The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) pioneers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. We steward the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the hardworking communities that depend on it through a mix of science, education, and community programming.

GMRI is making a long–term investment in science literacy as a cornerstone of a 21st century economy by providing programs to ignite the curiosity, ambition, innovation, and problem–solving potential of Maine’s next generation. GMRI’s education department works to support teachers and students across Maine (and beyond) in engaging in authentic science experiences. These efforts engage hundreds of educators and more than 10,000 students a year. The range of programming across the department includes a regional citizen science effort to investigate how ecosystems are changing in response to climate change, a journal of middle school ecological research, ongoing curriculum and professional development efforts to support and deepen teachers’ comfort with authentic science and data literacy, and onsite and virtually delivery of science learning experiences based in real and local ecosystem change.

The education department is a small, collaborative, and creative team. We work together to innovate, create, and test ideas in order to build robust learning experiences and communities of practice. The team is driven by big ideas and has big goals. The department works in collaboration with others across GMRI’s departments including Research, Community, and Development, to share best practices and to promote our work with a national audience as relevant models for authentic science learning.

The position will be part time at 24 hours per week and located at GMRI in Portland, Maine.

Responsibilities/Tasks:

The Science Instruction Specialist will work with the Senior Program Manager and GMRI Education Team to design curriculum resources that reflect GMRI’s commitment to authentic data/technology-rich science experiences for students. This includes both revision of existing resources and creation of new curriculum reflecting new areas of research engagement with scientists, teachers, and students. In this essential program development role, the Specialist will:

• Develop content and tools across a number of projects, independently creating and testing curriculum resources to support learning
• Collaborate with colleagues and educators to test, evaluate, and evolve content across a range of education projects 
• Support the Senior Program Manager in documenting and reflecting on programmatic operations, evaluation, and evolution 
• Support the Senior Program Manager, GMRI’s Learning Scientist, and external learning research partners in program research and evaluation efforts 
• Collaborate across GMRI programs sharing and incorporating best practices and lessons learned

The Specialist will work both independently and in collaboration with the team in the areas of educator professional learning and teacher community support, including:

• Working independently and with the team to design and provide educators with high quality professional development experiences 
• Supporting and facilitating professional development events and coordinating event logistics 
• Supporting and growing the program communities and target audiences 
• Helping monitor and maintain the integrity of datasets and websites 
• Working with the team to maintain up-to-date records of communications and community activities 
• Communicating effectively with community and other audiences through multiple avenues, both online and in-person