School Programs Coordinator

The School Programs Coordinator supports the mission of the Bell by coordinating, delivering, and assisting in the development of innovative, interdisciplinary science content for students in grades K–12. This takes the form of in-person field trips, STEM learning labs, self-guided museum experiences, and interactive activities for school, homeschool, summer, and community groups. This position ensures all programs are innovative, engaging, effective, and support the museum’s mission. They are a strong advocate for science education and will inspire a passion for learning by drawing from University of Minnesota research and resources.

The School Programs Coordinator supervises a team of part-time Bell educator staff and they are responsible for creating a collaborative working environment where all members of this staff can thrive. They also work with other program coordinators to assist with scheduling and training University student staff to assist with school programs.  

Additionally, this position assists the Education Programs Manager with developing school program budgets, growing and maintaining school/district partnerships, creating teacher professional development opportunities, providing creative programmatic insights, identifying opportunities to improve program offerings based on evaluation, and supporting grant writing initiatives.

This position directly reports to the Education Programs Manager and is a member of the Education Programs team; this team sits within the larger Public Engagement and Science Learning team (PESL), which is responsible for onsite K-12 science education, planetarium shows and astronomy programming, exhibits and gallery programs, and public programming. The position collaborates closely with other teams across the Bell on program operations and development, including Operations and Visitor Services, Development, Marketing, and Statewide Engagement.

This is a 100% time position, working 40 hours a week.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

School Program Operations, Logistics, and Supervision (55%)

• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate 2-5 museum educators and 2 part time percentage educators for the welcome, orientation, engagement of K–12 school groups  and delivery of STEM-based labs.
• Schedule educators on a regular basis (at least 3 weeks in advance) based on the field trip schedule, using an online scheduling system.
• Design, select, and update onboarding and on-going training materials, mentoring, and professional development for educators on topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion, policies and procedures, customer service, and education philosophies.
• Maintain and update manuals, policies, and procedures for all school programs.
• Collaborate with the Groups Sales team to plan and implement a logistical daily schedule for in-person field trips, using shared documents such as Google sheets.
• Develop and deliver communications regarding policies and procedures around welcoming and orienting school groups.
• Ensure that groups’ identified accessibility needs are anticipated and met on the day of their visit, and troubleshoot any day-of issues.
• Be present to greet buses, arriving school groups, and to troubleshoot the logistical shifts of the day.
• Oversee the inventory, purchase, organization and maintenance of materials required for groups and labs, tracking expenses to stay within budget.
• Provide content support for grant proposals and marketing materials.

School Program Development and Delivery (30%)

• Oversee and deliver experiential STEAM-based learning labs for K–12 grade students spanning a wide range of science content from life, Earth, and space sciences.
• Create, foster, and maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment for all museum visitors, program participants, and staff.
• Introduce and reinforce behavior guidelines during the visit and follow up with groups after the visit when needed.
• Analyze school program evaluations; gather and analyze data on program content, engagement, and effectiveness to inform program improvement.
• Collaborate with the Education Programs Manager to develop and/or revise labs and curricula on an on-going/annual basis, utilizing relationships within the University to support content development and the museum’s mission of bringing scientific research to the larger public, and aligning with MN state academic standards.
• Work with the PESL team and the Statewide Engagement team to co-create universally applicable curricula for school / student groups.
• Collaborate with the Education Program Manager, and other Bell departments, to plan the annual schedule and activities.
• Assist in managing/tracking school program budget expenses and revenue.

Education Outreach (10%)

• Develop and deliver professional development programs for K–12 educators, through collaborative work with teams across the Bell.
• Create and foster relationships with teachers and school districts throughout the state.
• Represent the Bell at education and science-related conferences and events.
• Attend Pre-College Network meetings and related trainings.
• Attend conferences, workshops, and seminars as part of professional development opportunities, including on a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

This might include attending special meetings, assisting other departments, and working on new projects

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• B.A./B.S. in education, science, or other related field with at least 3 years relevant experience implementing non-formal education programs for grades K–12
• Knowledge of best practices in non-formal science learning
• At least 2 years experience supervising, scheduling and mentoring staff, with some experience managing part-time staff
• Proven experience working with a variety of cultural and socioeconomic groups and demonstrated commitment to inclusion, and providing access and a welcoming environment to a diverse range of people
• Demonstrated ability to work supportively and collaboratively with teammates as well as external stakeholders, exercising decision-making within their designated scope of authority
• Available for very occasional evening and weekend work, as assigned (to include approximately 6 evenings or weekend days per year)

Appointment: This is a 100% time, P&A appointment

Pay Range:  $52,865-  $59,473 

​Hours and Location: This position is 80%-100% in-person at the Bell Museum on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus. Generally Monday-Friday, 8 am-4 pm with occasional evening and weekend work, as assigned (approximately 6 evenings or weekend days per year)