Job Description

DEPT/DIVISION: The Putney School Summer Programs

REPORTS TO: Director

TEACH & SUPERVISE: Students (14 - 17)

FTE: No

WORK YEAR: Summer - Seasonal: June 23, 2025 - July 27, 2025

FLSA & PAY TYPE: Exempt - Salaried (based on workshops)

BENEFITS: No

COMPENSATION: $750+/week dependant on number of workshops (w/ additional compensation for returning staff based on number of years worked)

OTHER DETAILS:

• This role is for teachers with an active artistic practice, with curriculum building experience, and experience working with teens or college level students.
• Number of Openings: 3 (for workshops listed below)
  • Ceramics
  • Culinary
  • Painting
• Housing Provided: Faculty will be housed in a dorm building (or other available housing) in a private room with a shared living room space.
• Free meals (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free options are provided)

HOW TO APPLY:

• Interested candidates should submit the following items via email to the Director, Dan Folgar [email protected]
• Letter of interest, that should include the workshop you are interested in teaching and links to your work
• 1-2 page resume, indicating related work experience
• List of 3 professional references, including contact information
• We will continue reviewing applications until all positions are filled

ABOUT THE POSITION: The Putney School Summer Arts , an international residential summer program for 14-17 year olds who are highly motivated to participate in a rigorous arts program, seeks to fill Workshop Teacher positions. This role presents an exciting collaborative opportunity to work with The Putney School’s Summer Programs team on our Vermont campus. This candidate will work with 200+ teens as they learn, make art & music, build lifelong friendships and explore their individuality in a safe and welcoming environment. This position encompasses a variety of responsibilities that support student’s growth and learning during their time in the summer. 

Workshop teachers build a curriculum that will lead students through learning the basics of the medium and set them up for independent work. All workshops are of mixed level. Workshop teachers should be prepared to assess and lead more advanced students through more advanced work while maintaining an environment that works for beginner level students, either through more challenging prompts or through individual guidance into independent work. 

Our employees are part of an intentional residential experience that values belonging and community. We seek applicants who find joy in their work and help others realize how much fun authentic, student-centered learning can be. To this end, workshop teachers will also have residential responsibilities during the day and participate as active members of the community.

OUR MISSION: The Putney School is a progressive secondary boarding school on 600 acres in Vermont. Since its founding in 1935, the school’s character and governance have been based on collaboration and shared values rather than competition. We are a community of people who think for themselves, invent, design, experiment, compose, write, build, and chase down new ideas. Each employee makes a significant contribution to the school’s success, and it is our expectation that each employee will always have the wellbeing of the whole school in mind. 

Since 1987, Putney Summer Arts has welcomed a diverse community of young artists and arts professionals to the Putney School campus each summer. Located on a working farm in Southern Vermont, we provide an intimate space where students passionate about the arts receive support and inspiration to focus on furthering their artistic practice and learning. Hands-on learning is embedded in the program's culture: expansive arts offerings, a working dairy farm, and community based events. Our teachers are experienced educators and practicing artists, many of whom return year after year. Summer Arts is a community of young artists, arts educators, and professionals who believe teens can be their truest selves through the making of art in an environment where learning collaboratively and taking risks is celebrated. 

Putney is a leader in progressive education and is committed to the ideals of social justice. Our commitment to social justice work is embedded in our stated fundamental beliefs; it is part of our regular work in curriculum design, assessment structures, and professional development to examine, reflect on and promote anti-racist work. The ideal candidate will be eager to participate in anti-racist work and use an inclusive, social justice lens in their work with all students and adults on campus. Building a just and inclusive community is a shared responsibility, and Putney supports all its employees in developing this critical skill set.

JOB SUMMARY: Workshop teachers are responsible for building their workshop curriculum, and leading students through a course that challenges and helps them grow in the medium and culminates in individual projects. They will serve as dorm liaisons and offer support to Residential staff through assigned responsibilities, at the discretion of the Director. See below for specific responsibilities based on the workshop.

CERAMICS:

• Experienced with hand building and wheel throwing techniques
• Able to operate an electric and or gas kiln
• Able to manage firing schedule 
• Responsible for loading and unloading kiln with student help 

CULINARY:

• Have restaurant experience or be a passionate home cook
• Experienced working in commercial kitchen
• Knowledge of basic kitchen skills
• Knowledge of basic safety required when working in a kitchen
• Knowledge of safe food handling practices

PAINTING:

• Experience working with acrylic paint
• Comfortable painting on masonite
• Comfortable working with studio models, nude and clothed
• Able to assist students in maintaining studio equipment to ensure long term use

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Exhibit the behavior of a positive mentor and role model as a responsible member of the Summer Arts community
• Follow and teach the workshop curriculum
• Ability to adjust lesson plans based on student needs
• Knowledge of art history
• Ability to demonstrate techniques
• Critique student work in a manner that celebrates creativity but gives areas of growth
• Manage studio supplies
• Manage studio space, maintaining standards of cleanliness
• Write narrative evaluations for each student at the end of each session
• Hold open studio time in the afternoon on assigned days
• Be a liaison to a dormitory
• Take attendance before morning sing and before assemblies
• Take attendance at the start of the workshop, and report missing students to the summer office team
• Prep students for sharing of work mid session and plan for how they will present
• Help students set up a final gallery exhibit at the end of the session
• Fill out incident reports in a timely manner, highlighting positive and negative situations, in order to inform the summer office team
• Form positive, professionally appropriate relationships with students and staff 
• Be familiar with the Putney School campus and all Putney Summer Programs policies and practices 
• Reinforce all policies and guidelines, while maintaining a positive rapport with students and staff
• Engage with students at meals, in assemblies, at special events, etc. 
• Support healthy student habits
• Address student concerns when they come up 
• Engage with students to resolve any misunderstandings of expectations
• Participate in community-wide activities on and off campus 
• Attend and participate in faculty meetings 
• Other duties as assigned (by Summer Program Director) 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Undergraduate Degree in related field or higher
• Must be 21 years of age or above
• Eligibility to work in the United States; ONE of the following: 

○ US citizenship 

○ Hold a US Resident Alien card 

○ Possess or obtain at candidate’s expense a US work permit that does not expire until after the final date of employment (July 27, 2025)

• Must pass a criminal background check and a sexual offender registry check
• Since this role involves building trust and authentic relationships with our community, we seek candidates who align with The Putney School’s Fundamental Beliefs; prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging; and are enthusiastic about contributing to our mission.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Willingness to support and value all aspects of our teen Summer Arts environment
• Posses a valid driver’s license
• Enthusiastic with exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills
• Mature, responsible, reliable, punctual, flexible, and have high moral character
• Prior experience with a summer program 
• Prior experience and interested in working with teens 
• Willingness to make mistakes, ability to problem solve, and can approach misunderstandings and move forward
• Confidence in working autonomously; confidence in working in person with others 
• Willingness to ask questions for guidance when uncertain
• Ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment 
• Able to manage stress and strain in the work environment
• First Aid Certification
• Gallery coordination experience

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This job includes manual labor. Lifting and carrying supplies for workshops, as well as moving furniture in setting up your workshop space, will be required.

THINGS TO EXPECT:

• Long work days with changing schedules
• No smoking or vaping for the duration of the program
• No alcohol, drugs or illicit substances for the duration of the program
• No internet-ready devices (including smart watches) outside of your assigned dorm room
• No pets
• Employment is contingent on enrollment

QUESTIONS: Any questions about the position should be directed to Director Dan Folgar at [email protected] or 802-387-6234

The Putney School Summer Arts is a program of The Putney School, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

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