WORK WITH US

Department: Programs
Reports to: Chief Education Officer

Inner-City Arts is an oasis of learning, creativity, and achievement in the heart of Skid Row and is a vital partner in creating a safer, healthier Los Angeles. Since its inception in 1989, Inner-City Arts has provided hands-on arts instruction to more than 210,000 public school students and 10,000 educators in the Los Angeles area. Every year, more than 5,000 elementary and middle school students from the most underserved urban neighborhoods receive high-quality arts experiences during the school day on the Inner-City Arts campus. After school, on weekends, and during the summer, more than 1,000 middle and high school students engage in self-select workshops at Inner-City Arts. In all this time, Inner-City Arts has partnered with LAUSD and countless community collaborators to provide transformational learning that meets the needs of area students.

The Creativity Lab was developed by Bob Bates, Inner-City Arts’ co-founder and artistic director, and its central purpose is to encourage students to pursue tasks and challenges using creative thinking and problem solving. In the Creativity Lab, we use the scientific method expressed in the following sequence: “Test – Evaluate – Adjust the design.” This powerful process of learning by doing looks at “mistakes” not as failures but as opportunities for innovation. The Creativity Lab studio classes are based in problem solving and collaboration. We use simple materials to create complex structures, and students learn how to use basic hand tools and operate power tools such as drill presses and scroll saws. Students achieve an understanding that mistakes, improvisation, and exploration are part of the creative process.

The position: Inner-City Arts is seeking a creative individual with Maker Movement experience, focused on a learner-centered, learn-by-doing process that combines artistry, exploration, and craftsmanship to teach in the Creativity Lab. The teaching artist’s primary role will be to learn and understand the origins of the studio as designed by Bob Bates and to build on that foundation to
lead a team of creative, inventive, committed people and deliver a unique curriculum in the art studio/maker space/science lab environment.

Specific job requirements

The Creativity Lab teaching artist serves as the primary content/curriculum developer and mentor to studio support staff within a flexible, cooperative environment and as a member of the Creativity Lab’s team. They should uphold the values of artistic and scientific exploration as expressed in the philosophy and values of the program.

• Facilitate 14-17 classes weekly for in-school and out-of-school programs
• Develop curriculum and lesson plans for K-12 students in 10– to 17-week sessions
• Document and track student engagement
• Sustain and evoke a strong commitment to program objectives, which include Social-Emotional Learning competencies, 21st century skills, and art-based skills across all experiences and disciplines
• Support art-making experiences as needed across Inner-City Arts programs (including Professional Development, The Rosenthal Theater community events, fundraising events, and special projects for the Work of Art college and career readiness program)
• Participate in staff training and attend staff meetings
• Secure reliable transportation to travel to school campuses as needed

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in an arts-related field
• Established practice in the process of making, creating, and inventing
• Early Childhood Education or Childhood Education background with a foundational understanding in child development and how it affects participation in the creative process
• Experience teaching youth 8-18 years old with a minimum of six years teaching experience in either school or community settings
• Experience with and ability to teach lessons using both hand and power tools; knowledge of best practices for safety for both adults and children
• Experience integrating technology into curriculum (3-D printing, robotics, virtual reality)
• Knowledge of and implementation experience in STEAM curriculum
• Demonstrated experience in curriculum development
• Demonstrated experience in research and development of new student projects in educational practice
• Understanding and articulation of VAPA and CCS Standards
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and effectively working with diverse participants
• Ability to take initiative and work well with others with compassion

Preferred qualifications
Bilingual (English and Spanish)

Hours
Full-time position, 40-hour work week, including some evening and weekend work

Location
720 Kohler Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Compensation
Starting base hourly rate of $26-$30

To apply
Please send a resume and letter of interest to the Hiring Committee via email to artsedjobs@inner-cityarts.org with the subject “Creativity Lab Teaching Artist.”

Inner-City Arts engages employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition or information, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws. All who believe they meet the stated qualifications are invited to apply. Inner-City Arts is an equal opportunity employer.

Department: Programs
Reports to: Chief Education Officer

Inner-City Arts is an oasis of learning, creativity, and achievement in the heart of Skid Row and is a vital partner in creating a safer, healthier Los Angeles. Since its inception in 1989, Inner-City Arts has provided hands-on arts instruction to more than 210,000 public school students and 10,000 educators in the Los Angeles area. Every year, more than 5,000 elementary and middle school students from the most underserved urban neighborhoods receive high-quality arts experiences during the school day on the Inner-City Arts campus. After school, on weekends, and during the summer, more than 1,000 middle and high school students engage in self-select workshops at Inner-City Arts. In all this time, Inner-City Arts has partnered with LAUSD and countless community collaborators to provide transformational learning that meets the needs of area students.

The position: Inner-City Arts is seeking a Dance Teaching Artist to introduce dance to youth as an expressive medium uniquely effective in conveying meaning, emotion, and cultural values where students learn to communicate through movement by exploring, improvising, and experimenting. The teaching artist’s primary responsibility will be guiding students through each specialization in dance, creating from their imaginations using traditional forms as a vehicle for expressing their own stories. The teaching artist will encourage participants to recognize dance as an art, take chances, and find their voices as individual artists.

Job Requirements:

• Design and implement programs teaching one or more of the following integrated with language arts, poetry, and other subject areas: creative dance, hip hop, modern dance, choreography, Folklorico, African dance.
• Collaborate with students to create original works.
• Facilitate 14-17 classes weekly for in-school and out-of-school programs.
• Develop curriculum and lesson plans for K-12 students in 10– to 17-week sessions.
• Document and track student engagement.
• Commit to program objectives, including Social-Emotional Learning competencies, 21st century skills, and art-based skills across disciplines.
• Support art-making experiences across Inner-City Arts programs (including Professional Development, The Rosenthal Theater community events, fundraising events, and special projects for the Work of Art college and career readiness program).
• Participate in staff training and attend staff meetings.
• Secure reliable transportation to travel to school campuses as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in an arts-related field
• Experience in teaching and/or knowledge of dance content
• Professional experience in the field: Prior teaching experience with ages five years through post-secondary, and knowledge of public school goals, vision, and current teaching methodologies
• Knowledge and/or experience working with English Learners
• Ability to design curricula appropriate for different age groups
• Ability to differentiate instruction for diverse populations
• Experience teaching in a child-centered education context
• Ability to exhibit patience, sensitivity, and enjoyment in working with youth
• Interest in integration strategies and curricular connections is a plus.
• Knowledge of State of California Content Standards for Visual and Performing Arts is a plus.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and effectively working with diverse participants
• Ability to take initiative and work well with others compassionately

Preferred qualifications
Bilingual (English and Spanish)

Hours
Full-time position, 40-hour work week, including some evening and weekend work

Location
720 Kohler Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Compensation
Starting base hourly rate of $26-$30

To apply:
Please send a resume and letter of interest in PDF format to the Hiring Committee via email to artsedjobs@inner-cityarts.org with the subject "Dance Teaching Artist,” no later than July 22, 2024.

Inner-City Arts engages employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition or information, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws. All who believe they meet the stated qualifications are invited to apply. Inner-City Arts is an equal opportunity employer.