Description

OVERVIEW: The Education & Community Programs Coordinator will lead the development and growth of a dynamic and engaging educational program at the Yakima Valley Museum. This position will design and deliver relevant, community focused and mission aligned educational opportunities for all audiences. 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM: Founded in 1951, the Yakima Valley Museum (YVM) provides residents and visitors with impactful exhibits and programs that focus on central Washington’s unique cultural and natural history.  The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and with a 65,000 square foot facility, is one of the largest cultural history museums in the state. The Museum’s collection consists of over 48,000 objects, including an art collection of 1,400 works, and a large regional archive and library.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Educational Programs:

-          Plan, develop, and implement engaging educational opportunities, including on-site field trips with age-appropriate curriculum for all demographics.

-          Ensure all educational opportunities, including on-site field trips are mission-driven, align with museum best practices, have specified learning outcomes and align with Washington State Learning Standards. 

-          Lead field trips and group tours with support from volunteers. 

-          Coordinate all educational programs for adults, schools, groups tours and family programming, overseeing the logistics including scheduling, communication, and supporting the Visitor Services Program Area with payment. 

-          Create a variety of activities and materials to enhance visitor experiences, including self-guided tours and hands-on activities. 

-          Contribute to the development of exhibits in collaboration with the Curator of Collections & Exhibitions and Executive Director. 

-          Research and develop programming aligned with the content of museum exhibitions and collections.

-          Establish and cultivate relationships with local educators and educational institutions. 

-          Develop and implement tools and metrics to evaluate program success

-          Identify opportunities to increase accessibility to educational opportunities. 

-          Track education program purchases and expenses, with the Executive Director. 

Family and Community Programs:

-          Develop and deliver creative and engaging programs for family audiences. 

-          Develop public programs for community audiences such as lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and film screenings. 

-          Establish and cultivate positive relationships with community partners to cocreate mission-aligned programming and educational materials that support the strategic goals of the Yakima Valley Museum.

-          Develop summer camp opportunities. 

-          Manage the Children’s Underground gallery space, ensuring the space is clean and organized for visitors. 

Volunteer Coordination

-          Contribute to the recruitment and scheduling of all Education Volunteers and Interns to contribute to leading field trips, guided tours, and program development. 

-          With support from other staff, coordinate Volunteer Recognition events, training, and ongoing professional development opportunities as needed. 

Museum Outreach, Events, and Communication:

-     Contribute to the success of the Museum’s social media presence by writing content and taking photographs of education programs and events. 

-     Contribute content to the monthly e-newsletter. 

-     Provide support for Museum special events when assigned. 

-     Staff Museum outreach events when assigned. 

-     In collaboration with all staff, help execute strategies related to the Strategic Plan. 

-     Perform other duties as assigned to support the museum. 

EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION: 

This position is full-time 40 hours non-exempt position compensated $28-$29/hour and includes health and dental insurance (employee only, employer paid at 90% for health insurance and 100% for dental), up to 3% match with museum Simple IRA plan, 11 paid holidays, paid time off and sick time which can be discussed during the interview process. This is a Tuesday-Saturday position, with occasional evening work required.  

We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Diverse perspectives and experiences enhance the richness of our work and reflect our community. We expect that not all candidates will meet every criterion in this job description, and some candidates may decide not to apply if they do not meet every line in the description. We encourage you to apply anyway! 

Yakima Valley Museum is an equal opportunity employer.

TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter of interest, a resume, and three professional references to Liz Hobson, Executive Director, liz@yvmuseum.org by December 31st, 2025.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

-     Experience leading facilitated programs to audiences of all ages. 

-     At least two years of experience teaching students in a formal or informal education program. 

-     Creative, positive, and must enjoy working with youth and their families.

-     Ability to work collaboratively and independently.

-     Interest in history, education, museum studies, anthropology, or a related field is required.

-     Strong knowledge of museum and education best practices and trends. 

-     Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required. 

-     Strong customer service, communication, and project management skills.

-     Strong interpersonal skills and ability to contribute to a positive work culture. 

-     Ability to represent the Museum in a professional manner.

-     Ability to work efficiently and courteously with diverse audiences including members of the public, staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders.

-     Must understand non-profit organizations, museums, or arts and cultural organizations.

-     High level of enthusiasm and willingness to work as a team member.