Temporary Camp Operations Assistant--Morning

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is among the top natural history museums in the country. It maintains, preserves, and interprets an extraordinary collection of artifacts, objects, and scientific specimens used to broaden understanding of evolution, conservation, and biodiversity. Carnegie Museum of Natural History generates new scientific knowledge, advances science literacy, and inspires visitors of all ages to become passionate about science, nature, and world cultures. Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is interested in candidates who, through their experience and collaborations, will contribute to diversity and excellence of the Carnegie Museums community.

The CMP COVID-19 Employee Vaccine Policy requires that all employees provide proof of COVID vaccination or if not fully vaccinated, must provide proof of negative COVID-19 testing on a weekly basis. 

The TEMPORARY CAMP OPERATIONS ASSISTANT - MORNING will provide support to the education team by creating and fostering an environment that will inspire learning for the summer camp day. They will assure safety and security of all pre-camp and lunch/recess situations and interact successfully with summer camp students.

This is a temporary position. Summer Camps take place June 13 through August 26, candidates must have availability for a minimum of five of those weeks. Candidates must have availability Monday-Friday, 7:00AM-1:00PM. One mandatory, paid training day will be scheduled prior to the start of camp season.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: Ideal candidates are energetic and charismatic individuals who are interested in learning and teaching about how Natural History affects contemporary life through topics in environmental science, geology, biology and anthropology.

The Temporary Camp Operations Assistant--Morning will give and receive constructive criticism with the goal of developing their pedagogy skills and the quality of museum educational experiences. This will be facilitated by participation in professional development meetings structured by CMNH Public Programs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience with classroom, afterschool, or camp environments for children including successful behavior management.
• Must thrive in a team-oriented environment and work well with the public especially children.
• Ability to follow instructions and work independently, strong verbal communication skills, reliability, cooperative and friendly demeanor, flexibility and ability to perform well in a fast-paced setting.

Education and Experience:

• High school diploma required.
• BA, BS, BFA or equivalent experience preferred.
• Experience working with children.
• Museum familiarity preferred but not required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This position often requires constant mobility around the classroom and throughout museum exhibit halls for several hours at a time. Persons unable to bend or lift items of 20–50lbs must be willing to ask for assistance performing tasks that require these actions.

Principle Accountabilities

Leading Instruction

§  Working collaboratively with a team of educators and classroom assistants to deliver effective and engaging learning experiences.

§  Applying knowledge of best-practices in learner-centered instruction and inquiry.  

§  Designing and defining clear learning goals and creating opportunities for learners to receive feedback on progress towards goals.

§  Adapting instruction based on the needs of diverse learners.

Planning educational experiences based on lesson plans and museum resources provided by CMNH Public Programs staff.

§  Creating lesson plans for personal use and to facilitate communication with support staff and supervisor.

§  Coordinating with support staff to ensure that classroom and materials are prepared and returned before/after each class.

§  Coordinating with support staff to ensure that participants are greeted upon arrival and know what to do to get class started.

§  For off-site outreach, planning and preparation may include transportation of materials to the off-site location.

Developing pedagogy skills through ongoing practice, reflection, and professional development structured by CMNH Public Programs.

§  Attending CMNH Educator professional development meetings.

§  Observing, analyzing and co-teaching with experienced CMNH educators

§  Being observed by experienced CMNH educators.

The following responsibilities may be assigned to museum educators on a case by case basis:

§  Developing and writing lesson plans that will be use by other museum educators.

§  Creating educational materials (such as manipulatives, diagrams, posters, etc.)

§  Writing descriptions for program brochures and online marketing.

§  Preparing materials for use in the classroom and cleaning up.

The following PA Act 153 clearances, or proof of application of clearances, are required beginning employment and as a condition of continued employment: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check FBI Fingerprint Criminal Background Check Obtaining the required clearances is completed as part of the new hire process.

Carnegie Museums is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer – Minorities / Females / Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

The above job description reflects the essential functions and qualifications for the position identified, and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in the position. The job description does not constitute an employment contract and does not alter the at-will relationship between CMP and the employee.   

*GUIDANCE ON ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:   The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires employers to consider and accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.  An individual is qualified if he or she can perform the essential functions of a job  with or without reasonable accommodation. An essential job function is any task that is a fundamental part of the job.  When considering essentiality, one must focus upon whether the function is essential to this particular job and not to the department as a whole. Some additional  guidance on essential functions  follows below.  Please note that the following guidelines are non-exhaustive.  If you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact Human Resources. A. Is the function required to be performed on a regular basis? If the function  is rarely performed, it may not be essential. B. Is the function highly specialized? Is the incumbent hired for his/her expertise or ability to perform the function?  The need for special expertise is an indication of an essential function. C. Does the position exist, at least in part, to perform the function?  If so, the function is more likely to be essential. D. How much time is spent performing the function and how often?  Note that even functions performed 10% of the time could be essential if they are required on a regular basis. E. Would elimination of the function fundamentally alter the job?  If so, the function is more likely to be essential. F. What are the consequences of not requiring the incumbent to perform the function? If they are significant, the function is more likely to be essential.  G. Are there a limited number of employees among whom the performance of the function could be distributed if the incumbent could not perform it?  If so, it is more likely to be essential.