Far Horizons Summer Counselor

Far Horizons Summer Counselor

Full-Time Temporary

Pay Range: $17.20-17.61/hr

About the Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, Adler's focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.

Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors annually and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With Adler's support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities, ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way.

The Position

The Adler Planetarium seeks a Far Horizons Summer Counselor to join our dynamic team on Chicago's Museum Campus. The Counselor collaborates with Far Horizons staff and the Teen Programs Manager to implement Mission Near Space and Far Horizons Teens programs.

In Mission Near Space, 7th and 8th-grade students become part of a unique team of engineers, educators, and astronomers. They prepare, launch, track, and retrieve a scientific payload sent to the stratosphere aboard a high-altitude balloon. During Far Horizons Teens, high school students will continue a teen-led and implemented light pollution research project. They will learn about light pollution and the ecology of local ecosystems through hands-on activities and then plan and carry out the next steps of a research project.

The Counselor keeps middle—through high school-aged participants engaged all day, every day, assisting the Program Manager with program operations. They take the lead on individual needs management, allowing the Program Manager to focus on whole-group instruction.

This individual will also be responsible for:

• Assisting the Program Manager in maintaining participants' safety and positive engagement during indoor and outdoor activities, including one weekly off-site trip (Mission Near Space) and fieldwork (Far Horizons Teens)
• Understanding and implementing all emergency procedures associated with the Adler Planetarium
• Helping participants complete fun, STEAM-based activities, adapting as needed to meet the needs of the participants. Encouraging all participants to participate fully in all activities, providing individual attention as needed
• Participating in all training sessions and preparation as needed
• Assisting in Mission Near Space drop-off and pick-up procedures by greeting participants and keeping them engaged in games or other age-appropriate activities while waiting
• Setting up and cleaning up program materials and activities daily
• Traveling with Mission Near Space program participants to Kankakee and the payload recovery site on balloon-launch day and traveling with Far Horizons Teens to a TBD location for fieldwork

The Work Schedule

This temporary full-time position begins on June 2nd, 2025, and ends on August 8th, 2025. The typical work schedule for this position is 35 hours per week. The anticipated schedule for this position is:

Mission Near Space Training & Preparation:

• June 2 - June 13 | Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm
• Training Flight: June 5th (June 4th as weather backup) 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM

Mission Near Space Implementation:

• Session 1: June 16 - 20 | Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm
• One extended day, usually Thursday (varying, but 6:30 pm is average)
• Session 2: June 23 - 27 | Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm
• One extended day, usually Thursday (varying, but 6:30 pm is average)
• Session 3: July 7 - 11 | Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm
• One extended day, usually Thursday (varying, but 6:30 pm is average)

Far Horizons Teens Preparation:

• June 30 - July 4 | Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm
• Possibility of remote or virtual work

Far Horizons Teens Implementation:

• July 14th, 2024 - August 8th
• Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 8 am - 4 pm
• Wednesdays 2 pm - 10 pm
• Other Night-Time Field Work | Dates TBD

The Person

The Far Horizons counselor is ready for anything and curious about everything! They always have a new game or challenge prepared to occupy the group of young folks during downtime and are great at figuring out what needs to happen to keep the day running smoothly. Teamwork and collaboration come naturally to them, and they know that the best way to help someone learn is to guide them toward their discoveries. They're equally comfortable in the field (possibly a literal field!) or the classroom. They're curious about the world around them, from the plants and animals of an ecosystem through the layers of the atmosphere and into the night sky!

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• One or more years of experience working with 7th - 12th graders in an educational and/or camp-like setting
• Valid driver's license
• Proficient in Google Suite
• Confident tech user and excited to learn new tech skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• One year or more of college
• College coursework or comparable in formal (classroom) or informal (museum) education, space science field, technology, or relevant science field
• Previous research fieldwork experience
• Camp counselor experience
• Experience with high-altitude ballooning
• Comfortable driving a 15-passenger van
• Bilingual Spanish and English speaker

Application and Interview Timeline

Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by March 21, 2025. First-round interviews will take place from late March to mid-April, followed by final interviews in late April.

The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer obligations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email Jenean Featherson at recruiting@adlerplanetarium.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.