Title: Assistant, School and Community Programs 

Classification: Non-Exempt  

Division: Education  

Department: School and Community Programs (SCP) 

Reports To: Senior Manager, School and Community Programs  

Created: November 2023 

Revised:  

Pay Band:  Coordinator/Assistant Level I 

2024 Pay Range: $21.63 - $23.37 / hour *

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Mission:  

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History inspires a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world.  

Position Summary:  

The School and Community Programs Assistant supports the School and Community Programs staff with the oversight and instruction of school programs on days when the Museum hosts multiple school groups and with Community Education programming at the Museum and at local sites away from the Museum on occasional days, evenings, and weekends. 

Specific Responsibilities:  

• Assist in the facilitation of on-site programming and instruction of Museum campus school programs for grades K-12 on weekday mornings. 

• Support set-up, breakdown, and inventory maintenance of all supplies and curriculum for school and community educational programs. 

• Collaborate with volunteer Museum Educators in the facilitation and teaching of Museum school programs, as needed. 

• Support Department staff in the setup, facilitation, and breakdown of programming at community science education events both on and off site, including regular evening lectures, Science Pub talks and Museum activities and offerings at community events such as Earth Day, Solstice events, Santa Barbara Pride, and others. 

• Support the Museum’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for students, fellow staff, guests and the community.    

Essential Requirements: 

• Willingness and capacity to efficiently learn and facilitate all Museum based school and community programs to a high level of professionalism and polish.  

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills with children, school personnel, staff, volunteers, and the general public. 

• Must be available to work Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9:00AM-1:00PM, the second Monday of each month in the evening, and other nights, weekends, and days as determined and scheduled in advance by the Department. 

• Even temperament, comfortable with last minute changes and a dynamic, fast-paced public-facing role. 

• Must be professional and polite at all times while working with Museum guests, visiting students, teachers, volunteer Museum educators, members of the public, and community partners.  

• Dedicated interactions with children and the public that are positive, cheerful, empathetic, and inclusive, taking into account the diverse community that we serve.  

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Experience working with children and the public, especially in an educational setting. 

• Familiarity and knowledge of student-centered, inquiry-based learning, and experiential teaching techniques and practices. 

• Awareness of and interest in current events and developments in environmental and conservation science. 

• Spanish oral fluency, a plus. 

Work Environment:  

• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending with occasional lifting of light to loads (10-20 lbs.)  

• Continuously standing and walking for up to 3 hours 

• Frequently outdoors on Museum property as well as in exhibit halls, etc.  

• Works with, tours and communicates with small and large groups of children and adults  

The incumbent must be able to perform each requirement of the position as outlined in the job description. Essential Requirements are representative and are essential for satisfactory job performance. The Work Environment characteristics are representative of those that may be encountered while on the job. The Museum will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.  

*The pay range above represents the lowest possible rate for the position and the highest possible rate. Factors that may be used to determine where newly hired employees will be placed in the pay range include the employee specific skills and qualifications, relevant years of experience and comparison to other employees already in this role. Most often, a newly hired employee will be placed below the midpoint of the range.