School and Community Programs Developer

The Voelker Orth Museum, celebrating its 10^th Anniversary in 2013, is recruiting a School and Community Program Developer (20 hours a week): A new position to bring innovative ideas along with collaboration skills to the challenging role of helping design and implement public outreach and education initiatives of a museum dedicated to Flushing’s cultural and horticultural heritage.

The successful candidate will work with Director to advance a learning and interpretive strategy to meet the goals of the museum. Develop understanding of the local environment for potential partnerships, collaborations, and the resources to pilot new programming for group and family visitors which connect contemporary ideas and experiences with past traditions relevant to the historic site. The Voelker Orth aims to establish a distinctive niche among area museums, integrating house and garden, adopting an interdisciplinary approach.

Schedule

· Flexible 20 hours weekly at $25 per hour on a one-year renewable contract.

· To work effectively with diverse audiences requires ability to attend some programming and meetings during non-business hours.

Tasks

Review extant programs and house/family collections to formulate programs to engage and inform audiences
Develop, pilot, and evaluate audience-appropriate programs or sample activities for family and school audiences integrating house, garden, and bird sanctuary
With the Director, formulate outreach strategy and plan to engage community in the pilot and beyond
Establish and maintain school and community partnerships
Represent the Museum in professional networks
Communicate with staff and board about concepts and projects in development, articulating concrete outcomes and benefits for audiences
Assisting the Director on grant prospects and proposals
Provide educational/ interpretive perspective in the interpretation of the period rooms /exhibition development.

Qualifications

· Demonstrated experience developing and delivering programs for school, family and community audiences

· Experience working collaboratively with artists, and other cultural and community organizations

· Background and/or job experience in museum education, history, art history, museum studies or other humanities-related field

· BA/BS minimum, MA degree preferred. Candidates working toward an advanced degree are welcome.

· Current in museum education theory and practice

· Understanding of current NYC & NYS educational standards and 21^st century learning skills

· Experienced practitioner in inquiry- and object-based learning

· Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and professionally with diverse constituencies, verbally and in writing

· Long term and short term planning capabilities, and the completion of projects in a timely basis

· Good administrative and organizational skills

· Capacity to work with a small but dedicated staff with respect and collegiality

· Able to work in a Microsoft Office computer environment.

The position pays $25 per hour on a one-year renewable contract. The Voelker Orth Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For more information refer to www.vomuseum.org. . Please submit a letter of interest, resume and two references, by April 30, 2012, with attachments in MS Word or PDF format. Send to the Museum’s Director, Deborah Silverfine at [log in to unmask]

Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden, 149-19 38^th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354 718-359-6227 www.vomuseum.org.