Education Associate

POSITION TITLE: Education Associate

REPORTS TO: Director of Education and Community Engagement

ABOUT JAZZ ST. LOUIS

The mission of Jazz St. Louis is to lead our community in advancing the uniquely American art of jazz through performance, education, and outreach.

Jazz St. Louis was born in August 1995 when the late Barbara Rose began presenting jazz musicians of national and international fame in a small, intimate atmosphere. The new music series was called Jazz at the Bistro. Following her death in 1998, Gene Dobbs Bradford was chosen to lead the organization. He began expanding the musical genres presented and building the education and community outreach programs that are now an integral part of the organization. In September 2022, JSL selected world-renowned saxophonist and clarinetist Victor Goines to lead the institution to the next phase of its evolution and growth. Before joining JSL, Goines spent nearly three decades as a member of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s world-acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and an education consultant to its educational programs. He has performed with the industry’s elite, including Dizzy Gillespie, Ellis Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, Ruth Brown, Dick Clark, Aaron Neville, Harry Connick, Jr., and many others. Goines also brought four decades of academic experience and leadership to JSL from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including The Julliard School and Northwestern University.

In 2006, the organization’s name was changed from Jazz at the Bistro to Jazz St. Louis to reflect our focus on performance, education, and community engagement. In October 2014, following a $6.5 million capital campaign, the Bistro and the adjacent building were renovated as the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. The Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz houses three dynamic spaces – The Ferring Jazz Bistro, Nancy’s Jazz Lounge, and the Centene Jazz Education Center – designed to serve the greater St. Louis community.

JSL is a dynamic and extraordinary arts model in the United States – one of only a few nonprofits in the country – that presents world-class performers like Regina Carter and Stefan Harris and nurtures generations of jazz performers. Its educational programs, Jazz Academy and JazzU are responsible for the foundation of many of St. Louis’ young jazz talents and brightest scholars who have pursued successful careers in the music industry and other professions. Located in the heart of Grand Center, JSL is committed to community outreach as exemplified in its programs The Next Set on St. Louis Public Radio, Whitaker Jazz Speaks, The Book Club, Music Heals, Jazz for Our Schools, STLMade, and its seven-week Summer Concert Series. JSL is committed to collaborating with other organizations in St. Louis as demonstrated by Terence Blanchard’s opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, a commission between JSL and Opera Theater of St. Louis and the first opera composed by an African American to be presented at the Metropolitan Opera. In May 2021, JSL announced the appointment of Keyon Harrold as its first Creative Advisor, a three-year appointment made possible through the support of the Mellon Foundation. JSL has reached over 180,000 students through its educational programming and serves one of the most diverse populations of any arts organization in the area and the country. The Missouri Arts Council named JSL Missouri’s Outstanding Arts Organization for 2011. Additional information is available on our website at www.jazzstl.org.

POSITION SUMMARY:
In partnership with (and under the supervision of) the Director of Education and Community Engagement, the Education Associate is responsible for providing administrative and logistical support for Jazz St. Louis (JSL) education programs. Duties include collecting and processing artist requests from schools, working with teachers to schedule artists in schools, providing/coordinating artist transportation, coordinating student transportation needs, transportation, and setup of equipment for in-school and other educational performances, maintaining accurate student records, and coordination aspects of the assessment of JSL’s programs. The Education Associate will also assist in the development and implementation of JSL’s curriculum resources, including scheduling and leading professional development sessions, coordinating with teachers and administrators, assessing resource effectiveness, and developing new resources to meet the needs of area educators.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Develop and maintain effective, relevant online student and teacher resources.
Develop effective strategies for the implementation of JSL’s general music curriculum, Jazz Concepts for the Young Beginner, including the recruiting of schools, in-school observations, and teacher professional development.
Plan, schedule, and implement activities related to JSL’s education and teacher training programs such as, but not limited to, JazzU, Jazz Academy, Jazz for Our Schools, Artist Residency, and Elementary Curriculum Partnerships.
Plan, schedule, and implement activities related to community engagement activities such as, but not limited to, Jazz St. Louis Book Club, Whitaker Jazz Speaks, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), Music Heals, WeBop, Youth and Family Concerts, and Swing for Scholars
Assist with implementing the education programs, including auditions, showcase concerts, special events, auditions, evaluations, residencies, and sessions.

BUDGET AND PLANNING
Assist the Director of Education and Community Engagement in establishing appropriate goals for JSL curriculum resources and other education programs’ needs.
Assist in identifying educational trends that may present new opportunities for JSL; recommend a course of action considering this information.
Work closely with the Director of Education and Community Engagement and other designated staff in long-range planning for JSL.

ADMINISTRATIVE
Collect and process requests from schools for JSL programs, including but not limited to annual Youth Concerts, JazzU, Jazz Academy, Artists Residencies, Jazz for Our Schools, and schedule activities in requesting schools.
Coordinate and implement the Jazz for Our Schools, Residency, and other in-school programs, including scheduling artists, artist transportation, and equipment transportation and set up.
Coordinate the data collection to evaluate JSL’s education and teacher training programs.
Coordinate and assist in the execution of mailings (electronic and paper) to JSL students, parents, participating teachers, and schools.
Create and maintain active networks and accurate records for establishing effective communication lines between education program students, parents, and alumni, including social media and mailing lists. Explore the creation of an Alumni Association.
Provide support to other JSL staff as directed.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Education and Community Engagement.

REQUIREMENTS
Minimum two years of administrative experience. An undergraduate degree is required, and music emphasis is a plus. Effective communication and customer service skills; excellent writing and proofreading skills; ability to work with a variety of people, including musicians, teachers, volunteers, staff, and patrons; ability to handle multiple tasks well; ability to work independently; working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

BENEFITS

·      After the first 90 days of employment, the employee is entitled to ten (10) vacation days that accrue with years of service.
·      11 holidays, including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, either the day before or after Christmas
·      Fully paid medical benefits for the employee and an opportunity to purchase dental and vision coverage at a discounted rate.
·      COVID-19 considerations as provided by CDC guidelines.

COMPENSATION

The Education Associate position is full-time and is salaried with competitive benefits and a salary range between $35K and $50K annually.

TO APPLY

Interested applicants should send a statement of interest (cover letter), resume, salary expectations, and three professional references to adaron@jazzstl.org.