Position Description: Mentor, Afterschool digital enrichment program for middle school students at Quest to Learn
Position summary: The Institute of Play, a design‐led non‐profit focused on games and the future of learning seeks a youth‐oriented, design and technology‐savvy, and motivated individual, to teach in Short Circuit, an afterschool
digital design enrichment program for middle school students at Quest to Learn (Q2L). The program meets Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30-6pm at Quest to Learn. Founded by the Institute of Play in 2009, Q2L—the
school for “today’s digital kids”—leverages game‐based learning, systems thinking and design, to teach both traditional and 21st‐century literacies.
Program Description: Short Circuit is a multidisciplinary enrichment space, where participants have the opportunity to imagine possibilities, create products and explore materials—from paper to pixels. During Short Circuit, students work at the intersection of physical and digital materials, taking systems apart and recombining their components in new ways. During Short Circuit, students are given the chance to build expertise in a range of design, media, and technology skills—visual design, video and audio production, web development, physical computing (work with sensors, motors, and switches), computer programming, robotics, fashionable technology and soft circuits (digitally‐enhanced clothing designs), and more. The program is being partially funded by the Gates Foundation, as a pilot site for youthled programs centered on creativity and innovation.
Both The Institute of Play and Quest to Learn are located in New York City, near Chelsea.
www.instituteofplay.org | www.Q2L.org | www.instituteofplay.org/shortcircuit
Position Description: As a Short Circuit Mentor, the successful candidate is enthusiastic, committed to working with youth within a design, media, and technology‐led space, is open to new ideas and collaboration with a range of
stakeholders, is adept at engaging diverse audiences and participants and is able to foster and inspire broad participation.
Responsibilities
• Teach in Short Circuit, working with youth participants (6th and 7th graders) around co‐created project ideas;
• Work with Lead Mentor and the Institute of Play project team to develop learning activities and workshop challenges;
• Engage in a range of activities to mentor and empower young people around design topics, new media literacies, community engagement, and youth‐led collaboration;
• Maintain an inclusive, positive, and effective learning environment;
• Demonstrate a daily commitment to experiential inquiry and project‐based learning.
Specific skills required
• Experience teaching and working with middle school students;
• Enthusiasm about technology, design and media platforms, and their integration into the design process;
• Fluent in digital design, media tools and platforms (such as Adobe Creative Suite, social media tools, physical computing and soft circuits, audio and video production, Scratch, iTools, etc.) and willing to learn more as required;
• Flexible and able to solve problems creatively and effectively;
• Positive attitude with strong collaboration skills;
• Strengths in communicating and working with a diverse team of stakeholders;
• Team player: responsible, independent and willing to pitch‐in where needed.
• Start date: October 2010
• Part Time with an on‐site commitment of 20 hours per week
• Salary: $25/hour
Interested applicants should submit the following materials:
• Resume and letter of application outlining your interest in the position and qualifications you would bring to the job
• Link to your online portfolio or PDF file with relevant work samples
• Names and contact information for 3 references
All materials should be submitted via email to: resumes@instituteofplay.org
