WritersCorps offers youth opportunities to write, publish, and perform. We work in partnership with sites throughout San Francisco during the academic year, programming both in-school and after-school workshops. Our sites include public schools, libraries, community-based organizations, and programs for incarcerated youth. Our model is long-term and in-depth. WritersCorps teaching artists serve 3 years, are part of a group that meets often, receive extensive professional development training, and are paid a summer stipend for writing projects.
What WritersCorps Teaching Artists Do
- Teach creative writing and build mentoring relationships with young people in San Francisco
- Design and implement curricula tailored to specific youth and site realities. Most of our programs run 8 to 9 months long.
- Develop publications and projects that feature student writing
- Document and evaluate WritersCorps’ impact within its communities
- Create and support city-wide youth events and performances
- Attend trainings, meetings, and class sessions to share information and experiences, and to develop teaching artist skills
Requirements
Applicants must have at minimum:
- 2 years teaching literary arts to youth (ages 6-22). Please note: college teaching alone does not qualify, and work as a classroom teacher alone does not qualify — we are looking for applicants who have experience working as teaching artists sharing creative writing with young people.
- 1 year of community work with communities in need
- Evidence of literary accomplishment
- BA or experiential equivalent
- WritersCorps teaching artists need to be familiar with San Francisco. Preference will go to those who already live in the Bay Area.
Bilingual people and people of color are especially encouraged to apply.
Compensation
Pay starts at $26.00 per hour for up to 28 hours per week. A typical teaching artist contract includes:
- 900 to 1,000 hours
- an annual health care stipend
- classroom supplies stipend
- summer writing stipend for teachers who commit to returning to the program the following year
Time Commitment
- Teaching artists serve 3-year residencies. We ask that candidates commit 3 years to the program. Contracts are renewed on an annual basis each fiscal year.
- Teaching artists serve approximately 6 classes or groups of youth at one or two sites for 9 months at a time, following the academic calendar
- Schedules are variable, depending on the sites (in-school, after-school, etc)
- Teaching artists work an average of 25 hours a week, or about 100 hours a month.
- Teaching artists attend 3-hour staff meetings twice a month, as well as a monthly professional development sessions, which have assignments
Level of Experience
Trying to decide if you have the right amount of experience for WritersCorps? The perfect match for us is someone who’s done at least the minimum work we ask for in our guidelines, but who isn’t yet a master. Training and professional development are an integral part of our model. We intend your 3 years with us to take you from an intermediate stage to a full professional stage in this field.
Application
A complete application includes:
- Application form. Click this link to download the application (Word file)
- Statement of intent
- Lesson plan (no more than 5 pages)
- Writing sample (no more than 5 pages)
- Letter of recommendation
Deadline & Location
Applications are due on May 20, 2013 by 5 p.m. Please note that this is NOT a postmark deadline. Applications must be in our office by this time, whether mailed or dropped off in person. We require a hard copy of your application. Applications are NOT accepted via email or fax, although letters of recommendation will be accepted via email, mail, or fax.
Our office is located at 25 Van Ness Ave (near Market)
If you are dropping off applications in person on May 20, please pay attention to the following:
9 am to 1 pm: Drop off at Suite 400 (City and County of San Francisco, Real Estate Division)
1 to 5 pm: Drop off at Suite 345 (San Francisco Arts Commission)
Our office closes at 5 pm.
Contact
For questions, please e-mail hello [at] writerscorps [dot] org or call 415-252-2546.
Please note that on Monday, May 20, our staff will be attending a meeting and unavailable from 9 am to 1 pm.
