Onsite School Programs Coordinator

JOB POSTING

Onsite School Programs Coordinator

Posted: Open to internal and external applicants

Reports to: School and Public Programs (SPP) Manager

Status: Full-time, hourly, benefitted position

Hours of work: Standard Monday-Friday workweek, 8am-5pm. Occasional need for weekend or after-hours work as related to events and other projects. This is a hybrid position, and some admin work can be done from home with manager approval.

Date needed: July 2024

Posting expires: When position is filled

Position description:

The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for an Onsite School Programs Coordinator to join the School and Public Programs (SPP) team. On this role, you will lead the daily operations and development of on-site and virtual school programs for the preK-college audience within SPP team. This position will work to evolve our onsite programs, ensuring they are both scientifically sound and meeting the educational, accessibility, and environmental justice needs of its audiences. The coordinator will oversee staff while instructing in the classroom, ensure the ongoing effectiveness of school programs, and develop new classroom programming and self-guided field trip materials as needed.

The successful candidate will bring the following to our team of professional educators: enthusiasm for marine science and education, an ability to work collaboratively in a team setting, strong networking and communication abilities (especially for a school audience), and excellent interpersonal skills for working with teachers, students, and the general public. The coordinator must work closely with the rest of the Conservation Engagement & Learning team and Guest Services staff to ensure that the school experience at the Aquarium goes smoothly and programming goals are met in an equitable and inclusive way.

We view this work through an equity lens, with the goal of removing barriers where they exist for members of the community to meaningfully engage with the Aquarium, to foster authentic, mutual relationships between the Aquarium and the community, and to bring diverse audiences together to achieve our mission. This work supports our Strategic Plan goal of inspiring conservation and making the Aquarium and its programs accessible and welcoming to all. This role is instrumental to the Seattle Aquarium's mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment.

Key functions:

• Responsible for the daily operations, materials and budget of on-site school programs for a preK-college, adult chaperone and teacher audience for onsite classroom programs, online distance learning programs, school tours, and self-guided school visits. Work with other Aquarium staff to ensure that the highest level of programming is consistently delivered to our audience.
• Supervise, mentor, train, support, and evaluate staff, volunteers, and interns essential to the operation of onsite school programs. Ensure direct reports are well trained, high performing, supported in their growth and aligned with the Aquarium's S.A.L.I.S.H. and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values. Directly supervise the role of Senior Marine Science Educator for Onsite School Programs, collaborating on program development and classroom management.
• Regularly instruct classroom programs, trainings, presentations, and/or workshops to support program coverage.
• Lead the development of new and existing curriculum for on-site school programs aligned with the Seattle Aquarium's mission and outcomes including but not limited to; utilizing effective practices, meeting audience accessibility needs, supporting programming in multiple languages, addressing barriers to participation for the BIPOC, LGBTQ and disability communities to create an inclusive community, and ensuring age appropriateness and addressing appropriate standards, such as the Next Generation Science Standards and Ocean Literacy Principles. Ensure that programs align with the Aquarium's mission, values and outcomes, including the creation of new hands-on, experiential education programs, with attention to anti-racist, evidence-based, effective practices.
• Work directly with SPP Program Registrars to oversee school group bookings for self-guided visits and field trips, as well as scheduled onsite and online classes, at the Seattle Aquarium.
• Develop and conduct Aquarium-led opportunities for the teacher audience, such as professional development workshops, special events and advisory boards.
• Collaborate as needed with other Seattle Aquarium departments to ensure the success of on-site school programs. This includes the Guest Services and Visitor Engagement teams on the student experience, the Principal Evaluator to evaluate programming, the Philanthropy team to write and submit grant proposals, the Marketing Team to effectively communicate with teachers through print or online materials, and the Life Sciences team to oversee the care of classroom animal interactions in accordance with guidelines set by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
• All Aquarium staff and volunteers are expected to participate in advancing and integrating into their work Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
• Perform other related duties of a comparable level/type assigned.

Required skills and experience:
The skills and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant cultural and community programs, jobs, internships, volunteer experience and/or formal or informal education. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.

• Requires a combination of education and work experience that demonstrates an understanding of
  1. environmental education, wildlife conservation, marine sciences, educational pedagogy, lesson and curriculum design, learning psychology, and/or child development. Examples would include early childhood education, special education, informal learning, outdoor education, science education, environmental research, or developmental psychology.
  • ability to develop and refine education programs using an equity lens to ensure accessibility and inclusion for diverse audiences.
  • hiring, training, evaluating, coaching/mentoring and performance management while creating a culture of accountability and excellence for staff and self, such as the equivalent of 2 years experience in a role directly supporting staff or volunteers.
• Interest and educational, professional, or lived experience in marine science, environmental science, conservation and/or environmental justice or similar fields.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the Aquarium's Mission and Values, including Regenerative and Equity work. Models active and personal commitment to DEI education; solid understanding and proven literacy around DEI topics.
• Comfortable presenting in front a variety of audiences (i.e. professional peers, school groups, donors, community leaders, etc.).
• Ability to work with people of all ages and handle a variety of situations-including those that may be complicated or challenging-with grace, empathy and a sense of humor.
• Excellent verbal, writing and editing skills. Preference for Multilingual or English speakers with comfort and practice communicating across cultural and language barriers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software applications
• Some experience with online teaching tools and equipment, such as Zoom, Teams, and A/V supplies
• First aid and CPR certifications required (can be certified by date of hire).

Working conditions:

• Heavy to moderate vocal demands to project talks and announcements and to direct an audience in loud areas.
• Frequent interruptions; walking, standing, sitting for extended periods of time.
• Requires duties to be carried out in offices, exhibits, classrooms, outdoor field sites and local travel. Must be able to move across campus and on local beaches, sometimes walking up to a mile on sandy, rocky terrain.
• Job requires working outdoors in all weather conditions and terrain.
• Flexible schedule and ability to work evenings, holidays and weekends.

Salary and benefits: $30 - $33 / per hour. Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium's comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.

How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don't feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.

Interested candidates should upload a resume to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.

Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at

Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.

About the Seattle Aquarium:

The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world's one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing an inspiring visitor experience, engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.

Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we're among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 850,000 people each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we're working to substantially increase our conservation impact by expanding our campus with a new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Learn more at

Timeline:

We anticipate the following recruiting schedulefor those candidates who are selected for consideration.The following dates are preliminary and subject to change.We will work with candidates to set interview dates.If hired, relocation assistance is not available.

• Priority given to applications received by May 22nd
• Interviewscompleted by July 2024
• Start date: July 2024