Summer Academy STEAM Lead Teacher; Grades 6-9

Overview

Horizons Greater Washington seeks dedicated and effective candidates with classroom experience and a penchant for cultivating students’ lifelong love of learning for the role of STEAM Lead Teacher in our five‑week Summer Academy program. The educator will teach a hands‑on, project‑based STEAM curriculum to guide the students through engaging lessons using Keva planks, basic coding (Scratch), circuits (Makey Makey), and design.

• 3000 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
• 4700 Whitehaven Parkway NW, Washington, DC 20007
• 8821 River Road, Bethesda, MD 20817

The typical daily schedule will be Monday through Friday, 8 am to 3:15 pm. For staff members who are riding the bus for bus duty, your schedule will adjust accordingly, based on bus schedules.

• Staff Orientation: 06/23/2026-06/26/2026
• Summer Program: 06/29/2026-07/31/2026
• * There will be no program on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day on July 4th.

Horizons Greater Washington (HGW), an affiliate of Horizons National, is a dedicated leader in advancing educational opportunities by creating long‑term partnerships with students, families, communities, and schools to create enriching out‑of‑school experiences that ignite the joy of learning for our students.

HGW supports over 400 students across grades 1–9 with robust year‑round programming. Our approach is centered on whole‑child development, specifically focusing on building problem‑solving skills, fostering a strong sense of community responsibility, and instilling respect for self and others. By maintaining this multi‑year commitment from the first to the ninth grade, HGW cultivates meaningful, long‑term connections between diverse learners and dedicated, supportive staff.

Our program design and staff practices utilize a Positive Youth Development framework, prioritizing engagement, interaction, support, and a safe environment to effectively meet the needs of our youth.

The cornerstone of our work is the five‑week Summer Academy, which expertly blends high‑quality academics—with a specific focus on math, humanities, literacy, and STEAM—with comprehensive social‑emotional learning, arts instruction, swimming, and confidence‑building opportunities.

HGW seeks dedicated and effective candidates with classroom experience and a penchant for cultivating students’ lifelong love of learning for the role of Grades 6-9 STEAM Lead Teacher
. Each Lead Teacher will work with a program support staff, and a certified reading specialist to create an engaging, inquiry‑based curriculum in small classes of no more than 20 students. Additionally, Lead Teachers are supported by a Site Director and the HGW administrative team. Lead teachers leverage their experience and expertise in project‑based instruction, behavior management, and differentiation to ensure students have a highly impactful summer learning experience.

Successful applicants will be flexible and creative in response to students’ interests and needs, passionate about Horizons’ mission and building transformative relationships with young people, and self‑driven, demonstrating a commitment to quality and growth.

• Deliver the provided STEAM curriculum, which includes all materials and lesson plans to 15‑20 middle‑school students. Each grade will meet 3‑4 times per week throughout our five‑week summer program.
• Facilitate hands‑on activities, such as basic coding with block‑based platforms like Scratch, creating simple circuits (e.g., paper circuits), and designing switches for Makey Makeys.
• Guide and help students connect their custom controllers to Chromebooks using Makey Makeys to create interactive games.
• Foster a collaborative and creative classroom environment that encourages exploration and problem‑solving.
• Prepare for lessons by reviewing the provided materials and organizing supplies.
• Support students in their projects.

• Establish and maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning. HGW’s programs adhere to the Pyramid of Program Quality designed by the David Weikart…