Specialized Youth Instructor - Early Learning/Preschool
City of Fort Collins

POSITION TITLE: Specialized Youth Instructor - Early Learning/Preschool (Hourly)
REQUISITION #: req5828
DEPARTMENT: Recreation
LOCATION: NORTHSIDE AZTLAN CTR
BENEFIT CATEGORY: Variable Hourly View Classifications & Benefits
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Fluctuating Hourly
HOURLY RATE: $15.50 - 18.50 per hour (based on relevant experience)
SELECTION PROCESS: Application deadline is Open until filled.

Current hiring needs are for our year-round, state licensed Funtime Preschool and Early Learning Enrichment programs. Positions available are Early Childhood Lead Teachers, Early Childhood Assistant Teachers, and Early Childhood Teacher Aides.

The City of Fort Collins is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Post-offer background check, Motor Vehicle Report, drug test, and fingerprinting required within four calendar days (96 hours) of offer.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The City may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

The Community: The City of Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River. At 5,000 feet in elevation, residents enjoy a moderate, four-season climate, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. With 174,800 residents, Fort Collins is Colorado's fourth-largest city and spans 57 square miles. With the 20 year growth projection, the City of Fort Collins is expected to reach 255,000 residents.

The first people who hunted in this region arrived approximately 11,000 years ago, and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. European-American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from eastern cities and across the globe to the Colorado Territory, including what would become the town of Fort Collins; an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military fort. The expansion included the sugar beet industry's growth, which brought new residents whose descendants still live here today, including Mexican-American families from southern Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, as well as Germans from Russia. Since 1879, Fort Collins has been the home of the state's land grant institution, Colorado State University, which currently enrolls 34,000 students. Along with the university, the city's major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and world. The community's overall social diversity continues to grow.

There are abundant outdoor recreation opportunities available to the many residents who enjoy healthy lifestyles. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction, as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. The Downtown district provides many venues for live music, shopping, dining, and nightlife within the city. Fort Collins is widely considered the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. The City has a strong appreciation for arts, culture, and entertainment. Various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation.

The City's long list of acknowledgements includes:

• No. 2 Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America: American Water Works - June 2021
• No. 5 Best Remote-Ready Cities: Livability.com Jan 2021
• Top 30 Creative Small Cities: CVSuite - May 2020
• No. 18 Safest Cities in America: SafeWise - April 2020
• No. 1 Best Place to Live: Livability.com March 2020
• No. 9 Most Fitness Friendly Places: SmartAsset - Dec 2019
• No. 7 Safest Driving Cities: Allstate - June 2019
• No. 4 Best U.S. Cities to Raise a Family: MarketWatch - April 2019
• No. 9 Best Performing Cities: Milken Institute - Jan 2019
• No. 3 U.S. Cities with Highest Economic Confidence: Yahoo - Nov 2018
• No. 2 Brain Concentration Index: Bloomberg - Nov 2018
• No. 1 City in America for Cycling: PeopleForBikes-May 2018
• Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award: Alliance for Innovation-April 2018
• The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-Nov 2017
• 18th Best City for Career Opportunities: SmartAsset - Sep 2017
• 3rd Best College Town to Live in Forever: College Ranker - July 2017
• 25 Best Towns Ever: Where to Live Now: Outside Magazine - June 2017
• No. 1 Stable and Growing Housing Market: Realtor.com-June 2017
• 11th Happiest City in America: Yahoo! Finance - March 2017
• No. 9 Top 150 Cities for Millennials Report: Millennial Personal Finance - Feb 2017
• No. 2 Best Cities for Small Business Owners: ValuePenguin - Feb 2017

Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?

- Potential for paid personal leave and paid holidays

- Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, and financial assistance

- Wellness program, workout facilities

- Personal & professional learning opportunities plus potential for career mobility

- Collaborative work environment

Overview
The City of Fort Collins Recreation Department creates exceptional programs to serve an exceptional community. Our programs are an opportunity for children to learn new skills, discover new passions, be active, and connect with their peers. Our state-licensed preschool program, Funtime Preschool, including a summer Funtime Adventures camp, runs year-round programs for children ages 3-5 years and is focused on the development of readiness skills through child-directed discovery and teacher-led activities. Comprehensive curriculum content includes development of fine motor, cognitive, gross motor, social emotional and early literacy skills. The play-based, intentional approach encourages self-regulation, critical thinking and problem-solving. Additionally, the City offers a variety of early learning and preschool readiness programs and enrichment activities for ages 0-6.

We are searching for enthusiastic, dedicated professionals who are passionate about working with preschool-aged children. Ideal candidates genuinely enjoy the learning that takes place through play and is comfortable spending their days on a child's level! Certified Early Childhood Teachers will possess the knowledge and experience necessary to structure and manage a developmentally appropriate classroom complete with both recreational and educational components. Assistant Teachers and Teacher Aides will assist in program coordination and class management alongside Lead teachers in both licensed classrooms and early learning program areas.

