Teaching Assistant (Education)
Teaching Assistant (TA) Job Description
BAC Pre-College Summer Programs
Summer Academy Team Lead & Urban Planning Team Lead
Deadline to apply May 15th, 2025
Fabulous summer opportunity for current college students and recent graduates to work with high school design and planning students (ages 14-18) at the Boston Architectural College's Summer Academy and Urban Design and Planning Fellowship.
About the Programs:
The Summer Academy Program: Online or Onsite ~100 hours,
Summer Academy is a four-week hands-on program designed for high school students who are curious about starting a career in architecture, interior architecture, or landscape architecture.
Summer Academy students learn the fundamentals of Design, Drawing, 3D Modeling, and Digital and Analog Fabrication, through a series of exercises and exploration. Each group of 9-12 students is led by a TA throughout the program – and attend instructional lectures, site visits, firm visits, and design-related workshops.
All students enrolled in the Urban Design and Planning Pre-College Fellowship program are also enrolled in Summer Academy.
Summer Academy Onsite runs weekdays for 4 weeks from Noon - 4:00pm, July 7 - August 1
Summer Academy Online runs weekdays for 4 weeks from 9:00am - 12:30pm, July 7 - August 1
The Urban Design and Planning Fellowship Program: ~ 140 Hrs,
This pre-professional training program introduces high school students to urban design and planning foundations and professions. The program is in-person on the Boston Architectural College campus in Back Bay, Boston (near public transportation).
As fellows, high school- aged students are jointly enrolled in two programs that together are designed to support and enhance student learning— the Summer Academy Design Program plus the Urban Design and Planning Fellows Program
Urban Design and Planning Pre-College Fellowship runs weekdays for 6 Weeks at the following dates and times: 10:00am - 4:30pm June 30 - July 3 (BAC closed on July 4th)
10:00am to 12:30 July 7 - August 1, and
10:00am - 4:30pm August 4 - 8
About the TA job positions:
The Boston Architectural College is seeking Teaching Assistants—undergraduate and graduate level college students or recent college graduates—who are interested in working with diverse groups of high school students in learning about design and/or urban planning. No experience as a TA in these professions is required, just a desire to learn and to facilitate the learning of high school students, and to improve the diversity and equity in these professions. We have a number of different TA positions and opportunities.
Option A—TA for Summer Academy Only (See below for details)
Option B—TA for Summer Academy + Urban Design/Planning Fellows (See below for details)
The TAs will lead teams of students in hands-on, experiential, inquiry-based activities that are pre-designed by the program directors; will help create a fun, positive, inclusive learning environment for all; will work alongside BAC staff and faculty to implement the programs; and will lead/facilitate field trips and interviews with community and professional partners.
This is a great opportunity for college and graduate students who are interested in STEM/STEAM education; and/or career-based educational program development; and/or higher ed and nonprofit programming; exploring the planning and design professions (and related topics of policy, environment, climate) themselves; and/or improving diversity and equity in the professions of design and planning; and/or making connections within these professions for their own career paths.
TA - Summer Academy Only Onsite (Option A1):
This position includes 4.5 weeks of employment for 3.5-4 hours/day plus training.
Location: Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Boston MA (in-person)
Program dates: July 7 - August 1, 2025
Program times: 1pm - 4:30pm, plus planning time
Training: Starts third week of June
TA - Summer Academy Only Online (Option A2):
This position includes 4.5 weeks of employment for 3.5-4 hours/day plus training.
Location: Remote: Meet Online via Zoom
Program dates: July 7 - August 1, 2025
Program times: 9:00am - 12:30pm, plus planning time
Training: Starts third week of June
TA - Summer Academy + Urban Design & Planning (Option B):
This position includes 6+ weeks of employment for 6+ hours/day plus training.
Location: Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Boston MA (in-person)
Program dates: June 30 - August 8, 2025
Program times: 10 am - 4:00:30 pm, plus planning time
Training: Starts third week of June
Summer Academy training includes:
• Hands-on design learning facilitation
• Program implementation
Urban Design and Planning Fellows Program training includes:
• Teaching methods: Introduction to experiential, project-based, student-centered/led, asset-based facilitation
• Curriculum Development & Implementation: Introduction to the Urban Planning Fellows curriculum which includes: urban planning foundations (city as a system, housing, transportation, environment, economy, policy, land use, mapping), urban planning themes (climate, justice, community, real estate/development, placemaking, technologies), urban design (design thinking, and exploring neighborhood scale projects), and professional/career pathway development
• Creating a learning community
• Working with youth through (DEIJ) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice lens
• Program and Community Partnership building
• Bridging the Urban Planning Program with Summer Design Academy
PRIMARY ESSENTIAL Functions of the joint program TAs:
▪ Working with the program directors/leads to implement the programs;
▪ Learn and adopt the Urban Planning Fellows Program and Summer Academy Design Program curricula;
▪ Helping to create an inclusive learning community culture;
▪ Leading teams of students (up to 12) in hands-on activities and that explore urban planning and design which includes;
▪ Serving as a learning facilitator working with diverse teams of high school fellows;
▪ Coordinating and attending lectures and interviews with community and professional partners; and facilitating follow up activities with high school fellows;
▪ Leading discussion sessions and tutorials;
▪ Assisting with preparation and distribution of program materials;
▪ Overseeing audiovisual equipment and supporting demonstrations of the use of equipment (with support from BAC IT staff);.
▪ Maintaining the confidentiality of student and employee records, and discerning when it is appropriate to divulge privileged or confidential information.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Current college or graduate student, or recent graduate of college or graduate program
• Must be aged 18 or older
• No experience in the planning and design professions is required
The BAC is committed to developing a diverse and talented academic community. People with disabilities, people of color, indigenous people, LGBTQ+ and Hispanic/LatinX candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position
