Biological Anthropology Educator

For over 150 years, the American Museum of Natural History in NYC has been dedicated to discovering, interpreting, and disseminating – through scientific research and education – knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe. To help us with that mission, we are seeking a full-time Biological Anthropology Educator to join the Youth Initiatives (YI) group to develop and teach courses primarily for middle and high school youth, with possible opportunities to work with elementary children.

Youth Programming & Biological Anthropology @ AMNH: YI is dedicated to STEM workforce development and science enrichment for youth ages 12 to 21. In YI, we engage in pedagogical and scientific practices that are inclusive to all young people in an effort to combat historical discrimination in the field. We are looking for candidates committed to this vision in working with our team to build a more just and equitable community of STEM learners and leaders.

The full-time Biological Anthropology Educator would teach several classes. Examples include introductory courses on evolutionary biology and comparative anatomy to specialized courses such as “Paleo Diets” and “Koobi Fora.” In “Paleo Diets,” students discover how scientists use teeth, skeletal anatomy, genetics, archaeological remains, and even fossilized poop, to reconstruct ancient human diets. Students explore how diets have changed through time and what those changes can tell us about the environments that early humans lived in. in “Koobi Fora,” students will explore the current research being conducted by Museum scientists and their Kenyan colleagues on the early human paleontological site of Koobi Fora in Northern Kenya. This site is a source of unparalleled geological, fossil, and archaeological evidence for all major stages of human evolution over the last five million years and has informed much of what we currently know about the evolution of our own lineage.

Core responsibilities and expectations
The Educator will spend ~ 65% of time teaching classes (3 to 5 per week) and 35% developing/revising curricula and participating in professional learning opportunities. Depending on the class, the schedule may include after school (until 7pm), Saturdays, school holidays, and summer (5-6 weeks). The Educator may also teach classes for children (age 2 to 10)

We expect the full-time Biological Anthropology Educator to be a life-long learner. Candidates will bring, share, and be open to learning new equitable and inclusive pedagogical practices that elevate all learners in our program. We expect and support Educators in seeking opportunities to advance justice-centered informal STEM learning by amplifying the voices and experiences of social groups that have been historically marginalized. Similarly, we expect and support Educators in acquiring new technical skills (e.g. 3D printing, VR/AR, coding) to bring into their classes.

Candidates must have a 4-year college degree in Anthropology. In addition to Biological Anthropology, candidates must be confident in teaching a range of content including evolutionary biology, genetics & genomics, anatomy, an, and conservation biology. Comfort in teaching all 4 fields of Anthropology a plus.

Early career professionals with minimal teaching experience (<3 years) are encouraged to apply; however, candidates must have teaching and curriculum development experience in either informal settings (e.g. camps, museum, parks) or formal K-12 classrooms.

The Educator will report directly to the Senior Manager of Youth Learning and Teaching and will work closely with other staff educators and program coordinators members of the educator team.

The expected salary for the Biological Anthropology Educator is $53,000. The AMNH offers an extensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our dedicated and diverse community.

Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization and depth and scope of experience.

Required Qualifications
● Enthusiastic, engaging, and love for working with children and youth.
● Previous experience teaching middle or high school-aged youth.
● Previous experience writing curriculum for middle or high school-aged youth.
● Bachelor’s degree in anthropology.
● Demonstrated knowledge and mastery of anthropology.
● Ability to work self-sufficiently (e.g., organized; good time management), but also the ability and confidence to request help and direction.
● Excellent communication skills, both written (e-mails) and oral.
● Commitment to continuous improvement in instructional practices through reflection and applied feedback.
● Commitment to issues of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
● Work a Tuesday through Saturday schedule during the academic year (with the possibility of Mondays).
● Committed to peak programming in summer.

Preferred Qualifications
● Familiarity collaborating with BIPOC communities.
● Teaching experience across all 4-fields of anthropology.
● Experience co-teaching considered a plus.
● Experience with coding, computational thinking, or data science.
● Experience with culturally-responsive and/or justice-oriented pedagogy.
● Experience having conducted anthropological research.