Summer Academy Middle School STEAM Teacher

Overview  

Horizons Greater Washington seeks dedicated and effective candidates with classroom experience and a penchant for cultivating students’ lifelong love of learning for the role of MS STEAM Lead Teacher in our five-week Summer Academy program. The educator will teach a hands-on, project-based STEAM curriculum to guide the students through engaging lessons using Keva planks, basic coding (Scratch), circuits (Makey Makey), and design.

Work Locations

In the application, candidates will be asked to share their preference for the following locations:

St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School

4700 Whitehaven Parkway NW

Washington, DC 20007

Norwood School

8821 River Road

Bethesda, MD 20817

Schedule

The typical daily schedule will be Monday through Friday 8 am to 3:15 pm. For staff members who are riding the bus for bus duty, your schedule will adjust accordingly, based on bus schedules.

2025 Program Dates

Staff Orientation: 06/23/2025-06/26/2025

Summer Program: 06/27/2025-08/01/2025

*There will be no program on Friday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day  

About Horizons Greater Washington  

Horizons Greater Washington (HGW), an affiliate of Horizons National, advances its mission of educational equity by building long-term partnerships with students, families, communities, and schools to create experiences outside of school that inspire the joy of learning. HGW supports over 400 students in grades 1-9 with year-round programming, developing the whole child through experiences that build problem-solving skills, foster awareness of community responsibility, and instill respect for self and others. By spanning from first to ninth grade, the program nurtures long-term connections between diverse learners and dedicated staff who support them throughout the year. HGW program design and staff practices follow a Positive Youth Development approach, emphasizing engagement, interaction, support, and a safe environment as key components that meet the needs of youth. The five-week Summer Academy is Horizons’ core program, blending high-quality academics – with an emphasis on literacy, math, and STEAM – with social-emotional learning, swimming, hands-on projects, high-quality art lessons, and confidence-building challenges to boost engagement and improve outcomes.

Position Description  

HGW is seeking dedicated and effective candidates for the role of MS STEAM Teacher to further enhance our culture of creativity, innovation, and experimentation by melding the diverse disciplines of math, science, art, engineering, design, architecture, and more. Using design thinking, STEAM Teachers will assist, support, and encourage students as they learn new skills for developing ideas and experience both success and failure in a highly collaborative setting. STEAM Teachers are supported by a Site Director and the HGW administrative team and must work as a team player with teachers across disciplines and program support staff to help fulfill the Horizons mission. Successful applicants will be flexible and creative in response to students’ interests and needs, passionate about Horizons’ mission and building transformative relationships with young people, and self-driven, demonstrating a commitment to quality and growth.

Core Duties and Responsibilities  

Teaching & Student Engagement

• Deliver the provided STEAM curriculum, which includes all materials and lesson plans to 15-20 middle-school students. Each grade will meet 3-4 times per week throughout our five-week summer program.
• Facilitate hands-on activities, such as basic coding with block-based platforms like Scratch, creating simple circuits (e.g., paper circuits), and designing switches for Makey Makeys.
• Guide and help students connect their custom controllers to Chromebooks using Makey Makeys to create interactive games.
• Foster a collaborative and creative classroom environment that encourages exploration and problem-solving.
• Prepare for lessons by reviewing provided materials and organizing supplies.
• Support students in their projects.

Classroom & Program Management:

• Establish and maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning. HGW’s programs adhere to the Pyramid of Program Quality designed by the David Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. All HGW staff strive to support the domains of Engagement, Interaction, Supportive Environment, and Safe Environment to support the needs of youth.
• Inventory and maintain all materials, tools, and equipment, including hardware and software.
• Supervise students during daily meals and recess, as needed.
• Prepare and submit a final evaluation of each student’s progress prior to the end of the program.
• Meet regularly with the Site Director (and Program Director as needed) to proactively accomplish goals and problem-solve as issues arise.
• Ensure compliance with state and organizational regulations and policies.

Professional Development & Team Building

• Attend a four-day orientation session prior to the start of the program (as noted in the dates above).
• Attend Family Night, Faculty Meetings, and other activities, including those that may fall outside the program hours.

Required Qualifications and Competencies  

In addition to having a steadfast commitment to Horizon’s mission, the ideal candidate will possess classroom experience in project-based instruction, behavior management, and differentiation. Candidates must also be flexible, organized, and self-driven. 

• High School Diploma or GED required
• Strong organizational skills to manage classroom activities effectively 
• Knowledge of best practices for classroom management as well as social-emotional learning and the ability to implement specific strategies for developing children’s non-cognitive skills such as focus, determination, empathy and self-discipline
• Proven ability to plan and deliver engaging, challenging lessons for school-aged children
• Excellent communicative, organizational, and time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of a multidisciplinary team

Preferred Qualifications and Competencies  

• BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university preferred but equivalent experience considered
• Familiarity with block-based coding platforms like Scratch
• Basic understanding of circuits and hands-on tools like Makey Makeys
• Position-relevant teaching credentials are strongly preferred, but equivalent content expertise or teaching experience will be considered in lieu of certification
• Experience teaching elementary and/or middle school-aged students in a classroom setting is strongly preferred
• Knowledge of effective teaching strategies for second language learners is preferred

Compensation  

This is a salaried position, ranging from $5,357 to $6,482 for six weeks, with a 40-hour work week at hourly pay rates ranging from $22.32 to $27.01. The specific pay for each teacher is determined by our teacher pay model that accounts for education and academic year teaching experience to ensure equity across all teachers.

Additional compensation is available based on class load.  There will be a subsidy for classes over and above 12 classes per week.  Subsidies will be paid by the end of the Program Year.

There is an opportunity for the staff to earn a bus bonus of $30 per ride.

How to Apply  

Please fill out our online application which will include uploading a current copy of your resume. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with interviews beginning in mid-January. Final candidates will be subject to a reference check.

Background Check Requirements  

All offers of employment to employees 18 or over are contingent on the successful completion of the background checks described below:

• Fingerprinting (FBI) (MD & DC)
• MD Criminal Database Background Check (MD)
• Maryland Child Protective Services Clearance (MD) 
• DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) Child Protection Registry (CPR) (DC)
• Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Criminal Background Check (DC)
• National Sex Offender Registry (DC)

All offers of employment at Horizons Greater Washington are contingent upon clear results of the above suitability checks. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates immediately after acceptance of employment offer and on all employees who are promoted, as deemed necessary.

COVID-19  

Horizons Greater Washington is committed to providing and maintaining a workplace that is free of known hazards. As such, we strongly encourage our employees to receive the latest COVID vaccination to minimize the risk of infectious disease in our workplace. 

Environmental and Physical Conditions  

The environmental factors and/or physical requirements of this position include the following: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; and the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of up to 20 pounds. Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard. The employee frequently is required to be in one position for long periods of screen use, reach with hands and arms, and talk and hear both in person and over devices. The employee interacts in close spaces and frequently with children and other staff. May be in situations which require conflict resolution. The employee must have visual, auditory, and physical ability to respond quickly to critical incidents involving students and act in an emergency situation. Work is performed in a school environment with artificial light and air, with occasional trips off-site to parks, museums, etc.

Horizons Greater Washington is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, matriculation, source of income, place of business or residence, pregnancy, homeless status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.