Community-Word Project’s mission is to facilitate culturally responsive, multidisciplinary art programs for students, Teaching Artists, and communities to develop and amplify their voices and creative skills. We envision a world where all artists and learners work together to recognize and celebrate the power of their creative voices to manifest a more equitable future.

Teaching Artist | Community-Word Project

CWP Teaching Artists (TAs) bring high quality arts programming to young people in NYC public schools, libraries, and other community organizations. CWP TAs’ primary work includes co-facilitating multi-session, multi-disciplinary arts residencies in NYC public schools during school hour and after-school programs, and leading workshops in NYC and Brooklyn public library branches. TAs co-develop curricula with a focus on integrating school curriculum (as applicable), a multidisciplinary approach based on artists’ practice, and culturally responsive pedagogy.  

Position Start Date: March 2022

*Virtual Interviews will be held between February 23-March 1st with group auditions to follow

Rates: $55/hr for facilitation plus add-on fees for specific roles, $25/hr for meetings & professional development, $23/hr orientation & annual retreat. Teaching Artists are eligible for pay raises after two years of active employment with Community-Word Project.

Benefits: Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), paid sick and bereavement leave, access to paid professional development opportunities.

• Co-develop an arts-integrated teaching path (curriculum guide) and weekly lessons in a multi-disciplinary residency
• Co-teach arts integrated lessons with a collaborating CWP Teaching Artist and meet with Classroom Teachers in weekly planning meetings
• Ongoing thoughtful reading, review, and organizing of student writing/artwork for class and for residency anthologies/final products
• Co-plan culminating events/projects
• Attend required professional development workshops including an orientation and annual staff retreat
• Submit and organize residency materials on Google Drive each month (ie: updated teaching path, lesson plans, documentation, student work samples, etc.)
• Communicate efficiently and professionally with CWP Administrative Staff
• Submit biweekly timesheets by the due dates listed in the pay period schedule

Qualifications:

• Strong content knowledge as an artist in your discipline
• Minimum of 2 years teaching artist experience or equivalent training
• Commitment to serving and learning from young people in the New York City area
• Availability of at least one weekday in a four hour block from 8:30am-4:30pm for in-person work in any of the five boroughs of NYC.( This spring, Friday availability is a plus.)
• Commitment to incorporating anti-racist and social justice practices into their teaching, collaboration and communication. 
• Investment in collaboration and experimentation with other artists and art forms, as our residencies are multi-disciplinary and designed and implemented by two TAs (e.g. writer and visual artist) working in collaboration with Classroom Teachers 
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Applicants with the ability to teach in Spanish, Mandarin, and/or Arabic are strongly encouraged to apply.

Notes:

• Teaching Artists will be required to be fingerprinted by the NYC Department of Education, which is required by NYC Public Schools.
• As of August 2021, per the city of New York, teaching artists working in-person must provide proof of vaccination. Masks must be worn in schools and libraries at all times regardless of vaccination status.

Seeking the following art forms:

Dance

Music

Creative Writing/Poetry 

Physical Demands include: 

• Move up and down stairs at some of our partner schools which are not yet wheelchair accessible (or may have a chair lift, but not an elevator) 
• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery for collaborating on, organizing, and submitting residency materials.
• Bringing/returning residency supplies for in-person workshops

To Apply: 

Please send the application materials below to jobs@communitywordproject.org. Send with the 

subject line “TA Application – Your Name/Your Artform”. Please, no calls. 

Application Deadline: EOD February 13th, 2021 

Application Materials:

• A résumé or curriculum vitae outlining relevant professional, artistic and teaching experience. Include languages spoken as applicable.
• Teaching philosophy statement (max 1 page) outlining the core questions, principles, and tenets of your approach to teaching. Feel free to include references to educators who have influenced your approach. If you prefer to send this as a video, please send us a link or similar format for easy access.
• Sample of two sequential lesson plans. Please note grade level and attach any supplemental materials used in the lesson(s). These can be lessons you have taught before or brand new.
• Artistic Samples: Do not submit student work. Please share your original, creative work:
  • Creative Writing: 3-4 pages of poetry or prose
  • Dance: 3-4 videos of your work
  • Music: 3-4 samples of your work