Founded to help young people develop agency, build critical life skills, and experience the joy of creative expression, Arts Ignite transforms the lives of young people through the arts.

Arts Ignite Teaching Artists will serve as the primary classroom teachers for Lower School Visual Arts classes at the 2026 Newcomer Youth Summer Academy (NYSA), a six-week summer program welcoming newly resettled youth into their new lives in New York City. In partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), NYSA provides a supportive, creative, and culturally responsive learning environment that emphasizes school readiness, English language development, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Arts Ignite Teaching Artists must have experience teaching English Language Learners, working in school environments, and facilitating arts-based learning in culturally diverse classrooms. This role requires full commitment to all training and program dates.

Training Sessions (Required)
Monday, June 22, 2026 (Virtual): 12:00–1:30 PM ET – Team Meet and Greet
Monday, June 29 – Thursday, July 2, 2026 (In Person): 9:00 AM–5:00 PM ET (exact time TBD)
Location: Manhattan — specific location to be shared with promising candidates
July 6 – August 14, 2026
Field Trip (Required): Friday, July 10 or Friday, July 17th
Graduation (Required): Friday, August 14, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM ET

Team Meetings and Special Events
Virtual Team Meetings: Wednesdays, July 8, July 22, and August 5, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Special Events: Wednesdays July 15th & 29th – 12:00-1:20pm ET
Arts Games Event (required) (exact time TBD)
Concert & Donor Event (Optional) (exact time TBD)

Specific Schedule
LS Visual Art Classes will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays between the hours of 11am and 3pm, ET
Class times will be adjusted to account for Community Events on Wednesdays.
NOTE: a confirmed schedule will be shared with promising candidates
As soon as all schedules are finalized we will share them out.
Class size: Approximately 20–25 students

Core Responsibilities include:

• Develop a weekly visual arts curriculum aligned with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and English language development goals
• Plan and facilitate culturally responsive, age-appropriate lessons for upper elementary English Language Learners
• Encourage student creativity, participation, and self-expression in every class
  Create a safe, inclusive, and engaging classroom environment
• Prepare a student visual art showcase or exhibit to be featured during graduation on August 14, 2026
• Collaborate with the Program Facilitator on final presentation planning
• Participate in weekly coordination with fellow Arts Ignite Teaching Artists and IRC instructional staff
• Support and implement academy-wide behavior management strategies and classroom expectations
• Apply Arts Ignite and IRC pedagogical frameworks and tools in all instruction
• Utilize Arts Ignite and IRC evaluation tools
• Participate fully in all required trainings and staff meetings
• Submit post-program surveys and contribute to team reflection

E-mail marcus@artsignite.org with a cover letter outlining your interest in working with this specific student population and the skills and assets you believe will set you up for success in this role. Please also include an up-to-date resume.