Communication and Leadership Instructor

Summary of Position: After School Matters is seeking instructors to begin working in Fall 2025. After School Matters is reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

After School Matters is seeking committed, part-time instructors to teach Communications/Leadership programs for 15-30 high school participants (15:1, instructor: teen ratio) between the ages of 14 to 20 for 2024-2025.

Example of Communication and Leadership programs include:

• Business and entrepreneurship (marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, etc.)

• Communications (intercultural communication, conflict management, public speaking, etc.)

• Journalism (newswriting, news reporting, news publishing, etc.)

• Community activism (community organizing, service learning, debates, etc.)

The program will allow students to learn and engage in activities specific to the content area. An instructor will expose teens to a wide range of activities and concepts to meet measurable programmatic outcomes. The instructor will recruit, teach, and mentor teens and will also manage operational pieces such as program planning and budget creation.

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

After School Matters has four program branches: North/Northwest, South/Southwest, Downtown, and Program Supports (special initiatives). Please note that Interstate-55 is an approximate dividing line between our North/Northwest and South/Southwest branches.

Program Sessions and Schedules:

The typical schedule for program sessions are as follows:

• Fall: 10 weeks, Monday through Friday (after school hours) and/or Saturday, 60-90 instructional hours (based upon the program model). Additional hours are allotted for planning, recruitment, professional development and meetings. Exact program meeting days/times are flexible, with some restrictions, so long as instructional hours are met.

• Fall programs begin in September 2025

• Limited opportunities for Saturday only programs are available.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Expose a diverse group of teen participants to various facets of content area-specific industry while fostering a positive, safe, and collaborative atmosphere for all teen participants.

• Maintain knowledge of current industry trends, technology and concepts

• Prepare, organize, and supervise interactive, teen-led activities on content area

• Develop, plan, and implement high-quality related field trips, master classes, events, and guest visits to enhance instruction and training

• Provide supervision during program field trips and other youth engagement opportunities

• Report all problems or concerns and program updates to After School Matters Program Specialist to maintain consistent lines of communication throughout the program session

• Attend all planning and program dates, including: Instructor orientation, professional development workshops, meetings and other required sessions

• Participate in the recruitment, interview, and selection process of teen program participants

• Manage and track program activities such as attendance, interview outcomes, enrollment, evaluation surveys, and pertinent student records in an online data tracking system (CitySpan).

Supervisory Responsibilities:

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

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated practical knowledge of content area

• Creative problem-solving skills

• Customer service skills; ability to effectively communicate with a variety of stakeholders (teen participants, parents, ASM programs staff, vendors, etc.)

• Cultural competence

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 required.

• Familiarity with specific Chicago neighborhoods is required.

• Experience teaching, specifically teenagers, is highly preferred.

• Commitment to diversity and inclusion is required.

Compensation: $20-27 /per hour, depending on applicable 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.