Boston Children’s Museum is seeking a bilingual candidate with fluency in English and Japanese (verbal and written) to serve an exciting role in our Arts & Social Impact team.
The Arts & Social Impact (ASI) Educator, Oda Japan Program is responsible for supporting and delivering artistic explorations and cultural experiences for all Museum audiences. Reporting directly to the Senior Director, Arts & Social Impact, the Educator will work in close collaboration with the Arts & Social Impact (ASI) Manager, Oda Japan Program to support the Japan Program and the historic Japanese House exhibit. The Educator will contribute to the interpretation of this unique exhibit, creating immersive, educational and inclusive learning opportunities for visitors, staff, and external stakeholders to engage with Japanese culture and traditions. In addition, the Educator will support the staffing needs, maintenance, and preservation efforts of the Japanese House, ensuring its continued integrity as an educational and cultural resource.
In addition to exhibit interpretation, the Educator will facilitate programs for children, families, school groups, educators, and community organizations—both within the Museum and through outreach efforts in the community. Program development may include developing hands-on activities, workshops, performances, school programs, curricular materials, and community collaborations. The Educator will also support the Arts & Social Impact Manager, Oda Japan Program in curating the Japanese House Gallery, a space dedicated to sharing stories of Japan through youth-created art.
The ASI Educator, Oda Japan Program will coordinate their work with team priorities and Museum-wide initiatives, ensuring programs align with the Museum’s Learning Framework, which emphasizes learning through play and exploration. Responsibilities will also include maintaining the quality and authenticity of Japan experiences for staff and visitors engaging with the exhibit, and assisting with Museum-wide events such as school vacation weeks or festivals. The Educator should have strong experience working with children from birth to age 10, a deep understanding of informal learning environments, along with expertise and a passion for sharing Japanese history and culture with an authentic, inclusive-minded and culturally responsible approach. They should also have experience collaborating with internal teams and external partners, including community organizations, cultural institutions, and schools, to foster meaningful connections that enhance visitor experiences.
About the Oda Japan ProgramÂ
The Oda Japan Program at Boston Children’s Museum is forward-thinking in global and cultural learning. Through the Japanese House exhibit, it represents the arts and traditions of Kyoto and other regions of Japan. The exhibit features an authentic 1800s house from Kyoto along with various collections and programs. This position oversees and guides the vision for the Japanese House and its programs, ensuring cultural accuracy and integrity through comprehensive research, preservation, translation, engaging community partners and volunteers, and interpretation efforts.
The Endowment Fund, established in 1985 to support the Japan Program and Japanese House exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum, was founded through the dedicated efforts of former Museum Honorable Trustee, Yori Oda (1935-2018). Working alongside campaign advisors Hiroshi Matsumoto and Michael Spock (then-Museum President), Yori Oda successfully led the fundraising efforts. A significant portion of the contributions came from friends and associates of her late father, Mr. Sadanobu Oda, a senior member of the Bank of Japan and a respected figure in the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations. In recognition of his legacy, Yori and the Museum named the endowment in his honor. The official announcement of the endowment was made at the Shukuten 10th Anniversary celebration of the Japanese House exhibit in 1990.
Programs, Exhibit Interpretation and Preservation, Community EngagementÂ
In collaboration with the Arts & Social Impact Manager, Oda Japan Program:
- Support the interpretation, programming, and visitor experience within the Japanese House exhibit, developing and implementing best practices for culturally inclusive learning experience.
- Create, test, and refine educational activities, incorporating feedback from colleagues, teachers, and community members.Â
- Develop and facilitate engaging, educational and interactive programming for Museum visitors, school groups and educators, focusing broadly on the Japanese Program, including, but not limited to, Japanese House Exhibit guided tours, school vacation week and summer programming.
- Supports the repair and preservation of the Japanese House Exhibit, the 140-year-old historic architecture from Kyoto, Â by managing the daily maintenance and cleaning routines of the house, as well as all its integral materials, such as furniture pieces, shoji and fusuma paper doors, tatami floors, silk textiles, tokonoma artworks, a butsudan Buddhist altar, a kamidana Shinto shrine, and various Japanese materials.
- Assist special initiatives and projects related to the Japanese House and Gallery spaces.Â
- Support and coordinate community engagement efforts, including building relationships with key stakeholders like the Consulate General of Japan, Japan Society of Boston, and Urasenke Boston, ensuring the Japanese House reflects diverse narratives within Japanese culture.
- Facilitate cross-cultural exchange through partnerships that strengthen ties between the Museum, Boston, and Japan, while expanding program visibility and community involvement.
- Serve as a point of contact for the Japan Program volunteers, supporting the coordination of volunteers.
- Train and mentor other Educator staff, floor staff, interns.
- Communicate information about the Japan Program to appropriate staff within the Museum, including Visitor Experience staff, and external audiences.Â
- Support the training and mentoring of Visitor Experience Ambassadors, Educators, Program Fellows and other colleagues who engage with visitors around the Japan program's educational experiences.
- Support with exhibit restock of loose parts, report maintenance or safety concerns.
- Contribute to Museum-wide initiatives, participate in meetings, and support institutional goals.
