Museum Educator

Description:

The Museum Educator part-time is a position with the Museum’s Interpretive and Educational staff. Part-time educators will occasionally work up to 40 hours a week, but will average 29 hours or less/week over the whole year; There is no guaranteed minimum. Responsibilities are to perform historical interpretation in costume at all museum sites, outdoors and sometimes during inclement weather. Museum Educators are expected to perform all responsibilities, general and specific listed below, as well as to learn and provide ALL shipboard presentations, demonstrations, and activities. Educators are eligible to work all billets during normal day operations, overnight programs, off-site, and Museum special events. Educators are also eligible for the intermediate, supervisory role of “Chief of the Watch,” which is a program leader who manages the operations over a specific Museum site or Program. Educators are directly responsible to the Museum Public Programs Coordinators.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Primary Responsibilities:
1. Provide public presentations and programs on any of the museum’s sites. Those sites are: The Sloop-of-War USS Constellation, the WWII submarine USS Torsk; the WWII cutter USCGC Taney; the light ship Chesapeake; and the Seven-foot Knoll Light House.
2. Demonstrate ongoing mastery of program subject matter, adhering to approved curricula, and continue developing further expertise on our subject area.
3. Execute all programs according to approved plans and schedules, and ensure all program elements are included.
4. Wear a historical costume, including hats, and to exhibit positive, friendly interaction and demeanor with visitors and guests.
5. Provide and maintain their own 20th Century Naval costume consisting of any standard dark-wash, denim blue jeans, black shoes, and a light blue, cotton chambray shirt. Maintain HSB - provided 19th century naval costume and a dixie cup hat.
6. Monitor, provide for, and protect the safety of the vessels themselves and all visitors to them by knowing and following established safety policies.
7. Performing daily, routine duties and custodial maintenance at Museum sites in accordance with museum directives and instruction.

Other Organizational Responsibilities:
1. Support museum efforts such as, “all-hands” activities including but not limited to: 4th of July celebration; New Year’s Eve celebration; “Victory Night”, and Pearl Harbor Day.
2. Museum Educators must be able to do all manner of physical activities associated with boarding and departing the sites and opening and closing the sites.
3. Occasionally work catered events that will require working evening hours, as well as overnight programs which may, rarely, require working through the night. During overnight programs, educators will spend the night on the ship to which assigned.
4. Post and operate any of the various visitor service desks in the museum.
5. Operate gift shop counter, register, and restocking procedures.
6. Be an effective co-worker who promotes, by personal example and leadership, a positive work ethic and good morale among ship’s staff and volunteers.
7. Occasionally assist with preservation maintenance efforts including ship-moving, clearing snow, loading equipment, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS
1. As a “trainee” candidates must have completed the training and passed qualification for all active museum programs.
2. A Bachelor’s degree in Education, Museum Science, History, or a related field preferred, OR a minimum of 1 years of post-high school study in same or working in education programming. (A higher degree may substitute for 1 year of museum programming experience but does not necessarily increase qualification.)