Organizational Overview
The Community Art Center is a neighborhood institution committed to our mission to cultivate an engaged community of youth whose powerful artistic voices transform their lives, their neighborhoods, and their worlds. Since we opened our doors in 1932, the Community Art Center has served over 8000 youth with approximately 3000 program hours per year. Youth 5-12 participate in the School Age Child Care (SACC) Program and become creative problem solvers through a hands-on arts curriculum. Youth 13-19 enter the Teen Media Program and become digital creators rather than consumers. All youth ages 5-19 benefit from our Circle of Support - a set of comprehensive wrap-around services that help to ensure that youth in crisis have their basic needs met, and are able to thrive. Community members of all ages participate in the Art Center’s year-round Community Programming, a series of youth led public art projects and arts events that include our annual Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Film Festival - the longest running youth-curated film festival in the country.
Position Overview
We are seeking creative, experienced candidates to apply to be our School Age Program Director who leads the Community Art Center’s School Age Child Care Program - an interdisciplinary arts-based OST program for youth ages 5-12 that engages youth in our three program elements: artistic growth, personal development and community engagement. The ideal candidate needs to have a passion for the arts and for working with "at risk" children and families. S/he will have demonstrated experience as a supervisor and teacher of school age children, and a proven ability to relate to a culturally diverse group of youth, community stakeholders and co-workers. Approximately 30% of Art Center youth have had an open DCF case in the last 5 years, so preference will be given to candidates with experience working with youth who have experience trauma and/or to candidates with a background in art or expressive therapies. This is a full time position reporting to the Executive Director.
The goal of this position is to ensure high quality, creative, developmentally appropriate care, through leadership and management. In addition to working with staff to set program priorities, assess program outcomes and ensure program quality, the School Age Program Director will have the opportunity to work with our leadership team to make decisions that will shape the Community Art Center’s future. Two year commitment required.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Support Individual Students through providing day to day back up for staff, serving as an advocate for youth and developing an ongoing dialogue with parents and partners.
- Ensure Student Safety and Wellbeing through maintaining program expectations/behavior response, ensuring the safety of all activities, facilitating youth transitions, complying with safety and health requirements (including those mandated by our license with the Department of Early Education and Care), and coordinating all aspects of the SACC transportation and food program supports.
- Hire/ Develop/ Manage Workers (4 FTE teachers, 2 PT support staff & volunteers, interns, visiting artists) with a focus on building a strong staff team and developing direct reports through mentoring, advising, observing, coaching and providing professional development opportunities.
- Program Development & Management that aligns with organizational mission and strategic plan and includes review and development of arts based curriculum, design of the overall program flow and transitions, measurement of participant and program outcomes to assess program effectiveness and ongoing communication with organizational leadership that encourages cross-program collaboration.
- Resource Development through building new collaborations, participation in board committees as needed, providing relevant data and engaging with donors.
- Engage External Stakeholders through advocating for the Art Center at funder meetings, events, public forums and community meetings and by outreaching to the general public through offsite performances, exhibitions and screenings for youth art work.
- Events Management and Support through collaborating with SACC staff and program leadership as needed to design and support small and large programmatic events.
- Administration/ Operations activities that ensure adequate record keeping, provide ongoing support of the enrollment process and provide regular programmatic meetings (including weekly staff meetings, outings and annual retreats).
- Maintain Finances by managing programmatic budget with programmatic needs in mind and upholding organizational policy around financial paperwork with all direct reports.
- All Community Art Center staff must demonstrate alignment with our organizational values: We believe in the power of young people; We believe in the power of artistic expression; We believe in taking care of ourselves and each other; We believe in creative positive change in our neighborhood and beyond.
- All Community Art Center staff must show competency in the following core areas: Works well with others; Accountable and trustworthy; Adapts to and responds to change
- Leadership and Influencing
- Relationships and networking
- Planning and organization
- Communication
- Teaching/Mentoring Youth
- Supporting youth/managing behavior
- Supervision
- Staff Development and Learning
- Application of knowledge
- Creation and innovation
- Financial Capability
- Four year degree from an accredited college or university with preference given to coursework completed in art therapy, art (theater, dance, visual art or creative technology), early childhood development, education and/or psychology.
- Masters Degree preferred in art, art therapy, psychology/mental health or education
- Minimum of 5 years work experience planning and supervising activities based on the developmental needs of young people ages 5-12.
- Ability to work with communities of various cultural backgrounds
- Familiarity with Cambridge a plus
- Bilingual candidates preferred (especially English and: Haitian Creole, Spanish or Portuguese)
Community Art Center is an equal opportunity employer
To apply, contact career@mountida.edu for directions.
