Undergraduate Position, Queen’s University (SWEP) – McDonald Institute Summer Educational Content Developer
This position is open to those pursuing an undergraduate degree at Queen’s University in Physics, Engineering, Engineering & Computing, Astrophysics, Education, Concurrent Education + other listed Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Geology, Chemistry, or Material Science who have a strong interest in science communication and education. This opportunity is part of the Summer Work Experience Program at Queen’s University and will be full time for 16 weeks from May 1 through August 31, 2024, at a rate of $17.34 per hour.
Working with the Manager for Education & Public Outreach (EPO), the McDonald Institute Summer Educational Content Developer (MI Developer) will be responsible for both scientific communication writing for online educational resources, and educational resources for training elementary, middle, and high school teachers and students.
The MI Developer’s time will have half their time structured around reviewing, improving, adding to, and creating educational science content for the Science & Education section of the MI website and other MI digital spaces. The other 50% of time will be spent co-developing (a) teacher resource(s) that corresponds to the MI Developer’s interests and experience level that incorporates the online science content. The resource(s) will target Canadian astroparticle physics concepts, experiments, and/or techniques and will be scalable for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and students. The MI developer works on their writing, user experience and interface designs, and teacher resource development primarily with the manager of EPO, but will also work with scientific researcher staff and faculty who are experts in the area of choice for the educational resource. All aspects of the work will include a focus on accessibility, scaffolding, and user experience.
The summer would begin with a review of what resources and content currently exist and are planned, what content and resources are priorities, and the teacher resource(s) of most interest to the MI Developer. Interim deliverables and milestones are outlined in the “Learning Plan” section below, and will include weekly update meetings and monthly milestone presentations. The summer would conclude with the MI Developer presenting their science education work to the MI administrative team and affiliated researchers and, if possible, leading a training session with interested teachers and educators on the use and implementation of their teacher resource.
The deadline to apply is February 13, 2024. All applications must be completed through the Queen’s University MyCareer portal, where more information about this position is available under the Job ID 141965. Applicants should include a CV or résumé, an unofficial transcript, and a 1-page cover letter. We encourage applicants to reflect on any experience in a teaching/supervising role and speak to this experience in their application materials. Interested candidates are welcome to contact Mark Richardson, Manager for Education & Public Outreach, for any questions or concerns. More information can be found at mcdonaldinstitute.ca/summer-education-content-developer.
