Join Our Team

The Program Manager is the anchor for day-to-day program excellence at Uptown Stories. You’ll recruit and support our teaching team, ensure workshops run smoothly from first day to final reading, build strong relationships with families and school partners, and represent Uptown Stories at community events. This is a highly relational, on-your-feet role for an educator/coach who loves supporting teachers, students, and families.

‍Hours: Full time (minimum 35 hours a week), hybrid, core hours 10:00-5:30PM Monday-Friday, with regular on-site time 2:00–5:30pm. Weekends required for semester readings and events, with comp time for night/weekend work. During the summer, hours shift earlier from 9:00-5:00, with more hybrid time.

‍Key Responsibilities:

• Outreach & Partnerships: Represent Uptown Stories at PTAs, community events, and info sessions; recruit students and build school/CBO relationships.
• Program Operations: Be on-site for first sessions and readings; communicate with families; handle day-of logistics (rooms, materials, schedules).
• Teaching Team: Recruit, hire, onboard, and schedule teachers; observe classes and provide coaching; run monthly PD and organize peer observations; secure substitutes; ensure supplies/tech.
• Curriculum: Support backward-design curriculum development that is engaging, meaningful, and helps our young writers to love writing.
• School-Based Programs (LEAPS): Serve as liaison to school administration, parents, and teachers.

‍Desired Qualities:

• Bi-lingual Spanish/English
• Experience creating differentiated curriculum grades 3-8
• Experience teaching grades 3-8 in public schools or similar settings
• Experience mentoring and providing professional development to teachers
• Experience in community outreach and event representation.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong written, communication, and interpersonal abilities to collaborate with staff, families, community partners, and other stakeholders.
• Passion for creative writing, education, and empowering young writers.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks effectively.

‍Salary and Benefits

• Salary $60,000-$65,000 commensurate with experience
• Health insurance (company pays $500 per month towards plan)
• Dental insurance (company pays 60%)
• Vision insurance (company pays 60%)
• Commuter pre-tax savings (company does not contribute)
• 403b after 3 months and 250 hours of service (company does not contribute)

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Uptown Stories is seeking a part-time teaching artist to be part of our three after school writing workshop programs in upper Manhattan public schools. Our classes are structured around reading, writing, and the arts, creating a community of young authors and artists.

We are looking for Teaching Artists who write terrific curricula, who are dynamic and engaging in the classroom, who are self-reliant and responsible, who can differentiate instruction for different ages and abilities, and who, most of all, feel passionate about the craft and the art of writing. Teaching Artists are expected to help set up and break down the classroom space, maintain regular email contact with families regarding class progress, and offer feedback to students about their work.

Teaching Artists for this program need to be:

• SAC-credentialed or have an Associate’s Degree in Child Development, Elementary Education, Physical Education, Recreation, or a related field.
• Experienced leading a class teaching children grades 2-5, ideally with neurodiverse learners
• Practicing writers or artists in their field of expertise.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English.

This position requires in-person availability from 3:00PM-5:00PM, Monday through Friday; compensation starts at $50/hr. To be approved to work within the schools, fingerprinting, background checks, and mandatory online training are required.

Based in Washington Heights, Uptown Stories offers after-school, weekend, and summer creative writing workshops for children ages 8-18. We are seeking rockstar Teaching Artists, who are also professional authors and artists, to lead our creative writing workshops. Have a genre you’re passionate about? Tell us why you think your workshop would be an exciting addition to our programming.

All classes should be structured primarily as workshops, where the students learn the art and craft of writing, revision, and how to give and receive constructive feedback, creating a community of young authors and artists. Each workshop ends with a celebratory reading at Word Up Community Bookshop in Washington Heights, and the publication of a paperback anthology, so every student leaves our program as a published author.

We are looking for Teaching Artists who write terrific curricula, who are dynamic and engaging in the classroom, who are self-reliant and responsible, who can differentiate instruction for different ages and abilities, and who, most of all, feel passionate about the craft and the art of writing. Teaching Artists are expected to help set up and break down the classroom space, maintain regular email contact with families regarding class progress, and be responsive to emails from students about their work. Uptown Stories will handle enrollment, space, billing, and provide materials and snacks.

All applicants must:

• ‍Have 4+ years of professional experience teaching children within the age range of 8-18
• Have at least 1 year of professional experience teaching creative writing
• ‍Be practicing writers or artists in their field of expertise

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