We are looking for an enthusiastic, creative, and committed individual to develop and facilitate educational programs at the Prospect Park Zoo, with an interest in leading developing and delivering early childhood and care-giver-and-me programs as well as general schools, family, weekend, and camp programs. WCS Education seeks to engage participants from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and we are committed to developing and supporting equitable and high-quality STEM and nature-based education for all. The Conservation Educator staff member plays a key role in this mission by developing programs that engage audiences of all ages from across NYC and beyond with WCS Education messages through the lens of "Discover, Inspire, and Protect."

• You have experience with informal education strategies, working with learners of diverse needs, and the ability to incorporate multiple effective teaching strategies into programming.
• You are excited to integrate science education and opportunities for conservation action into fun programming.
• You have a passion for zoo and nature-based programming for children and families, and you are committed to engaging diverse, local communities in learning.
• You are adaptable, organized, and enjoy meeting people where they are to support their learning.
• You are able to tactfully and effectively handle a wide variety of situations including, but not limited to, program coordination, implementation, and customer service challenges.
• You are a confident problem-solver who thrives working in both a team environment and independently.
   
• Your regular schedule will be Tuesday- Saturday, with some additional weekend, evening, and holiday work expected as needed.

Responsibilities

• You will design and lead educational programs for young learners, ages 0-6. This will include being the lead on care-giver and me programs during the academic year (0-5 years old} and Kinder Zoo Camp during the summer (4-5 years old).
• You will be asked to support and lead school programs (PreK-12), children and families programs, field trips, and other general-audience programs, including curriculum development, delivery, and communication with program participants. These are the primary roles of this position.
• Enthusiasm to teach both indoors and outdoors, in varying weather.
• You will make appropriate variations to curricula and lead modified school programs for students with disabilities.
• You will develop and deliver access programs.
• You will incorporate consistent conservation education messages in all programming areas.
• You will work with our Tractable Animal team to learn to safely and effectively incorporate live animal demonstrations into the educational experiences that you facilitate.
• You will be an active and supportive team member in the education department through participating in staff development days, team meetings, training (both individual and team}, and contributing to a positive work environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors of Arts and/or Science
• Some experience developing curricula and teaching formal or informal programs or classes.
• Some experience with communities and audiences with children under 8 years old.
• Ability to work weekends as well as some holidays and evenings.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS/MA in Education or Science
• Two or more years of experience developing curricula and teaching formal or informal programs or classes.
• Two or more years of experience working with audiences under 8 years old.
• Experience in Early Childhood Education
• Conversational fluency in a second language (preferably Spanish, French Creole, or ASL)
• Possess a valid driver's license