Peoples Gas Instructor

Summary of Position : After School Matters is seeking temporary, part-time instructors to teach its Peoples Gas programs during the summer session for 25 high school participants between the ages of 14 to 20. The 2025 summer work schedule will being approximately May 5 and end August 1. The typical schedule for the summer session is as follows:

• Summer: 6 weeks starting June 18 - Aug 1, daily Monday through Thursday or Friday (based upon the program model), four instructional hours per day. Additional hours are allotted for planning, recruitment, professional development, and meetings.

Instructors will design and deliver an energy program for youth. The program will empower high school teens to become experts and advocates of efficient energy use in their communities. Teens will lead and design outreach activities with instructor support, thereby gaining critical leadership, youth voice, and community engagement skills. Teens will also attend career panels with scientists, engineers, and industry leaders that work in the energy field throughout Chicago.

Primary Focus: Teens will gain hands-on experience and foundational knowledge in energy management, IoT (Internet of Things), and computational thinking. They will explore innovative technologies like smart grids and energy-efficient systems, focusing on how these advancements can improve sustainability and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Participants will also engage in practical projects that enhance their understanding of energy efficiency and its applications in real-world scenarios.
The optimal candidate will have a passion and skill for science, technology, engineering, math and youth development.

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

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Deliver an existing curriculum on Internet of Things (IoT) and computational thinking, covering the topics outlined in the program, while collaborating with other instructors and industry professionals to enhance the learning experience.
• Facilitate hands-on activities and projects that allow participants to build an understanding of IoT and computational thinking concepts.
• Provide guidance to participants in designing, developing, and testing a system that can control the temperature of a house based on time of day and occupancy.
• Teach participants how to develop a hardware system (Arduino-based) that enables communication with appliances (furnace, temperature sensors, etc.) in a bidirectional way to activate/deactivate a furnace based on temperature readings.
• Teach participants how to develop a smartphone application (MIT app inventor-based) that communicates with the hardware system and allows users to control the temperature remotely.
• Help participants to develop a prototype of the phone application and hardware Arduino-based system to demonstrate how the system works and share their learnings with the audience.
• Monitor the progress of participants and provide individualized support and feedback.
• Intentionally expose teen participants to the varied STEM professions
• 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 participants
• Maintain a safe, engaging, and positive environment for program participants
• Provide supervision during program field trips and other youth engagement opportunities
• Manage and track program activities such as attendance, interview outcomes, enrollment, evaluation surveys, and pertinent student records in an online data tracking system (CitySpan).
• Report all problems or concerns and program updates to After School Matters Program Specialist to maintain consistent lines of communication throughout the program session.
• Supervise 25 teen participants

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math; preferred but not required
• Content area knowledge in energy, physics, engineering, math, or a related field
• Experience working with issues of energy management and conservation
• Experience planning and organizing outreach events
• Demonstrated ability to teach formal and informal technique in one of the relevant disciplines in group settings with a minimum class of 25 students
• Be knowledgeable of the relationship between Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and real-world experiences
• Broad knowledge of relevant STEM terms and definitions
• Enthusiastic about STEM and teaching through an integrative model
• Experience working with groups of people (teenagers and adults)
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Must be organized and possess a strong attention to detail

Schedule:

• The typical schedule for summer program sessions are as follows:
  Summer: 6 to 7 weeks, daily Monday through Friday, four instructional hours per day. 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.
• 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. This role is for the North/Northwest Branch at the 3435 N. Cicero Ave location.

Compensation: $20-27 salary/per hour, depending on applicable experience and education

Organizational Summary: 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.