Community Educator

Nine PBS; St. Louis (MO); Hybrid; USD 48,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Nine PBS in St. Louis is seeking a Community Educator to engage children, families, educators, and community members with high-quality educational programs.

Under the Director of Early Education, you will lead sessions that use PBS KIDS and Nine PBS resources to expand access to early learning opportunities across the region. You will collaborate with the Early Education team to ensure equity and excellence in program delivery, adapt to diverse audiences, and represent Nine PBS at schools,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education or related field preferred.
• 1-3 years of experience facilitating educational programs.
• Strong public speaking, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build positive relationships with children, families, educators, and community partners.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment and adapt to changing priorities.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Outlook.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends.
• Ability to lift, transport, and set up program materials.
• Ability to work independently with good judgment.
• Comfort driving a Nine PBS vehicle and reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate high-quality early learning experiences and family engagement events.
• Represent Nine PBS in schools, libraries, and community programs.
• Deliver PBS KIDS and Nine PBS resources in engaging ways.
• Adapt facilitation to diverse learning needs.
• Support pilot initiatives and new early education programming.
• Collaborate with the Early Education team to ensure consistent program delivery.
• Participate in meetings and professional development.

Skills

Public speaking

Interpersonal communication

Team collaboration

Time management

MS Office

Driving Nine PBS vehicle

Education

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Child Development Associate (CDA) / Associate degree / equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Job description

Who We Are:

As an essential community institution, we magnify and deepen understanding of our community to help St. Louis flourish. We believe St. Louis is strongest when we work together toward a shared vision. By rallying around a common purpose, we move beyond barriers that have previously hindered our progress and take collective action toward meaningful, lasting impact.

Our History:

We are a community-licensed public media organization with more than 70 years of service to the St. Louis region. For generations, Nine PBS has been a trusted and enduring presence by connecting people through educational programming, meaningful storytelling, and shared experiences that reflect the needs and aspirations of our community.

Our Values:

Everything we do is rooted in our four core values: Community, Trust, Equity, and Learning. These values shape how we care for one another as teammates and how we engage with our community. We believe meaningful impact begins with listening, understanding, and creating spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and connected.

Our Culture:

Every employee plays a role in advancing our human-centered culture to ensure staff feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to thrive both personally and professionally. We believe work should be a joyful journey - one where collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and shared purpose inspire us to do our best work together.

Our Team:

We are proud of the talented individuals who make up our teams and the passion they show each day in service to our community. We walk with swagger and believe that we are “a really big deal!”

Position Description:

The Community Educator is a full-time education professional who is passionate about engaging children, families, educators, and community members through high-quality educational programming.

Under the direction of the Director of Early Education, this position serves as a lead facilitator of Nine PBS early learning initiatives throughout the St. Louis region. The Community Educator delivers engaging educational experiences using PBS KIDS and Nine PBS resources while helping expand access to trusted early learning opportunities for children, families, caregivers, educators, and community partners.

This position works collaboratively within the Early Education team to ensure every community interaction reflects Nine PBS's commitment to excellence, equity, and meaningful engagement. Through hands‑on facilitation, collaboration, and ongoing professional development, the Community Educator will build deep expertise in Nine PBS educational resources and help ensure consistent, high-quality program delivery across the region.

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is an energetic, collaborative professional who enjoys working directly with children, families, educators, and community partners. They are an engaging facilitator, an excellent communicator, and a dependable teammate who thrives in a dynamic environment where priorities shift, and every day brings new opportunities. They approach challenges with a positive, solutions‑focused attitude, are willing to jump in wherever needed, and are committed to delivering exceptional educational experiences that reflect the mission and values of Nine PBS.

Primary Responsibilities:

The following primary responsibilities are vital to successfully meeting the expectations of this role in an effective and efficient manner. This is not an exhaustive list and areas of focus may fluctuate between the primary and secondary responsibilities, as needed.

Program Delivery and Facilitation

• Facilitate high-quality early learning experiences, including Power Hours, Appy Hours, Facilitated Learning Sessions, family engagement events, assemblies, presentations, tabling opportunities, and other community-based educational programs.
• Serve as a trusted ambassador in schools, libraries, early childhood programs, and community organizations representing Nine PBS.
• Deliver engaging educational experiences utilizing PBS KIDS, PBS LearningMedia, Nine PBS educational resources, and locally developed curricula.
• Adapt facilitation techniques to meet the developmental and learning needs of diverse audiences.
• Foster welcoming, inclusive, and engaging learning environments for children, caregivers, educators, and community members.

Program Support and Implementation

• Prepare materials and resources necessary for successful program implementation.
• Assist with transportation, setup, breakdown, and organization of program materials before and after programs and/or events.
• Maintain a working knowledge of PBS KIDS educational content, PBS LearningMedia, Nine PBS educational initiatives, and early childhood best practices.
• Provide feedback and observations to strengthen program quality and participant experiences.
• Support pilot initiatives and implementation of new early education programming as assigned.

Team Collaboration and Professionalism

• Participate in team meetings, planning sessions, and professional development opportunities.
• Collaborate effectively with teammates to ensure high-quality program implementation.
• Demonstrate initiative by identifying opportunities to improve participant experiences and program delivery.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Support special events and community engagement initiatives.
• Assist with preparation for conferences, workshops, and large-scale family events.
• Participate in occasional cross‑departmental projects that support the mission of Nine PBS.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in education, early childhood education, child development, communications, nonprofit management, recreation, or related field preferred. Candidates with a Child Development Associate (CDA), an Associate's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience are encouraged to apply.
• 1-3 years of experience facilitating educational programs, youth development activities, camps, classrooms, libraries, museums, or community-based programming preferred.
• Strong public speaking, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with children, families, educators, and community partners.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment, with a willingness to adapt to fast-changing priorities, take initiative, and support teammates wherever needed.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Outlook.
• Ability and willingness to work a varied schedule, including evenings and weekends.
• Ability to lift, transport, and set up program materials.
• Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment.
• Must be comfortable driving a Nine PBS vehicle (5-person van) and have reliable transportation for travel to/from off-site programs and/or event sites.

Hybrid Schedule:

This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule, typically being in the office 2-3 days per week. On-site work includes in‑person team meetings, all‑staff meetings, and general work functions. Off‑site work available with approval from supervisor.

Additional Expectations and Core Competencies:

• Approach all interactions solution focused.
• Be open to feedback and demonstrate a growth mindset.
• Provide respectful feedback to others, as needed.
• Share knowledge, resources, and expertise openly to support team and organizational success.
• Effectively and proactively communicate important information to supervisor.
• Demonstrate good judgment.
• Demonstrate effective working relationships with others that are collaborative and welcoming.
• Behave in a professional manner and represent the values of Nine PBS at all times.

As an essential community institution, Nine PBS magnifies and deepens understanding of our community to help our region flourish. We tell stories that move us. We meet people where they are the most comfortable consuming content. Nine PBS’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine PBS KIDS, Nine PBS World, and Nine PBS Create), ninepbs.org, social media, the free PBS Video App, streaming services, live and virtual events, and the Public Media Commons. Since 1954, Nine PBS has accepted the community’s invitation into their homes, schools, and businesses. Follow Nine PBS onX, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.