- Collaborate across the teams in the department to support other programming when needed.Â
- Organize and maintain the Japan Program resource materials, including Collections objects, books, and lesson plans
- Work collaboratively with the Collections team on the preservation of the Japan Study StorageÂ
GeneralÂ
Participate as an active member of the Arts & Social Impact team, developing engaging, fun, and interactive programs and experiences for children, families, and educators, for use inside and outside of the Museum. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Work with the ASI Manager, Oda Japan Program, ASI Team and other staff members to create staffing plans that cover programs and events, develop systems and task lists, determine key dates and deadlines, and monitor progress.Â
- Lead the approach and delivery of school and group visits and special programs, which may include school vacation weeks, summer programming, and other holiday programming; occasionally assist with the delivery of team or Museum events led by colleagues.Â
- Coordinate with Security, Facilities, and Operations teams to ensure the seamless logistics and integration of volunteers and Japan Program-related visitors on-site.
- Serve as a resource for Museum staff, external partners, and ASI networks, drawing on specialized content knowledge to represent the Museum.
- Serve visitors from diverse populations with age-appropriate programming, courteously and professionally.
- Support institutional and departmental initiatives, goals, and operations.
- Participate in required all-staff activities, discussions, meetings, and trainings.
- Other duties as assigned.    Â
- Some college experience or equivalent work experience is preferred, with a background in museum education or other informal learning environment (or classroom teaching plus demonstrated understanding of community/informal educational settings).
- Strong understanding of Japanese culture, contemporary society, and traditions through lived experience or cultural studies; additional background in historic preservation, interpretation, arts, and creative studies experience also valued
- Strong experience working with young children ages 0 - 10, and an understanding of children’s emotional, intellectual, and social development, and the role of culture
- Fluency in spoken and written English and JapaneseÂ
- Demonstrated knowledge, understanding, and experience with informal education and family learning, particularly identity-based education Â
- Existing relationships within the Japanese community in Boston, nationally/internationally is a plus
PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS
The Japan Program Educator is expected to:Â
- Model the Museum’s valuesÂ
- Demonstrate the Museum’s commitment to maintaining Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in all activitiesÂ
- Demonstrate strong, clear, and respectful communication, teamwork and collaborationÂ
- Demonstrate a high level of professionalism and ethical standards in all work activities
COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, AND ATTRIBUTES
The ideal candidate can (and/or has):Â
- Communicate in Japanese, with the ability to navigate through many of the social practices of the Japanese culture and community (e.g. high-context elements, expected invisible norms, and nuanced clues).Â
- Responsibly and respectfully embody a sense of belonging in the space and create community in the exhibit.
- Proven ability to understand and interpret existing relevant educational research and theory to inform practice.
- Proven ability to network, forge, and sustain collaborations within the Japanese community locally and beyond, including the ability to understand and demonstrate appropriate cultural practice. Â
- Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.Â
- Proven ability to determine the scope of a project, create a work plan and timeline, modify plans along the way to meet changing project goals and challenges.
- Proven ability to problem solve and think flexibly, and to learn and grow from experience. Â
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, and comfortable presenting to large groups.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with multicultural, intergenerational audiences, in an energetic, friendly, outgoing, and professional manner.Â
- Excellent organizational and computer skills.
Physical Demands: Ability to stand for long periods. Occasional pushing, pulling and or lifting materials of up to 50 lbs. Sustained periods of moving around the museum and studio, and or outdoor spaces. Some work may require sitting on the ground, getting dirty, and uses of craft material that may stain clothes. Oversee the day-to-day cleanup of the Japanese House. Â
Work Environment: Ability to work in a face-paced environment, often loud/noisy, and sometimes crowded environment with the public and with young children. Office space is a normal environment with a desktop, phone, and access to other office equipment such as a printer, fax & shredder. Â
Other Factors: Weekend, school vacation, and holiday hours are required. Schedule includes one weekend day
(Benefits eligibility is based on regular weekly hours per week)
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- 13 Paid Holidays
- Up to 12 Sick days
- Mass Earn Sick Time
- Up to 10 Vacation days
- 403(b) Retirement Plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Qualified Transportation Accounts
- Life Insurance
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- American Alliance Museum Access
- New England Museum Association Access
- Free Admission to 100+ Museums
jobs@bostonchildrensmuseum.org
OUR MISSIONÂ Â
Boston Children’s Museum engages children and families in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning.
OUR VISIONÂ
Boston Children’s Museum is a welcoming, imaginative, child-centered learning environment that supports diverse families in nurturing their children’s creativity and curiosity. We promote the healthy development of all children so they will fulfill their potential and contribute to our collective well-being and future prosperity.
OUR VALUES
Creativity. Respect. Excellence. Accountability. Thoughtfulness. Equity.
Boston Children’s Museum is a curious, experimental, and creative learning organization. We have a child and family-centered focus, welcoming and respecting all Museum audiences. We collaborate and show mutual respect and support for our colleagues. We recognize that each person has equal, intrinsic worth and deserves to be treated with dignity. We are a culture that innovates, changes, and pushes boundaries to keep the museum relevant. We are responsible to each other and strive to keep our commitments to our colleagues. We commit to high ethical standards. We recognize the importance of work-life balance, respecting the importance of personal growth and family. We have an ongoing commitment to fairness in all aspects of the Museum and we embrace alternative ways of thinking.