Work Schedule

Funtime Preschool generally follows the Poudre School District Calendar with classes running from the end of August through mid-May. Summer Funtime Adventure Camps run end of May through mid-August. Required, pre-service trainings must be completed prior to working with children. Weekly work schedules will vary between 7:30am - 5:30pm depending on the programming season with up to 29 hours per week. Minimal evening or weekend hours necessary with exceptions for staff meetings or seasonal family engagement events.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.

• Active supervision of children including regular participation and attendance counts.
• Greet children and parents in a friendly manner; conduct daily health screens and electronic check-in/out process.
• Plan and instruct daily developmentally appropriate activities including but not limited to science, math, reading, indoor/outdoor games, crafts, dramatic play, music, and cooking.
• Prepare for and clean up following class/camp activities.
• Treat all children with care and respect in all interactions, including behavior guidance and classroom management strategies.
• Responsible for general maintenance of classroom/camp space and informing supervisors of missing and/or damaged equipment.
• Plans safe, fun walking field trips when available.
• Responsible for class/camp supply and equipment inventory, and requesting materials based on available budgets as needed.
• May be required to drive 15 passenger vans to transport children.
• Attend regular staff and department meetings as needed.
• Represent the City with a positive, professional, and healthy demeanor at all times.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position is not responsible for the direct supervision of any City employees.

City Competencies

• Demonstrated cultural competence to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of diverse identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong learning orientation. Leverages all resources and is creative in ways of learning for self to continue adapting to changing issues and trends.
• A desire and ability to understand the diverse needs of internal and external customers, and to create experiences and deliver services that exceed their expectations.
• A desire and ability to utilize digital tools for organizational information, individual, and teamwork.

Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Early Childhood Lead Teachers

Minimum age is 18. Must have one of the following:

• A Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in child development, child psychology, early childhood education, early childhood special education, educational leadership and administration, elementary education, family and human development, family studies, or special education; OR
• A Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in any area other than those listed above AND an additional two, three-semester credit hour courses in Early Child Education, with one course being either Introduction to Early Childhood Professions or Early Childhood guidance Strategies for children or has been issued a Colorado Pyramid Model training certificate of completion; OR
• An Associate's degree (60 semester credit hours) from an accredited college or university in Early Childhood Education or Child Development, which must include at least two, three-semester credit hour courses in either Introduction to Early childhood Professions or Early Childhood guidance Strategies for children or has been issued a Colorado Pyramid Model training certificate of completion; OR
• Three months (455 hours) of verified experience in the care and supervision of four or more children less than eight years of age who are not related to the individual; AND the completion of eighteen (18) semester credit hours from an accredited college or university in Early Childhood Education with one course as Introduction to Early Childhood Professions or Early Childhood guidance Strategies for children or has been issued a Colorado Pyramid Model training certificate of completion; OR
• A current Early Childhood Professional Credential Level II or higher in Version 3.0.

Early Childhood Assistant Teachers

Minimum age is 18. Must have one of the following:

• Completion of one of the following Early Childhood Education courses with a course grade of "C" or better: Introduction to Early Childhood Professions, Introduction to Early Childhood Techniques, Guidance Strategies for Young Children or has been issued the Colorado Pyramid Model Training certificate of completion, Health, Nutrition and Safety, Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education programs, Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood Professions or Introduction to Business, Curriculum Development: Methods and Techniques, Child Growth and Development, the Exceptional Child or Infant/Toddler Theory and Practice or have been issued the Expanding Quality Infant/Toddler Training certificate of completion; AND
• A minimum of nine months (1,365 hours) of verified experience in the care and supervision of four or more children less than eight years of age who are not related to the individual; OR
• A current Early Childhood Professional Credential Level I or higher in Version 3.0.

Early Childhood Teacher Aides

Minimum age is 16. Must have informal experience working and/or genuine interest in working with children.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

All positions:

• Must past City background check and pre-employment drug screen.

• Must receive clearance from state and federal fingerprinting, and child abuse reporting background check.
• CPR and First Aid Certification must be current or acquired within one month of hire.
• Must complete 15 hours of required pre-service trainings and courses before working with children.

Early Childhood Lead and Assistant Teachers Only:

• Valid driver's license, clean driving record, and ability to satisfactorily complete provided training for driving 15-passenger vans.

Language Skills Must be able to communicate effectively with children, parents, co-workers, supervisors, and the general public. Must be able to effectively give developmentally appropriate, verbal guidance to children between the ages of 1-5 years.

Reasoning Ability Must possess the ability to solve and implement practical solutions to problems, to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form, and to foresee and initiate proactive measures to ensure program quality, customer service and participant safety.

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to crawl, kneel, jump, run stoop, crouch, reach with hands and arms. The employee must have the ability to lift up to 40 lbs., lead children in extended periods of exercise and movement, must be able to control children in both an indoor and outdoor environment.

Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally be exposed to various weather conditions including rain, snow, wind, hail and heat. The employee may be exposed to allergy causing conditions (i.e. cottonwood, dust, animals, etc.). The employee may be exposed to a variety of childhood illnesses. The noise level in the work environment can be at high extremes at times.

