JOB POSTING IS EXPIRED
Education Program Coordinator (Youth & MakerSpace)

Job Overview

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (NMRMA) is an outgrowth of the Dubuque County Historical Society, which also operates the Mathias Ham Historic Site, is home to the National Rivers Hall of Fame, and supports a national outreach program called RiverWorks Discovery. Its mission is to inspire stewardship by creating educational experiences where history and rivers come alive.

The Education Program Coordinator supports our formal programming including the MakerSpace, guided tours, homeschool programs, early childhood programs, scout groups, and camps. This position will help develop curriculum and other educational materials that can be utilized by all of the River Museum’s Educators for tours, programs, and visitor engagement. Quality programs will highlight connections to the Mississippi River through history, conservation, and STEM topics, utilizing resources of NMRMA to make meaningful connections with all audiences. In collaboration with Education Leads, Coordinators, and the Curator of Education, this position is responsible for the leadership and interpretation of Museum & Aquarium exhibits and programming. Strong candidates will have a desire to use their curriculum development, interpretation, and leadership skills to support the mission and vision of the NMRMA and the entire Dubuque County Historical Society.

This is a full time, permanent position. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Benefits include vacation time, sick time, paid holidays, medical, dental, flex plan, and 403b retirement plan.

The Dubuque County Historical Society and its properties, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and Mathias Ham Historic Site, are committed to embracing diversity, practicing equity, and ensuring accessibility and inclusion. We continually strive to achieve a welcoming environment in all our spaces, where our staff and community feel reflected and valued for their unique perspectives and backgrounds. DEAI values guide and impact all the decisions the museum makes, both internal and external.

Primary duties

• Create, coordinate, present, and evaluate curriculum-based experiences in formal and informal settings.
  • Hold primary responsibility for the development and implementation of formal educational programs, including but not limited to K-12 guided tours, youth camps, the Early Explorers program, and scout groups.
  • Work closely with MakerSpace educators to design programming, maintain equipment, and provide an exceptional guest experience.
  • Create educational programming including options such as live animals, biological specimens, historical artifacts, replicas, arts and crafts, games, props, etc.
  • Collaborate with the Curator of Education to align curriculum and activities to core standards and the DCHS mission.
  • Identify relevant training and procedural needs, writing protocols and policy as necessary.
  • Team with the Marketing department to market and book programming and groups.
• Assist with supervision of the Education department staff and volunteers.
  • Directly manage a team of 4-8 educators, including timesheet verifications and annual evaluations.
  • Provide support as a visible mentor and role model and ensure the Education team acts in a cohesive manner, following organizational procedures and upholding the Code of Conduct.
  • Assign responsibilities to Education staff, act as Educator on Duty (EOD) as scheduled, assist with daily tasks, and with providing alternate coverage as needed.
  • Coach and instruct staff and volunteers to maximize their unique talents and skill sets.
  • Attend department and other meetings as required.

Additional duties

• Stay versed in historical, conservation, STEM, and other education-based topics, including learning about the animals and artifacts in the institutional collection.
• Maintain working relationships with local and regional educational organizations to foster new and continued collaboration.
• Maintain written records in accordance with established practices and departmental policies.
• Attend mandatory, prescheduled trainings.
• Help to keep all Education areas clean, organized and hazard free, reporting maintenance needs and/or performing minor maintenance tasks.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Relevant college course work and/or a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in museum studies, education, biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental science, ecology, history, anthropology, or related field is strongly preferred.
• Prior exposure to history, conservation, and STEM education concepts and curriculum development in PreK-16 school and/or informal learning setting is strongly preferred.
• Prior program experience with camps and MakerSpace preferred.
• A minimum of 2 years of paid education experience with formal or informal learning processes, ideally in a museum, aquarium, zoo, or nature center is preferred.
• Must show an interest in developing themselves and demonstrating leadership within the informal education field.
• Must have familiarity with computers and the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
• Must demonstrate superb team-building skills with an ability to instill a positive and productive attitude in others.
• Must learn quickly and be self-motivated to elevate personal skill set.
• Must possess exemplary decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Must demonstrate the ability to work with all people in a positive and productive manner at all times.
• Must possess the ability to adapt quickly and be flexible in any scenario, as well as maintain considerable patience.
• Must be capable of dealing with emergencies calmly and efficiently.
• Must be comfortable around the water, and indoors and outdoors in any weather.
• Must be able to read, write, and speak the English language.
• Must hold or be able to possess an Iowa, Wisconsin or Illinois driver’s license within 3 months of hire.
• Must be capable of holding certification in First Aid and CPR.
• Must be able to perform any physical demands of job duties, either with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Final candidates will be subject to a reference and background check.

How to apply

To learn more, visit www.rivermuseum.com/apply.  Apply by emailing your resume, cover letter, and references by July 17, 2022 to apply@rivermuseum.com or by delivering them in person to 350 E. 3rd St., Dubuque, IA 52001.

Research suggests that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that any applicant is able to meet all of the qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if you are drawn to this position and feel your strengths would be an asset to the organization, we highly encourage you to apply.