National Service for Citizen Artists - January 2022 Half Year Positions Available!
**NOTE: In addition to accepting applications for the upcoming program year in July 2022, we are currently accepting applications for half-year positions beginning in January 2022! To be considered for the mid-year start, please submit your application no later than November 29th!**
NATIONAL SERVICE FOR CITIZEN-ARTISTS.
ArtistYear is an AmeriCorps program for artists to dedicate themselves to a full-time year of service to address inequities in arts education across our nation.
WHAT WE DO
ArtistYear is dedicated to addressing inequities in arts education for K-12 students. To ensure that every low-income student in America has the opportunity to reap the social emotional and academic benefits associated with arts learning, ArtistYear created a national service arts corps. We train AmeriCorps Fellows—gifted recent graduates across all artistic disciplines—and support them as full-time teaching artists at high-poverty schools to expand and deepen arts education for low-income students. ArtistYear is the nation's first AmeriCorps program focused on the arts.
HOW WE DO IT
ArtistYear trains its Fellows to collaborate with teachers in high-poverty schools and supports them as they provide arts integration in academic subjects, after-school arts clubs, and arts interventions for at-risk youth. Each Fellow teaches about 200 K-12 students twice per week, dedicating 1,700 hours of arts education each school year to students who would otherwise have little or no arts access. This innovative strategy brings the recognized benefits of the arts to low-income youth, enhances the capacity and climate of schools, strengthens the larger community, and underscores the importance of service for the next generation of citizen-artists and arts educators.
ARTS vs. INEQUITY
Nearly 11 million school-age children in the United States live in poverty, putting them at risk for lifelong negative consequences, including inequities of education and opportunity. Art is a powerful, evidence-based tool to combat these inequities. Research also shows that providing the arts in school keeps kids in school—particularly at-risk youth. Low-income students with access to arts education are five times more likely to graduate from high school.
But the arts are largely unavailable to the students who need them the most. Slashed budgets, high-stakes testing, and other education reforms have led to cuts in arts programming. These cuts have disproportionally affected students attending Title I or high-poverty schools, who are more likely to be Black or Latinx—even as more affluent
school districts continue to provide rich arts opportunities through private funding and higher taxes. The COVID-19 pandemic has only further strained the limited arts opportunities available to low-income students. Arts education remains critical to level the playing field of opportunity. ArtistYear exists to address this urgent need.
DEMAND MEETS SUPPLY
Each year over 100,000 artists graduate from higher education institutions in the U.S., including actors, creative writers, dancers, digital media artists, filmmakers,
musicians, and visual artists.
What if these young graduates dedicated themselves as full-time teaching artists, expanding and deepening access to the arts for low-income K-12 students? Imagine their impact! ArtistYear aims to harness this powerful force.
*Our rolling application process is open!*
We are currently accepting applications for in the following locations*:
- The Borough of Queens, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- The Sandhills - Moore County and Lee County, North Carolina
- Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado
- Denver, Colorado
IMPACT – WHAT WE MEASURE
ArtistYear AmeriCorps Fellows” use their artistry and training to facilitate positive and sustainable outcomes for students and schools. In addition to providing youth-centered arts experiences each day, Fellows also act as “capacity builders” for a school’s emerging arts program, supporting existing arts specialists or school leadership with arts partner cultivation, arts field trip preparations, and arts resource procurement. Artist Year is designed to yield changes for:
1. Low-income Students
2. Schools and Districts
3. ArtistYear AmeriCorps Fellows
WHAT IS A FELLOW'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
As an ArtistYear Fellow responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:
· A full-time (40 hours) Citizen-Artist service week in a Title I school, inclusive of: Teaching time and school common time hours; communication, meeting, planning and preparation hours; Partnership cultivation and arts program development planning time; Student performance or exhibition hours; Training and professional development requirements for school site and ArtistYear; ArtistYear obligations and responsibilities. Most service hours take place Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm; Hours may include evening and weekend times.
· Full attendance and participation in all required professional development/training requirements, including the ArtistYear Orientation and Training Institute.
· Designing, and teaching an issue-based arts curriculum and strategy that encourages student civic discourse and artistic mastery. This content and pedagogy will meet the needs and desires of school partners and students as well as the standards of ArtistYear.
· Preparing and executing required Community arts events
· Regular communication, meetings and collaboration with parents, school staff members, and the ArtistYear leadership.
· Completing required documentation and records for school site and ArtistYear, such as daily virtual standup participation, blogging responsibilities, assessment protocols, lesson plans, mid-year and year-end reflections, and member graduation requirements.
· On-time submission of all required timesheets and data collection reports.
