Position:  Current Events Writer

Reports to:  Editorial Director

Location: Brookline, MA

Status: Full Time, Exempt

Start: ASAP

Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational nonprofit that provides educational content, curriculum resources, and professional development to secondary school social studies, civics, humanities, and English teachers. Facing History’s educational content is informed by a pedagogical model that helps students explore questions of identity, human behavior, prejudice, and civic responsibility, and make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives today. We currently apply this model to explore case studies of pivotal historical moments such as the Holocaust and the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War, as well as rich works of literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird.

Who we are & what we are looking for

Facing History and Ourselves plays a critical role internationally in advancing civic engagement and promoting ethical decision-making while supporting educators’ professional growth through professional development and coaching. The Content Development team is a small staff with a large reach. Innovative and entrepreneurial, we constantly look for better ways to serve our teachers, our schools, and their students. We work closely with our Program Associates in the field and partner with teachers from across our network to develop materials for the classroom that inspire students to make essential connections between the choices people and governments made in history or literature and the choices we face today.

The Current Events Writer will support our emerging focus on creating “just in time” resources to help teachers bring current events into the classroom. This is an exciting opportunity for candidates with a passion for the humanities to make the critical links between history and the present-day, as a vehicle to help adolescents practice ethical reflection and become civically engaged.

Who you are

You are an exceptional writer, teacher and learner at heart,  who is passionate about our mission and excited to work with the wide range of issues, histories, works of literature, and current events that comprise our editorial portfolio. You share our passion for using the humanities to help adolescents practice ethical reflection and become civically engaged. You are experienced using digital-first methods to create content and can contribute to and thrive in an organization expanding the platforms it uses to deliver high-quality content and professional development to teachers and students. You have experience writing curricular materials for middle and high school teachers and their students with diverse learning styles, abilities, and backgrounds.

Some specific Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate with a cross-functional team of contributors and stakeholders in the creation, publishing, and dissemination of current events content.
• Write a weekly “just-in-time” content feature (lessons, classroom activities, discussion prompts, and blog posts ) to help teachers respond to current events.
• Track news stories, especially those closely related to Facing History’s content and pedagogy, and stay prepared to craft related classroom activities in response to breaking news.
• Plan and maintain a schedule for regular publication of current events-related educator content.
• As needed, contribute ideas and content to core product development projects
• Become an expert in Facing History’s unique pedagogical model, the “scope and sequence” and use it as a framework for all curriculum.
• Research, write, and summarize complex histories to provide context for current events content
• Collaborate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure curricula meets goals and objectives.
• Maintain knowledge and expertise in best practices in teaching, pedagogy, and assessment, and ensure those practices are reflected as appropriate in Facing History content.

Required Skills

• 5-7 years of experience writing curriculum, articles, blog, or web content, preferably for a middle/high school educator audience.

• Interest and curiosity in educational technology and finding creative ways to present and deliver instructional content to teachers and students on digital platforms.
• Knowledge of and experience with culturally responsive teaching and social emotional learning
• Curiosity and eagerness to learn about unfamiliar history and literature topics.
• Self-starter with the ability to work on multiple projects relating to different topics at once.

Preferred Skills

• Teaching experience in middle or high school social studies, history, or English language arts.
• Familiarity with the Understanding By Design curriculum design frameworks.

Compensation and Benefits:

In addition to meaningful and rewarding work, Facing History provides an excellent and competitive compensation and benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life & long-term disability insurance, a 403(b) program with a discretionary organizational contribution, generous paid time off, an employee assistance plan & a travel assistance plan, pre-tax Transit-pass program, flexible spending health care and dependent care accounts, 4 voluntary Aflac plans, limited free parking and a friendly work environment.

Facing History proudly values diversity.  We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Applications ONLY accepted online at careers.facinghistory.org.  Job posted until filled.