Activity Specialist, Lower Elementary (After School)

Activity Specialist, Lower Elementary (After School) Part-Time • Grades K-2 • Follows Springhurst Elementary School Calendar About the Role GaragePod is looking for a thoughtful, intellectually curious educator with a genuine interest in how young children think, learn, and explore. You'll be the steady presence behind one of the program's most active and imaginative spaces. You love books, games, puzzles, building, nature, and asking good questions. You're energized by ideas and genuinely enjoy cultivating curiosity in children. What You'll Do The Space Introduce board and card games, books, building and engineering challenges, science experiments, nature discoveries, and outdoor explorations. Create daily invitations that encourage children to think, build, invent, question, and imagine. Teach games clearly and enthusiastically - introduce the rules, play a round, then hand them over to the children so they can take ownership. Support imaginative play - the performances, the inventions, the make-believe worlds without directing the outcome. Steward the library with care, keeping it organized, inviting, and full of books children want to read. We use Follett Destiny as the content management system. Maintain the building area as an open, well-stocked invitation to design, construct, and create. Know when to step in and when to step back; your presence should support, not overshadow. Use the yard and mud kitchen as spaces for exploration, experimentation, and open-ended play. Program Operations Support daily program routines, including arrival, snack, transitions, and outdoor play. Reset the building area, library, and games each day so the space remains organized and inviting. Maintain strong supervision and awareness of children within your space at all times. Help create a calm, welcoming environment where children feel safe to explore. Planning & Collaboration Come prepared each day with a simple activity, challenge, or discovery to introduce. Add plans to the shared program calendar to keep the team coordinated. Collaborate regularly with your supervisor and colleagues to refine programming. Attend monthly staff meetings. Community & Culture Get to know each child - their interests, strengths, and what helps them engage. Support children through transitions with warmth, consistency, and good judgment. Communicate professionally with colleagues and families. What We're Looking For Minimum of 2 years of experience working with children in a structured setting Knowledgeable about games and how to teach them and resourceful enough to keep finding new ones Someone who loves books and ideas and knows how to bring them to life for young children Someone who enjoys learning, asking questions, exploring ideas, and sharing that enthusiasm with children. Reliable, organized, and able to maintain a welcoming and well-run space Clear, professional communication with children and colleagues Able to use basic systems for communication and program coordination Bachelor's degree required - we welcome applicants from fields including: Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Psychology, Library Science, Museum Education, Biology, Environmental Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, History, Art Education. Theater. Recreation, Outdoor Education and other related fields Schedule & Compensation Part-time, Monday-Friday (follows Springhurst Elementary School calendar) Typical hours: approximately 2:15-6:15pm Some days follow modified hours due to early release or half days Monthly staff meetings are required Additional hours available for planning, meetings, and special events Hourly rate: $22-28, based on experience This is a school-year position, with the opportunity to return each year and grow within the program. Benefits Eligible employees may participate in GaragePod's 401(k) plan after one year of service, including employer matching Benefits eligibility varies by role and hours worked and is outlined in the employee handbook Why GaragePod We believe the best afternoons are the ones that follow the natural rhythm of a child. When children are given the time, space, and freedom to explore, they create the weird, the wacky, and the wonderful. Those are the moments we cherish. We celebrate children's curiosity, imagination, and individuality and the unique ways they make sense of the world. The narrator in the The Little Prince reminds us that, "all grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it." At GaragePod, we're looking for the ones who still do.

Pay:

$22.00 - $28.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person