Creative Writing Instructor, UWS

Writopia Lab; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Writopia Lab on the Upper West Side in Manhattan is seeking experienced writing instructors to lead after-school and weekend workshops for kids and teens aged 7 to 18. Instructors deliver fun, structured writing sessions, balancing literary games with focused writing time and ongoing feedback.

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree (MFA preferred), be able to commute reliably, and commit to the program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; MFA preferred.
• Ability to reliably and consistently commute to workshop locations.
• Desire and availability to commit to assigned workshops through the duration of the program.
• Enthusiasm for and experience working with youth.
• Experience mentoring youth and teens in creative writing required.
• Additional experience mentoring youth and teens in essay writing formats is a plus.
• Published fiction and/or poetry and/or produced plays preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead in-person writing workshops for small groups of kids or teens.
• Engage with young writers on group and individual basis; encourage setting and achieving writing goals.
• Foster a supportive, collaborative, safe workshop environment where writers feel comfortable expressing themselves.
• Navigate workshop dynamics ensuring writers of different abilities feel included and inspired.
• Provide strength-based feedback to writers regularly and complete end-of-trimester written feedback for families.
• Perform other tasks as assigned.

Skills

Youth engagement

Reliable commuting

Program commitment

Enthusiasm for youth

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

MFA preferred

Job description

Overview

Attention all writers. Do you love kids? Are you excited by the idea of helping kids express themselves and explore their world through creative writing? Writopia Lab, an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit that runs writing workshops for kids ages 7 to 18, is looking for creative writing workshop instructors for our location on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.

Since its formation in New York City in 2007, Writopia Lab has grown into a nationwide community of young writers. Our mission is to foster joy, literacy, and critical thinking in children and teens from all backgrounds through creative writing. We create a safe and engaging space for kids and teens at all stages of the writing process, and we aim to provide the creative inspiration, individual attention, and intellectual environment that may not be available to them at school.

What Writing Instructors Do

We are hiring for our fall programs! Instructors lead after-school and weekend workshops and private sessions for kids and teens. Workshops are age-based, small groups of kids and teens who are challenged to set and achieve writing goals in a fun and engaging way. Private sessions are scheduled times where instructors engage with kids and teens individually. A balance between fun, engaging literary games, focused writing time, and constant feedback from the instructor, our workshops and private sessions seek to engage young writers from all backgrounds and help them tell the stories that matter to them most.

We are looking for experienced instructors to lead creative and essay writing workshops with warmth, humor, curiosity, and insight. We train instructors extensively in our method and are looking for published authors, preferably of fiction and/or poetry, or produced plays.

During the school year, workshops meet after school and on weekends in weekly 90 minute sessions; during the summer, workshops are week-long and meet for three hours a day. School-year sessions typicallly meet Monday through Friday after school and throughout the day on the weekends.

Responsibilities

• Lead in-person writing workshops for small groups of kids or teens
• Engage with young writers on a group and individual basis; encourage setting and achieving writing goals in a fun and productive way
• Foster a supportive, collaborative, safe workshop environment where writers feel comfortable expressing themselves
• Navigate workshop dynamics ensuring writers of different abilities, strengths, and affinities feel included and inspired
• Provide strength-based feedback to writers regularly in workshop and complete end-of-trimester written feedback for families
• Perform other tasks as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree; MFA preferred
• Ability to reliably and consistently commute to workshop locations
• Desire and availability to commit to assigned workshops through the duration of the program
• Enthusiasm for and experience working with youth
• Experience mentoring youth and teens in creative writing required
• Additional experience mentoring youth and teens in essay writing formats is a plus
• Published fiction and/or poetry and/or produced plays preferred

Schedule, Location, and Pay

Instructors generally work 3-10 hours per week (weekend availability is preferred), with the possibility of additional hours based on availability and program need.

This is an in-person position at our lab on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.

Hourly Pay: $25-$40 per hour for instructing (commensurate with experience); $17.00 per hour for administrative tasks. Most hours will be paid at the instructing rate.

Writopia Lab uses E-Verify to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.

Writopia Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Writopia Lab does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or on any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

No phone calls, emails, or drop ins, please.