· Receiving and implementing regular and supportive feedback from ArtistYear leadership and/or school site supervisor on performance.
WHO ARE OUR FELLOWS?
An ArtistYear AmeriCorps Fellow is dedicated to the highest level of artistic excellence, possesses a deep commitment to service, and believes in the artistic potential of every child.
Fellows represent all artistic disciplines. They are actors, animators, art historians, cellists, ceramicists, composers, comics, creative writers, dancers, filmmakers, graphic designers, guitarists, illustrators, jazz musicians, photographers, playwrights, poets, recording engineers, screenwriters, sculptors, singers, storytellers, violinists, and visual artists.
APPLICANTS TO ARTISTYEAR MUST BE:
- A graduate of an accredited college or university by July 1, 2022. (*By July 2021 for positions beginning in January 2022)
- Bachelor's degree or higher preferred. For a highly skilled applicant, we may accept an Associate's degree.
- Highly skilled in their artistic craft, holding a degree in an artistic field or having a comparable combination of education and experience in their artistic field.
- For example: Art history, art therapy, creative writing, dance, digital media, fashion design, fine arts, piano, photography, screenwriting, filmmaking, music composition, music education, theatre, viola, etc.
- U.S. citizenship, national, or legal resident.
- Due to the hiring restrictions as an AmeriCorps program, ArtistYear may only accept applicants who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal residents
- Able to dedicate up to 12-months to a full-time national service year.
- Able to successfully pass all necessary background checks and clearances for working with youth.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We look for applicants who possess the following characteristics:
· Dedication to the highest level of artistic excellence, deep commitment to service and belief in the artistic potential of every child.
- Strong work ethic and sense of self:
o Capacity to motivate and lead others;
o Aptitude for organization, self-motivation, and problem-solving;
o Ability to remain flexible and manage changing priorities and demands on time;
o Facility with and a love for creative thinking;
o Functional excellence in artistic, academic, professional, and/or volunteer settings.
· Exceptional judgment:
o Interpersonal maturity, compassion, and wisdom;
o Confidential behavior and discretion;
o Respect for individual’s and diverse experiences;
o Ability to work effectively with people of all backgrounds and experiences.
· Effective communication:
o Easily engages others and demonstrates genuine interest in the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of others;
o Speaks to the level, needs, and interests of a particular audience;
o Comfortable with public speaking, writing, preparing presentations and/or speeches;
o Possesses the ability to actively listen.
WHAT ARE THE FELLOW BENEFITS?
ArtistYear supports the professional development and personal growth of each Fellow throughout the year of service. These benefits include:
- A monthly living stipend of $1,750.
- A stipend to cover health insurance if not already covered by an existing policy.
- An educational award of $6,395 following successful completion of your service year.
- Federal school loan forbearance during your ArtistYear.
- Regular professional development/training opportunities in classroom management, child development, teaching artistry, creativity, arts education, and civic engagement.
- Mentoring: on-site in your school assignment and through off-site sessions.
- Opportunities to network and collaborate with a large range of stakeholders, including local community arts leaders, school district leadership, service year personnel, alumni, and more.
- Exposure to and experience with critical 21st-Century artist skills, including non-profit strategy; leadership, teaching, advocacy, problem solving and communication skills, and intensive experience in community arts education.
- A strong network of fellow ArtistYear colleagues and friends who will offer support, ideas, and collaboration both during your service year and beyond.
- An opportunity to use your art to make a difference in the lives of children and schools.
*Please note, the number of Fellowship positions ArtistYear may offer in each location are dependent on funding.
OUR STORY
ArtistYear was founded by Margo Drakos and Elizabeth Warshawer in 2016 based on their shared beliefs in educational equity, the value of the arts, and the importance of service. Launched as a pilot program as a shared-delivery partner with the School District of Philadelphia, ArtistYear was certified as a 501c3 in its inaugural year and recognized as the first AmeriCorps national/state organization dedicated to service through the arts in summer 2017. In addition to its primary services in Philadelphia, ArtistYear now has satellite programs in The Borough of Queens, NY as well as in rural North Carolina and Colorado and the Greater Denver area. Having vetted, trained and placed three (3) Fellows serving 429 students in 2016, Artist Year placed over 65 Fellows in school year 2020-2021 (210 Fellows since its founding) and reached over 16,200 non-duplicated students, partnering with 61 schools, and providing upwards of 110,500 hours of virtual or in-person arts education in school year 2020-2021.
ArtistYear provides equal employment opportunities to all Employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, or service in the military. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
Apply at:
https://app.getacceptd.com/artistyear