Teaching Artist

Junior Center Of Art & Science; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 50,000; Part time

Job summary

The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is seeking part-time Teaching Artists to design and deliver arts and sciences curricula for youth ages 2–17 across Oakland and East Bay sites. Responsibilities include creating lesson plans, maintaining a safe classroom, and collaborating with staff and educators to deliver engaging, developmentally appropriate content.

Start date is August/September 2026. Opportunities include after-school, workshop facilitators, and in-school residencies; teaching

Qualifications

• Experience designing developmentally-based curricula.
• Experience designing arts-integrated and/or science curricula.
• Teaching experience in classroom or community settings.
• Knowledge of classroom management, Common Core and NGSS a plus.
• Interest in engaging youth through visual arts and/or sciences.
• Active art or science practice.
• Ability to collaborate with staff, teachers, and families.
• Experience with diverse student and family populations.
• Emotional intelligence and compassionate feedback.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to multitask and stay detail-oriented.
• Commitment to ongoing learning and growth.
• Must pass post-employment background check and TB test.

Responsibilities

• Teach classes to youth at JCAS site or school/community sites in Oakland and surrounding areas.
• Design and implement curriculum with JCAS templates, including goals, skills, activities, materials, and themes.
• Maintain a safe, professional learning environment for all students.
• Provide guidance and support to students as needed.
• Arrive prepared and on time for class.
• Keep storage spaces, studios, and materials clean and tidy.
• Collaborate with Program Director and staff to design program content.
• Participate in educator meetings and professional development.

Skills

Curriculum design

Arts education

Classroom management

Communication skills

Collaboration

Equity & inclusion

Diversity experience

Job description

Position Overview

The Junior Center’s mission is to cultivate curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. Located in the heart of Oakland near the shores of Lake Merritt, the Center is dedicated to providing equitable access to our programs for all youth and their families throughout Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. We harness the power of creativity and experiential learning to inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.

We value the necessity of equity and representation in the fields of art and science, and invest in the development of the next generation of creative thinkers and leaders through culturally responsive teaching.

Our team of Teaching Artists are an essential part of the Junior Center’s community. Teaching Artists design and deliver arts and sciences curriculum to students from ages 2 - 17 years old through our youth, family, and community programs. We have several part-time Teaching Artist positions currently open, including: After-school Instructors, Workshop Facilitators, and in-school Artist/Makers-in-Residence.

Start Date: August/September 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

• Teach classes to youth at the Junior Center site and/or at school and community sites throughout Oakland, West Contra Costa, East Bay
• Design and implement course curriculum with specific attention to developing socially relevant projects. If hired, instructors are required to create a curriculum including lesson goals, skills learned, class activities, materials needed, and themes/ ideas explored using the JCAS template.
• Maintain a safe, professional and supportive learning environment for all students
• Provide guidance and support to students as needed
• Arrive prepared and on time for class
• Leave storage spaces, studios, and materials clean and tidy after class
• Work collaboratively with the Program Director, administrative staff, and fellow instructors to design and implement program content
• Actively participate in all educator meetings and ongoing professional development training sessions

Desired Qualifications

• Experience designing and implementing developmentally-based curricula.
• Experience designing and implementing arts, arts-integrated and/or science curricula a plus.
• Teaching experience in a classroom or community setting.
• Knowledge of classroom management, common core and/or VAPA/NGSS a plus.
• Strong interest in working in a school and/or community setting.
• Interest in/ability to engage, inspire and challenge youth through the visual arts and/or sciences.
• An active art or science practice.
• Ability to work well in a collaborative/team setting with peers and colleagues on staff; with children and families; with classroom teachers, educational coordinators and broader school communities.
• Experience working with a diversity of student and family populations.
• Emotional intelligence: ability to provide compassionate feedback to students and their caregivers
• Strong people skills and the ability to work well with children, classroom teachers, families, co-workers, and volunteers
• Strong oral and written communication skills; able to communicate clearly and efficiently with a variety of audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to facilitate group decision-making.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously; strong attention to detail.
• A strong desire for continued learning/growth in one’s teaching practice.
• must pass a post-employment criminal background check and provide a negative TB test.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Must be able to regularly lift up to 25lbs.
• Must be able to sit and stand for long durations of time.
• Must have regular access to reliable transportation. For example, own a working, reliable vehicle and hold a current, valid CA driver’s license or have regular access to public transportation. Staff may be required to bring materials to and from work sites.

NOTE: Many of our opportunities are in Richmond and El Sobrante and a car is very helpful for these sites.

Schedule: Part-time, casual, non-exempt employees

Pay Rate: DOE. Instructors are paid hours for curriculum development, prep, instructional time and clean up, as well as meetings and training sessions.

Applicants may be asked to provide a sample lesson plan.

The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is an independent, non-profit organization which has been providing educational programs to children and teens for over70 years. JCAS serves thousands of local children annually through school residency programs, after school and summer camps and courses, and a variety of art and science activities for children and their families.

Multilingual, people of color, and LGBTQIA encouraged to apply.

To learn more, visit the Center’s web site at www.juniorcenter.org

The Junior Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.