Visual Arts Instructor - Lutz Center

Summary of Position: This is a part-time position scheduled for approximately 8 hours per week for 11 weeks.  The Visual Arts Instructor will be responsible for leading a 3D- visual arts programs After School Matters' fall session. The start date for this position will be September 22, 2025, and the end date will be December 13, 2025.

Major Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Instructional: Plan and facilitate an inclusive curriculum that supports diverse learning styles and abilities, incorporate field trips and guest speakers that enhance accessibility and relevance.

• Create clear structure and support for teens, including agenda setting, creating group norms, and abide by ASMs supportive behavior management plan and incident reporting procedures

• Lead the teens through the planning and implementation of an end of session demonstration of learning (showcase)

• Administrative: Conduct teen interviews and select teens by the roster deadline, complete data entry including interview outcomes, daily attendance, teen checklist support, program reports, teen survey administration

• Prepare program budgets in accordance with ASM guidelines

• Supervise teens at an average of 15:1, teens: instructor ratio

Instructors must have a program curriculum plan. See ASM Program Planner

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Demonstrated practical knowledge of content area

• Classroom management experience, preferred

• Experience producing art shows

• Ability to effectively communicate with a variety of stakeholders including teens, participants, parents, ASM program staff, vendors, etc

• Intermediate computer skills, working in Google Suite

• Cultural competence

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant content area etc. is preferred, high school diploma or GED required

• Experience working in a field relevant to the content area is highly preferred

• Experience teaching, specifically teens, if highly preferred

• Commitment to diversity and inclusion is required

Program schedule: 

• Fall 2025 / Spring 2025 Programs meet for approximately 4 hours per week, typically 2 days a week for 2 hours.

• Summer 2026 Programs meet for hours per week, typically 5 days a week for 4 hours.

• Preferred schedules are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday between the hours of 3pm – 7pm, hours vary on location availability

• Summer programs work begins in April and program sessions start from June 23 and run until August 1, 2025.

• Fall programs will run from September 22 to December 13, 2025. The programs last for 10 weeks, Monday through Friday (after school hours) and/or Saturday and include 75 instructional hours (based on the program model). Additional hours are allotted for planning, recruitment, professional development and meetings.

• Spring programs will run from February 26, 2026, to May 9, 2026. The programs last for 10 weeks, Monday through Friday (after school hours) and/or Saturday and include 60-90 instructional hours (based on the program model). Additional hours are allotted for planning, recruitment, professional development and meetings.  

Compensation: The pay rate is typically between $21-27 per hour based on experience and education.

About Us: After School Matters is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that annually offers after-school and summer programs to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills that will set them up for success in college and beyond.

Thirty-five years later, now known as After School Matters, our program has engaged more than 450,000 Chicago teens and is the nation’s largest and most successful provider of after-school and summer programs for high school teens. No other organization offers programs to high school students at the scale and quality that we do.

We offer paid apprenticeships led by professionals in the fields of arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Our nationally respected youth development model has been replicated in cities across the country and earned us the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Programs take place at community locations throughout the city, including three ASM buildings: downtown at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, the Michael and Karyn Lutz Center in Belmont Cragin, and the Pullman community at Gately Park. Currently, After School Matters' annual operating budget is approximately $35M and employs approximately 500 staff across the organization. For more information, visit

EEO: After School Matters is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, military discharge status, age, marital status, parental status, or source of income.