Michigan History Day Coordinator - Historical Society of Michigan 

Search Reopened - Reposted 8/4/22

Compensation: $40,000-42,000, commensurate with experience and skills. Competitive benefits including paid time off, health, retirement, and other benefits

The Historical Society of Michigan seeks a senior manager to serve as Michigan History Day Coordinator. The Michigan History Day Coordinator supports HSM’s mission by executing our K12 educational programs and curriculum, the largest of which is Michigan History Day®. A successful candidate will work closely with the Director of Education and Member Services to oversee and execute operations and logistics for the Michigan History Day program (National History Day in Michigan) and serve as State Coordinator for the program and perform outreach to K-12 classrooms.

About the Historical Society of Michigan
The Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s oldest cultural organization, helps to connect the stories of all Michigan’s peoples to students, educators, historical organizations and the public through education programs, conferences, publications, awards, workshops, referral services, networking opportunities, and support for local history organizations. HSM is the publisher of Michigan History and Chronicle magazine, the Historic Michigan Travel Guide, the Michigan Historical Review, and other publications. HSM is a member-supported educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Michigan History Day, a project-based learning program of the Historical Society of Michigan, is a yearlong educational program that encourages students to explore local, state, national, and world history. After selecting a historical topic that relates to the annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, and create final projects in one of five categories: paper, exhibit, documentary, website, or performance.

Duties and Responsibilities
• Build and maintain relationships with individual schools and school districts in the Detroit Metro area and other selected areas across the state to increase participation in the Michigan History Day (MHD) program.
• Create an outreach strategy/plan to reach schools not participating in the program with an emphasis on increasing diversity in the program.
• Lead in-person and virtual outreach to recruit new schools, teachers, and students to the program. This includes identifying venues and presenting the MHD program to teacher groups, in-service events, ISDs, etc.
• Assemble and distribute program and contest materials to teachers and students to ensure the success of the MHD program.
• Provide assistance and guidance to schools, teachers, and students already participating in the program.
• Oversee and manage district coordinators and other volunteers; assist with logistical planning for several district-level events.
• Establish strategic partnerships with historical organizations, universities, and schools to recruit volunteers and judges.
• Plan and execute the State Finals with assistance of other HSM staff.
• Lead Michigan’s delegation to the National History Day competition in College Park, MD.
• Maintain professional correspondence with teachers, students, judges, and others via email, phone, and personal contacts.
• Assist the Director of Development in identifying potential sponsors and sources of support.
• Coordinate administrative and communication functions to increase program efficiency, including online registration, informational mailings, and online postings using social media.
• Produce or coordinate with the graphics department to produce graphic needs, such as the program booklet, buttons, T-shirts, banners, and other artwork material.
• Manage occasional interns, volunteers, and potential assistants working with the program.

Qualifications
The following qualifications are required for this position:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, history, or other humanities discipline
• Minimum of 2-3 years professional experience in a classroom environment
• Knowledge of the teaching profession and effective teaching strategies including familiarity with Michigan Department of Education Grade Level Content Expectations for social studies and the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework
• Ability to communicate effectively, and in a timely manner, with diverse audiences having differing levels of knowledge
• Experience in presenting programs and training sessions
• Strong event planning and organizational skills with attention to detail for coordinating multiple programs concurrently, including preparing materials, communication, and logistics
• Creative thinking, strong problem-solving skills, and resourcefulness
• Meticulous attention to detail, with a focus on the production of quality work
• Understanding diversity and inclusivity as well as the ability to work effectively with a broad cross-section of individuals
• Passion for the work of the organization, including serving youth in at-risk communities, outreach and training for local historical organizations, and education in Michigan history
• Ability to work independently in a changing environment but also as part of a team with internal and external participants and stakeholders
• Flexibility and the ability to handle ambiguous and unexpected situations
• Ability to manage complex tasks and delegate effectively
• A sophisticated relationship builder who can communicate with a wide variety of people both within and outside the organization
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and solve problems
• Experience with Microsoft Office; experience with Adobe Creative Suite is a plus
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend events throughout the year as required
• Interest in Michigan history is a plus

Reports to: Director of Education and Member Services, Historical Society of Michigan

Compensation: $40,000-42,000, commensurate with experience and skills. Competitive benefits including paid time off, health, retirement, and other benefits.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with interviews likely to begin as soon as possible. This position is full-time. Due to the Detroit area focus of the position, it will be a combination of in-office and remote work. At the present time, in maintaining a safe work environment, HSM requires all staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

The Historical Society of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We actively seek applications from candidates of color and people with disabilities.

For more information about the Historical Society of Michigan, please visit https://hsmichigan.org/

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to resume@hsmichigan.org.

Posted on 8/4/2022