Education Specialist at Architect of the Capitol

Job Title: Education Specialist 

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Washington D.C.

Salary:  $64,957.00 – $84,441.00


Description

The Education Specialist assists the Exhibits and Education staff in educational programs that fulfill the CVC’s mission. This includes developing new educational programs for the visiting public (adults, families, students, groups and international visitors), teaching or delivering educational programs, assisting with the evaluation of educational programs, identifying necessary supplies, organizing the storage of educational supplies and working with special events staff to arrange spaces for educational activities. Work on weekends, evenings and holidays is required, as needed.

The individual selected for this position will:

Educational Program Development and Work

  • Present existing educational programs and develop and facilitate new educational programs that fulfill the mission of the CVC.
  • Work with other Education Specialists; Educational Program Manager; Adult, Family, and Youth Program Coordinator; Exhibits and Education Division; Volunteer Coordinator and other Visitor Services staff to implement educational programs and projects in line with AOC policies and CVC procedures and practices.
  • Develop and offer formal and informal educational programs and hands-on activities for various audiences; Exhibition Hall and Democracy Lab; and other venues including assisting with volunteer training, creating content for interpretive signs and coordinating materials preparation and classroom, cart or venue set-up. Ensures that programs are compliant with accessibility objectives and follows safe work practices.
  • Communicate the significance of Congress to everyday life, the role of citizens in a democratic process, and the evolving understanding of “We the People” to visitors (adults, families, students, groups and international visitors) through programs, carts, presentations, tours, hands-on activities, workshops and family days or events. Develops programs and teach using inquiry-and object-based learning techniques.
  • Facilitate discussion with and among visitors in order to engage them with Exhibition Hall and Democracy Lab themes and content through programs and activities.
  • Assist with project review and program analysis including assembling documentation such as written materials, digital files, photographs and participant evaluations. Develop content for website, brochures, handouts, activity sheets and curriculum for review by the Exhibits and Education team. Attend meetings and conferences with colleagues and collaborating agencies and organizations.

Educational Program Administration and Collaboration 

  • Develop goals, objectives and planning for educational programs, as well as hands-on activities for family days, event days and other large programs.
  • Ensure that developed programs adhere to the impact statement and interpretation plan for Exhibition Hall and Democracy Lab.
  • Recommend edits to policies and procedures related to incumbent’s duties and responsibilities.
  • Coordinate set up and take down of educational program exhibits. 
  • Resolves problems by quickly identifying issues and developing action plans to improve program design and execution.
  • Support the work of the EED by acting as backup for delivery of programs organized by others in the division, especially by the other Education Specialists.

Educational Supply Maintenance and Management

  • Work with other Education Specialists; Educational Program Manager; Adult, Family, and Youth Program Coordinator and Exhibits and Education Division staff to identify needed educational supplies.
  • Organizes CVC educational supplies, storage areas and carts.
  • Achieves well-organized storage and cataloging of educational supplies and develops a regular schedule for inventorying supplies.
  • Ensures that items are stored safely and securely within appropriate storage areas.
  • In collaboration with other EED and Special Events staff, ensures proper set-up and take-down of educational exhibits, as requested, including working with Special Events staff to request proper amount and configuration of tables and chairs, providing needed educational supplies and equipment and setting up appropriate signs alerting people to programs.
  • Ensures that education location material setups are compliant with established accessibility and safety practices.
  • Actively communicates educational offerings to visitors within the CVC and the AOC, in accordance with policy and procedure.

Publicizes Education Programs 

  • Assists in communicating educational offerings to external customers.
  • Actively communicates educational offerings to visitors within the CVC and the AOC, in accordance with policy and procedure.
  • Works with EED, Visitor Services, Marketing and Communications and Restaurants and Special Events staff to enhance public understanding and awareness of the educational activities of the CVC.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • You must be able to pass a drug test and background check.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience. 

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience researching and developing on-site and virtual programs about American history, political history, civics or art history to a variety of audiences;
  • Experience delivering educational programs, tours and workshops in a museum or heritage site setting;
  • Experience evaluating and modifying programs based on evaluation data; and
  • Experience coaching staff and volunteers to deliver educational programs or activities.

–OR–

Qualifying on Education:

You may substitute education for experience for this position. Your education must consist of two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree. Must be related to the duties of the position.

 

Education

All applicants must have the following:

A. Successful completion of a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree that included or was supplemented by major field of study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position.

–OR–

B. Combination of education and experience—-courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the four-year course study described above.

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