Open Role

Atelierista

The Growing Place is a non-profit child development center that operates two campuses in Santa Monica — established in 1985 to provide high-quality early education to full-time working families. We are NAEYC accredited and inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach.

The Atelierista shares the responsibility in leading the school in a social constructivist curriculum and implementation. In addition to working with children, faculty, staff, and administrators, this candidate is a part of the Educational Coordinating Team (ECT). The ECT serves as the catalyst of the school to continuously reflect, innovate, and contribute to the evolution of the school. Specifically, the Atelierista expands and enhances the teachers and children’s meaning-making and wonder through a diverse use of mediums, materials, experiences, and environments. The candidate should be professionally prepared as an artist and have experience working with young children. This position requires a candidate to be creative, organized, analytical, flexible, reflective, and collaborative; the candidate knows how to work with children in a developmentally appropriate manner and fulfill the Growing Place’s mission, philosophy, and pedagogy. 

To Apply

Email cover letter, resume, and philosophy of education statement to: employment@growingplace.org

Responsibilities include:

  • Build trusting, respectful, and professional relationships with children and families 

  • Work in close relationship with the teachers in all classrooms, supporting the ongoing learning projects and groups.

  • Facilitate and sustain a system that brings an introduction and exploration of art materials to all the classrooms.

  • Develop provocations and questions to bring meaningful experiences with multiple languages including light and shadow, color, paint, line tools, clay, nature, movement, and sound.

  • Ability to document a process and elevate the visibility of children’s ideas and theories throughout the school and outdoor environments; through video, blog posts, panels, displays, etc.

  • Inspire the teachers and school with provocations and perspectives.

Candidate Requirements:

  • A bachelors or masters degree in a creative field or discipline is preferred

  • One year of experience in a school setting or working with children

  • Participate in professional development opportunities

  • Demonstrated understanding of child development

Compensation & Benefits:

  • Pay begins at $18/hour

403(b) Retirement Plan

Growing Place offers a 403(b) retirement plan through Mutual America to all eligible employees. The school will match 50% of each employee's contribution up to 3%.

Life Insurance

Growing Place pays the full cost of a $25,000 Life and AD&D insurance policy on behalf of each full-time employee.

Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits

Currently, Growing Place offers both a PPO and an HMO Medical insurace plan through HealthNet as well as Dental & Vision Benefits through Principal Financial of California. Growing Place pays 85% of the individual coverage premium.

All full-time employees receive 72-hours of Paid Sick Leave (PSL) at the start of each school year (August 1). New full-time employees who start during a school year and all part-time employees accrue PSL at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 worked. PSL is payable after a new employee completes their 90 day introductory period.

Time-off Benefits

Growing Place offers four weeks of paid synchronized vacation for all full-time employees during our winter, spring, and summer break closures. Also, there are 9 national holidays paid to all employees who have completed their introductory period.

Additionally, at the end of each school year, any unused Paid Sick Leave (PSL) is rolled over to the next school year as Paid Time Off (PTO) to be capped at 108 hours.

Professional Development Opportunities

Growing Place is commmitted to lifelong learning. In addition to professional development opportunities that are brought in for staff to experience on campus, Growing Place participates in the West Coast Collaborative in partnership with Reggio Children. Staff have the opportuntity to participate and present at annual WCC conferences. Growing Place also participates in international study tours to places such as Reggio-Emilia, Stolkholm, and more.

Continuing Education

Growing Place will pay for select ECE courses at SMC to ensure our teaching staff has the coursework required to work in a high-quality program. These courses may include ECE 51 The Reggio Approach and ECE 54 Documentation: Making Learning Visible.

Tuition Remission

Growing Place offers regular full-time employees a 50% reduction of tuition and program fees if the employee has worked for GP for more than 2 years, their child is age-eligible (2.5 years), and there is space available in the program.

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