Mead Art Museum at Amherst College seeks an experienced curriculum writer to develop K-12 curricular materials for the upcoming exhibition, Boundless. The curriculum writer will work with Mead’s education and collections staff and a graphic designer to create a web experience showing the exhibition's breadth, which utilizes texts and artworks along with any additional primary sources for context to facilitate learning about local, Northeastern Indigenous histories. The web curricula will support K-12 teachers with modular lessons encouraging object-based learning, downloadable worksheets, and a nonlinear design so users feel empowered to direct their learning. The position will report to the manager of experiential learning and K-12 programs. We are looking for a self-starter who will work to ensure all tasks and projects are completed on time and satisfy multiple stakeholders. This project requires an interest and dedicated approach to promoting inclusive and anti-racist practices in museums and higher education, taking appropriate action to support a diverse workforce, and participating in the College’s efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. Please note that this position is remote, with optional in-person days to view the artworks & texts on-site.
Summary of Responsibilities:

• Design and develop curricula, course outlines, and lesson plans aligned to exhibition learning goals, organizational priorities, and the current statewide content and curricular standards based on pedagogical best practices.
• Develop supporting instructional materials and teacher training materials.
• Create inquiry-based lesson plans incorporating current educational and industry technology.
• Select, create, and review materials to ensure they are appropriate for students of different abilities and learning modalities.

Boundless features work by Native American writers and artists from the late 18th century to the present that together expands conversations about networks of kinship, history, presence, and resistance through image and text. The exhibition foregrounds native creativity and ties among artistic and literary traditions, radiating from the northeast and building from works in the collection of the Mead Art Museum and the Kim-Wait Eisenberg Collection of Native American Literature at Amherst College. Boundless is organized around the notion of concentric circles rippling out from the words of 18th-century Native authors of the regions found in Amherst College’scollections. Members of the Mahican, Mohegan, Pequot, Wampanoag, and Mohawk tribes and important Ho-Chunk and Dakota authors and illustrators of the 19th century who happened to work in Massachusetts are represented in rare texts. Boundless is being developed in dialogue with an Advisory Committee that includes members from the Nipmuc, Wampanoag, Shinnecock, and Mohegan, among other communities, and with the support of Native students and staff from the Five Colleges, Mead Art Museum, and Amherst College Special Collections. The exhibition is researched and organized by writer and independent curator Heid E. Erdrich (Ojibwe). Educational resources related to Boundless are generously supported by MassHumanities’ “Expanding Massachusetts Stories” initiative.

Time Commitment:

• Curriculum development May - July
• Design August - October
• The ideal start day is May 1, 2023
• Project End-Date is Nov 1, 2023

We will work with you to develop a working schedule. All meeting hours will be in Eastern Time Zone.

Qualifications:
Desired qualifications include:

• Demonstrated experience conceptualizing and writing curriculum and educational materials
• Knowledge of Indigenous histories and cultures
• Knowledge of child development and current practices in teaching, learning, and curriculum design
• Knowledge of Massachusetts State Standards and Social Justice Standards
• Ability to incorporate a variety of feedback into written work
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work well independently
• Excellent writing skills, especially regarding publishing content online
• Proficient in Google Suite

How To Apply:
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis, prioritizing those submitted by April 30, 2023.Please email your cover letter and resume to meadedu@amherst.edu

Apply by:
April 30, 2023

Salary:
$8,000 /

About this Organization:
The Mead is situated in the vibrant Five Colleges academic community of western Massachusetts and serves as a laboratory for interdisciplinary research and innovative teaching involving original works of art. Eight galleries feature regularly changing exhibitions and installations spanning a wide range of historical periods and artistic media.