The employee must be able to work effectively in an environment of noisy, happy, and sometimes distraught children. The employee must possess high tolerance for the characteristic behavior of children in indoor and outdoor recreation settings and work effectively in high stress situations. The employee should be flexible with the demands and interests of children.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specialty Instructor - Licensed Youth Programs

Performance Step 1 ($15.50)

• Performs as required by job description with minimum responsibilities; completes work as scheduled and assigned.
• Attends assigned meetings, trainings, and in-service days.
• Demonstrates knowledgeable decision-making, judgment, and concern for the proper care and well-being of children.
• Maintains a current early childhood professional Credential Level I or II in Version 2.0 or Level I in Version 3.0 as determined by the Colorado Department of Education or equivalent (Assistant Early Childhood Teacher).
• Has at least 3 months satisfactory experience working in licensed childcare programs.

Performance Step 2 ($16.50)

• Performs all duties outlined in Step 1; has a favorable review from their supervisor; AND
• Maintains a current early childhood professional Credential Level III in Version 2.0 or Level II in Version 3.0 as determined by the Colorado Department of Education or equivalent (Early Childhood Teacher).
• Demonstrates initiative and ability to do work beyond what is assigned.
• Willing to fill in as needed, learn new tasks, and assume additional responsibilities.
• Communicates regularly and favorably with participant families.
• Successfully directs the work of program aides and volunteers working in the classroom.

Performance Step 3 ($17.50)

• Performs all duties outlined in Step 2; has a favorable review from their supervisor; AND
• Maintains a current early childhood professional Credential Level III in Version 2.0 or Level II in Version 3.0 as determined by the Colorado Department of Education or equivalent (Small Center Director).
• Creates sustainable templates, tools, and resources for the improvement of the program.
• Assists Program Coordinator in training new employees.

Performance Step 4 ($18.50)

• Performs all duties outlined in Step 3; has a favorable review from their supervisor; AND
• Maintains a current early childhood professional Credential Level IV in Version 2.0 or Level III in Version 3.0 as determined by the Colorado Department of Education or equivalent (Large Center Director).
• Leads engagement events for participant families and members of the public.
• Able to perform tasks and duties without supervision.

All steps based on budget availability and current City of Fort Collins Policy. Based on previous employee experience, steps can be skipped with the approval of Area Manager.

The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 221-6535 for assistance.

Notice Regarding Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana Use:
Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.

The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this City policy "sexual orientation" means a person's actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.

POST OFFER BACKGROUND CHECK, MOTOR VEHICLE REPORT, AND DRUG TEST REQUIRED WITHIN FOUR CALENDAR DAYS/96 HOURS OF OFFER.

Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.

Overview
The City of Fort Collins Recreation Department creates exceptional programs to serve an exceptional community. Our programs are an opportunity for children to learn new skills, discover new passions, be active, and connect with their peers. Our state-licensed preschool program, Funtime Preschool, including a summer Funtime Adventures camp, runs year-round programs for children ages 3-5 years and is focused on the development of readiness skills through child-directed discovery and teacher-led activities. Comprehensive curriculum content includes development of fine motor, cognitive, gross motor, social emotional and early literacy skills. The play-based, intentional approach encourages self-regulation, critical thinking and problem-solving. Additionally, the City offers a variety of early learning and preschool readiness programs and enrichment activities for ages 0-6.

We are searching for enthusiastic, dedicated professionals who are passionate about working with preschool-aged children. Ideal candidates genuinely enjoy the learning that takes place through play and is comfortable spending their days on a child's level! Certified Early Childhood Teachers will possess the knowledge and experience necessary to structure and manage a developmentally appropriate classroom complete with both recreational and educational components. Assistant Teachers and Teacher Aides will assist in program coordination and class management alongside Lead teachers in both licensed classrooms and early learning program areas.

Work Schedule

Funtime Preschool generally follows the Poudre School District Calendar with classes running from the end of August through mid-May. Summer Funtime Adventure Camps run end of May through mid-August. Required, pre-service trainings must be completed prior to working with children. Weekly work schedules will vary between 7:30am - 5:30pm depending on the programming season with up to 29 hours per week. Minimal evening or weekend hours necessary with exceptions for staff meetings or seasonal family engagement events.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.
Active supervision of children including regular participation and attendance counts. Greet children and parents in a friendly manner; conduct daily health screens and electronic check-in/out process.Plan and instruct daily developmentally appropriate activities including but not limited to science, math, reading, indoor/outdoor games, crafts, dramatic play, music, and cooking.Prepare for and clean up following class/camp activities. Treat all children with care and respect in all interactions, including behavior guidance and classroom management strategies.Responsible for general maintenance of classroom/camp space and informing supervisors of missing and/or damaged equipment.Plans safe, fun walking field trips when available.Responsible for class/camp supply and equipment inventory, and requesting materials based on available budgets as needed.May be required to drive 15 passenger vans to transport children.Attend regular staff and department meetings as needed.Represent the City with a positive, professional, and healthy demeanor at all times.
Supervisory Responsibilities

This position is not responsible for the direct supervision of any City employees.

This job has expired.