Who We Are:

Founded in 1937, Community Art Center (CAC) is a neighborhood institution committed to our mission: to cultivate an engaged community of youth whose powerful artistic voices transform their lives, their neighborhoods, and their worlds. We believe in the power of young people. We believe in the power of artistic expression. We believe in taking care of ourselves and each other. We believe in creating positive change in our neighborhood & beyond.CAC was founded by a group of parents who understood that creativity is central to human development. The organization began during the Great Depression, in the basement of Newtowne Court, one of America's oldest public housing developments. It emerged as a way to improve access to education, arts-rich experiences, and creative enrichment activities for children and youth in low-income situations. By 1980 CAC received its first state child care license (through the Department of Early Education and Care) allowing for expanded services and reach. In 1999 CAC moved into a former Polaroid Warehouse building across the street from Newtowne Court. Programs today include the School Aged Child Care Program for youth aged 5-12, providing interdisciplinary art lessons alongside essential child care for families. Teen Public Art and Teen Media Programs, support creative development and help prepare young people for post-secondary opportunities, building phenomenal portfolios along the way. The Teen Media Program operates Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Film Festival, the nation's longest-running youth-led film festival for teens ages 13-19. The film festival was founded as a bold act of self-determination, to give voice to young people and those from historically marginalized backgrounds. Today, many films center on themes of social justice and explore the complexities of identities, from a youth lens.
Community Art Center’s Teen Public Art Program engages young people in collaborative projects. Teens employ tools of civic engagement, and work with neighbors, organizations, companies, and municipal agencies to conceptualize, design, and execute installations. Their public art keeps their voice and perspective central to the dialogue, as they participate in what their neighborhood looks like. Community Art Center’s Teen Public Art murals can be spotted on buildings and walls around Cambridge!
Youth programs are offered in a family like environment with transportation, mental and emotional supports, and up to three full meals a day. "Port Arise" and community programs are open to all ages, ensuring that families in crisis have their basic needs met. Now in its 87th year, CAC is still a grass-roots organization that serves the most historically marginalized residents of the Port-neighborhood in Cambridge.

Community Art Center regularly partners with City of Cambridge agencies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and a plethora of life sciences and tech companies in the community. The organization has worked with Boston Children’s Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, and numerous property developers in the area, as well. The Art Center maintains a long history of quality, arts-based youth development programming. The Development Manager will have the exciting opportunity to strengthen and grow our historic organization and lead creative new approaches to corporate, governmental and institutional giving.

What We Seek:

A media dynamo with youth work experience!

Community Art Center is looking to hire on a part-time / interim basis, instruction for its Teen Media Program, which meets:

2 days per week, for 2 hours each session = TOTAL of 4 instruction hours

Monday - 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Wednesday - 4:00pm - 6:00pm

In addition to the 4 instructional hours, 4 hours of prep and program support will be part of this role. This position is for a total of 8 hours per week.

This is a 9 week engagement (beginning September 3, 2024 - November 8, 2024) to fill in for staff who will be out on paternity leave.

The position calls for a tech/media savvy person who is keen to help youth (ages 13 - 19) in Community Art Center’s Teen Media Program learn the basic tools for artistic self-expression, building upon their voices as storytellers to become effective content-creators, as opposed to simply consumers. The program has a long history of developing youth talent, and nurturing the creative spirit in all young people. The focus will be on Filmmaking: 101, camera basics, and storyboarding.

The right person will have experience with video production, photography, editing software; and be comfortable in Adobe Creative Cloud and Premiere Pro. Additional media experience in the way of podcasting is a plus.

This position has the potential to transition into a permanent part-time role with the organization as a podcast producer.

Candidates must have a passion for mission-driven work, and embody a robust dedication to confronting issues of social justice, access, and equity - in the spirit that has permeated the organization since its very beginnings. The Interim Teen Media Program Instructor will possess a strong sense of responsibility, and a reliable work ethic; someone who understands their role as part of a larger ecosystem, and is driven and motivated to advance the lives of those around them. A creative thinker, the right person will seek solutions and thrive in problem-solver mode. Interim Teen Media Program Instructor should have a good sense of humor, be curious, and possess an ability to listen to others with interest and an empathetic ear. They will have a need to work well collaboratively, and often independently.

The Interim Teen Media Program Instructor will report to the Executive Director, with support from the Director of Programs and Teen Public Art Manager. This is a fun, creative, and entrepreneurial role for the right person.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

Teach and care for young people

• Execute provided curriculum as designed by Teen Media Program Manager
• Teach creative technology classes in film and/or digital art for young people ages 13-19; Program Elements: Artistic Growth, Personal Development and Community Engagement
• Support and help to facilitate classes/meetings for youth leaders
• Promote a positive, youth-led culture with a high level of youth voice
• Collaborate with CAC staff, program intern, and youth artists

Administration & Operations

• Maintain student paper and electronic files and ensure adequate record keeping for your program area including archiving of paper and digital artwork

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated practice and artistry in film making along with an ability to teach beginning to intermediate classes in either photography or digital art
• Demonstrated 1-2 year youth development experience
• Outstanding outreach and youth organizing skills
• Experience in a community based nonprofit environment a plus
• Strong belief in the arts as an empowering tool for individual and social change
• Commitment to working with young people from various racial and cultural backgrounds
• Proactive approach to problem solving
• PC, Mac, Adobe Creative Suite, Premiere Pro, and social media literacy
• Excellent organizational & leadership skills
• Creative, motivated, dynamic and outgoing individual
• Bilingual candidates encouraged to apply (especially English and: Haitian Creole, Spanish or Portuguese)

Hours: Part time - 8 hours/week. $25/ hour

This position is IN-PERSON, Monday and Wednesday

How to Apply: Please email resume to:

careers@communityartcenter.org, Attn: Interim Teen Media Program Instructor

Preference will be given to resumes received by Friday, August 20, 2024

Community Art Center is an equal opportunity employer

Job Types: Part-time, Contract, Temporary, Freelance

Pay: $25.00 per hour

Expected hours: 8 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 4 hour shift
• After school
• Day shift
• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Commute:

• Cambridge, MA 02139 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Cambridge, MA 02139: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person