time will include:
• Facilitating field trip and virtual programs with diverse students from the St. Louis region as well as preparing the materials and spaces before and after the visit and communicating with teachers and chaperones during programs.
• Facilitating outreach programs (within a 25-mile radius of the museum) as well as preparing and caring for materials for programs.
• Facilitating Family Programs and occasional weekend events such as History Exploration Day
• Staffing the History Clubhouse and interacting with a variety of family and youth visitors. This includes sanitizing materials and ensure cleanliness, organization and protection of museum spaces and collections as well as making sure that opening and closing procedures are completed.
• 10% of time is spent participating in professional development and training sessions which occur every Tuesday afternoon.
• 10% of time may be spent doing a variety of other duties as assigned including: assisting in evaluation and data collection; organizing program materials, assisting in creating activities and materials, etc.

Schedule: Most school programs occur Tuesday through Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 2:30pm. Clubhouse shifts take place Tuesday-Sunday from 9:30am-4:30pm. Special events occur on weekend days and weekday evenings (2-4 times per month).

Museum Educators required availability as listed:

• Available at least 3 weekdays or 15 hours a week (must be available but will not always be scheduled)
• Required 2-3 weekend days per month for programs or Clubhouse shifts
• Attend mandatory staff professional development on Tuesday afternoons (1pm-4pm).

Education and Experience:

• High School diploma or GED is required.
• At least 1 year experience working with youth (under 18) is required.
• Customer service experience preferred

Skills and Experience:

• Ability to work with public and provide an engaging and welcoming presence for long periods of time during day long events and programs.
• Demonstrated ability to inclusively work with diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team.
• Strong written and oral communication, organization, and multitasking skills.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment in which schedules and details are often changing.
• Ability to focus and perform in challenging or stressful situations with professionalism and empathy.
• Multilingual communication skills are a plus
• Transportation to provide outreach programs within 25 miles of the Missouri History Museum.

Deadline to Apply: Open until filled.

Please upload cover letter and resume when applying.

*External job boards: Please click this link, to apply.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Services Provided On A Non-Discriminatory Basis

Current Openings for Museum Educator Jobs at Missouri History Museum