School and Public Programs Education Fellow (F/T, Temporary)
Museum overview
The Brooklyn Museum is a world-renowned cultural institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing art, history, and heritage. Our mission is to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and the will to act. Our vision is to serve as an institution where art is a powerful force for personal transformation and social change. Celebrating our differences and learning about our diverse communities through our collections, exhibitions, and programming is the core of who we are and what we do.
We are committed to creating and cultivating a diverse community of talented, passionate people who are inspired to make the Museum an important hub of community activity and a great global destination. Our staff have the opportunity to grow their professional skills and work collaboratively with colleagues they admire and respect.
About the role
The Museum Education Fellowship Program is a rigorous ten-month program that supports the professional education of highly motivated individuals who have recently completed undergraduate or graduate studies. The first six weeks of the fellowship comprise an intensive training that provides foundational skills and knowledge for supporting Guided Gallery Visits, overseen by the Museum’s Education division. After the training period, fellows gain in-depth fieldwork experience by designing, facilitating, and teaching programs for school, teen, family, or public program audiences. Additionally, all Museum Education Fellows complete a Teaching Research Project, conducting qualitative research to explore the intersection of theory and practice. Fellows leave the program with extensive experience teaching and programming for a variety of audiences, and with a completed professional teaching portfolio.
The School and Public Programs Education Fellow leads up to four 75-minute in-gallery lessons per week for K–12 school groups through our Guided Gallery Visits program. They also provide administrative and production support to the Public Programs department. The fellow joins our industry-leading team of cultural producers in bringing our eclectic schedule of free and low-cost art and cultural programming to Brooklyn communities and beyond—particularly our renowned First Saturdays and Thursday evening series. Fellows will leave the intensive program with skills in audience engagement, event production, collaborating with artists, public speaking, and engaging diverse communities and age groups. This fellowship requires some late nights.
Successful candidates must be able to demonstrate an interest in art, education, and museums; an investment in working with diverse museum audiences; a commitment to teaching with art objects; support for the Brooklyn Museum’s mission; and experience teaching and/or programming in formal or informal learning environments.
Responsibilities
- Attend a six-week training program at the beginning of the fellowship, which will require time outside work hours for reading and practicum
- Lead up to four 75-minute in-gallery lessons per week for K–12 school groups through our Guided Gallery Visit program
- Provide administrative support for the Public Programs department by researching talent, corresponding with performers and speakers, developing contracts, writing logistics, and working with the Editorial and Marketing teams to publish advertising copy, among other tasks
- Support production of public programs that interpret the Museum’s collections and special exhibitions, such as First Saturdays, talks, performances, film screenings, and movement classes
- Participate in professional development sessions facilitated by our experienced Education and Curatorial staff
- Conduct qualitative research throughout the year to learn about museum education theory and practice, including reading and writing outside work hours, and present a completed research project by June 2025
- Complete a professional teaching portfolio
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree or commensurate experience preferably in fine arts, art history, cultural studies, education, and other humanities; candidates from other academic backgrounds are welcome to apply
- Experience teaching in an art museum, nonprofit organization, or similar institution
- Experience teaching children or teens in school or out-of-school contexts
- Familiarity with cultural trends in Brooklyn and New York City, such as recent developments in literature, art, music, fashion, nightlife, or academic scholarship
- Experience with and ability to personally reflect on issues of race, class, gender, identity, sexuality, and dis/ability
- Familiarity with museum education a plus (theory or practice)
- Ability to actively move throughout the Museum with or without accommodations for up to 2.5 hours at a time, and to spend time interacting with children who are seated on the floor
- Willingness to learn as part of a community, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team
- Proof of ability to work in the United States (we do not sponsor visa applications, though past applicants have worked with international student organizations to secure visas for themselves)
Department: Education
Reports to: Senior Manager, Adult Learning
Position type: Full-time
Salary: $27 per Hour
Union status: UAW Local 2110
FLSA status: Nonexempt
Start and end dates: September 3, 2024–June 20, 2025
Schedule: During training program: Monday–Friday, 10 am–6 pm. After training: Monday–Friday, 9:30 am–5:30 pm. Work days and hours may shift depending on fellowship placement. Evening and weekend hours may be required.
If you have questions about our online application system, get in touch with us at bkm.fellowship@brooklynmuseum.org.