Educator (Program Instructor)

Company Overview | Close Up’s mission is to inform, inspire, and empower young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy. As a nonprofit/nonpartisan leader in civic education since 1971, we believe that a strong democracy requires active and informed participation by all citizens; therefore, we seek to reach participants of every race, creed, geographical community, socioeconomic level, and academic standing.

NOTE: This is an in-person position.

Position Overview | Program Instructors are passionate about history, politics, government, current public policy issues, and experiential education for diverse students in grades 6-12. They prepare and lead daily program components for groups of students from across the United States, using our nation’s capital as a living classroom. They lead students through a life-changing educational experience which includes historical sites, iconic monuments and memorials, Smithsonian museums, meetings with elected officials and key public policy experts, and multipartisan, issue-based deliberations.

Responsibilities | Each week, Program Instructors engage middle and high school students from across the country in experiential, multi-day programs in Washington, D.C. (with opportunities to travel to New York City, Florida, Philadelphia, and other historical sites as well). Throughout each day, Program Instructors hop on and off buses, coordinating the movement of students on all program activities in the Washington, D.C., area and other program locations. They lead students through study visits to historical sites, monuments, memorials, museums, and government institutions, and help facilitate meetings with policy experts and elected officials. They lead an assigned “workshop” of diverse students throughout the week, guiding that group through discussions, debates, and issue-based deliberations and helping them to develop and exercise the skills of active citizenship.

 Program Instructors have direct contact with students who may not have received a COVID-19 vaccination; therefore, Program Instructors wear masks and practice other COVID-19 safety precautions as required by company policy.

 Benefits

• Initial contract period runs through June 17, 2022. It is common for Program Instructors to seek full-time/full-year roles at the Foundation after completing their contract.

• Compensation includes:  $1,400.00 per paycheck before taxes, payable twice a month; a $500 pre-tax signing bonus (after completing three program weeks); $1,000 pre-tax mid-contract bonus; $1000 pre-tax bonus for contract completion; all meals while working student program; free garage parking or mass transit subsidy; stipends for working the New York City student program option; and up to $50 a month in cell phone reimbursement.
• Medical and dental insurance with low-cost premiums, vision discount program, no-cost life/AD&D insurance.
• Sick leave and free gym access.
• 120 hours of paid training in our curriculum, methodology, and programing, followed by on-going professional development.
• The opportunity to earn a free graduate credit upon completion of the contract with an accompanying research paper is available.

Minimum Qualifications | Candidates must meet all criteria for this role.

• Bachelor’s degree (preferably in political science, history, education, social science, or a related field)
• Demonstrated proficiency with public speaking, as evidenced by teaching a short lesson during the interview
• Authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination as required by company policy
• Willingness to submit to a post-offer criminal background check according to federal regulations

 Scheduled Hours | The Program Instructor schedule is not a standard nine-to-five work week.

• Each week mirrors the STUDENT program schedule to which an instructor is assigned. Visit our website (www.closeup.org) to learn more about Close Up’s “once in a lifetime” High School and Middle School student programs. Every program’s schedule is subject to change. Average program is about 50 hours. 
• Program schedules typically run from 8am through 10pm, and programs usually start in the late afternoon on Sundays and run through Thursday night.
• Most programs are based in Washington, D.C., but there are opportunities to travel to New York City, Florida, Philadelphia, and other historic sites.

If you are excited about the prospect of becoming a Program Instructor, we welcome you to apply and explore how you can be part of an amazing network of Program Instructors who have led more than 900,000 students over 50 years through a once-in-a-lifetime Close Up experience. 

Please email your resume to jobs@closeup.org and include a cover letter. Only applicants selected to interview will be contacted. 

Work Conditions and Physical Demands

Standing: Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time; Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another; Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; leading activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly; Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound; Visual acuity: Performing an activity such as preparing and analyzing data, viewing a computer terminal, reading; Environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside, potentially in extreme heat or cold, at times at a high noise level.

No phone calls or recruiters, please.

Close Up Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.