What is ArtistYear?
ArtistYear is a national arts education nonprofit and AmeriCorps program for artists to dedicate themselves to a year of service within low income schools to provide and/or enhance arts instruction.

What We Do
ArtistYear is dedicated to addressing inequities in arts education for K-12 students. We train AmeriCorps Fellows—gifted recent college graduates across all artistic disciplines—and support them as full-time teaching artists at high-poverty public schools to expand and deepen arts education for low-income students.

Where Do We Serve?

• The Borough of Queens, New York
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• The Sandhills – Moore County and Lee County, North Carolina
• Aspen Valley & Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado
• Denver, Colorado

ArtistYear trains its Fellows to collaborate with teachers in high-poverty schools and supports them as they provide arts integration in academic subjects, after-school arts clubs, and arts interventions for at-risk youth. Each Fellow teaches about 200 K-12 students twice per week, dedicating 1,700 hours of arts education each school year to students who would otherwise have little or no arts access. This innovative strategy brings the recognized benefits of the arts to low-income youth, enhances the capacity and climate of schools, strengthens the larger community, and underscores the importance of service for the next generation of citizen-artists and arts educators.

WHAT IS A FELLOW’S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
As an ArtistYear Fellow responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:

• A full-time (40 hours) Citizen-Artist service week in a Title I school, inclusive of: Teaching time and school common time hours; communication, meeting, planning and preparation hours; Partnership cultivation and arts program development planning time; Student performance or exhibition hours; Training and professional development requirements for school site and ArtistYear; ArtistYear obligations and responsibilities. Most service hours take place Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm; Hours may include evening and weekend times.
• Full attendance and participation in all required professional development/training requirements, including the ArtistYear Orientation and Training Institute.
• Designing, and teaching an issue-based arts curriculum and strategy that encourages student civic discourse and artistic mastery. This content and pedagogy will meet the needs and desires of school partners and students as well as the standards of ArtistYear.
• Preparing and executing required Community arts events
• Regular communication, meetings and collaboration with parents, school staff members, and the ArtistYear leadership.
• Completing required documentation and records for school site and ArtistYear, such as daily virtual standup participation, blogging responsibilities, assessment protocols, lesson plans, mid-year and year-end reflections, and member graduation requirements.
• On-time submission of all required timesheets and data collection reports.
• Receiving and implementing regular and supportive feedback from ArtistYear leadership and/or school site supervisor on performance.

WHO ARE OUR FELLOWS?

An ArtistYear AmeriCorps Fellow is dedicated to the highest level of artistic excellence, possesses a deep commitment to service, and believes in the artistic potential of every child.

Fellows represent all artistic disciplines. They are actors, animators, art historians, cellists, ceramicists, composers, comics, creative writers, dancers, filmmakers, graphic designers, guitarists, illustrators, jazz musicians, photographers, playwrights, poets, recording engineers, screenwriters, sculptors, singers, storytellers, violinists, and visual artists.

APPLICANTS TO ARTISTYEAR MUST BE:

• A graduate of an accredited college or university by July 1, 2022.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred. For a highly skilled applicant, we may accept an Associate’s degree.
• Highly skilled in their artistic craft, holding a degree in an artistic field or having a comparable combination of education and experience in their artistic field.
  • For example: Art history, art therapy, creative writing, dance, digital media, fashion design, fine arts, piano, photography, screenwriting, filmmaking, music composition, music education, theatre, viola, etc.
• U.S. citizenship, national, or legal resident.
  • Due to the hiring restrictions as an AmeriCorps program, ArtistYear may only accept applicants who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal residents
• Able to dedicate up to 12-months to a full-time national service year.
• Able to successfully pass all necessary background checks and clearances for working with youth.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We look for applicants who possess the following characteristics:

• Dedication to the highest level of artistic excellence, deep commitment to service and belief in the artistic potential of every child.
• Strong work ethic and sense of self:
• Capacity to motivate and lead others;
• Aptitude for organization, self-motivation, and problem-solving;
• Ability to remain flexible and manage changing priorities and demands on time;
• Facility with and a love for creative thinking;
• Functional excellence in artistic, academic, professional, and/or volunteer settings.
• Exceptional judgment:
  • Interpersonal maturity, compassion, and wisdom;
  • Confidential behavior and discretion;
  • Respect for individual’s and diverse experiences;
  • Ability to work effectively with people of all backgrounds and experiences.
• Effective communication:
  • Easily engages others and demonstrates genuine interest in the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of others;
  • Speaks to the level, needs, and interests of a particular audience;
  • Comfortable with public speaking, writing, preparing presentations and/or speeches;
  • Possesses the ability to actively listen.

WHAT ARE THE FELLOW BENEFITS?

ArtistYear supports the professional development and personal growth of each Fellow throughout the year of service. These benefits include:

• A monthly living stipend of $1,750.
• A stipend to cover health insurance if not already covered by an existing policy.
• An educational award of $6,395 following successful completion of your service year.
• Federal school loan forbearance during your ArtistYear.
• Regular professional development/training opportunities in classroom management, child development, teaching artistry, creativity, arts education, and civic engagement.
• Mentoring: on-site in your school assignment and through off-site sessions.
• Opportunities to network and collaborate with a large range of stakeholders, including local community arts leaders, school district leadership, service year personnel, alumni, and more.
• Exposure to and experience with critical 21st-Century artist skills, including non-profit strategy; leadership, teaching, advocacy, problem solving and communication skills, and intensive experience in community arts education.
• A strong network of fellow ArtistYear colleagues and friends who will offer support, ideas, and collaboration both during your service year and beyond.
• An opportunity to use your art to make a difference in the lives of children and schools.

How to Apply?

We are currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 Cohort (which begins in mid July 2022). Submit your application ASAP to be considered!
To apply visit: https://app.getacceptd.com/artistyear.

Reach out to Director of Recruiting & Alumni Relations, Maryanne Braine at maryanne.braine@artistyear.org with any questions you may have!