The Saturday Program
Portfolio Foundations Lead-Instructor
Position Type: Part-Time, Nonunion, Non-Exempt
Location: New York City (Manhattan)
About The Saturday Program:
“If I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent, I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.”– Augusta Savage
Founded in 1968, The Saturday Program is a Cooper Union pre-college program that provides free art education to underserved NYC public high school students. The program offers eight free classes each Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM during the school year on a semesterly basis (October-December for Fall semester, January-April for Spring semester). Classes are led by current Cooper Union undergraduate Art and Architecture students on Cooper Union’s campus, allowing high schoolers to learn from near-peer mentors in a college environment. By offering art classes and additional program events and activities, The Saturday Program equips students with foundational skills traditionally found in exclusive art courses, as well as professional development and interpersonal experiences that foster motivation, confidence, and purpose. The Saturday Program plays a crucial role in supplementing the lack of arts education in NYC public and charter schools and promoting the participation of historically underserved communities in the arts.
The Saturday Program is designed to support the development of both “hard” technical art skills and “soft” interpersonal and professional skills in students. In preparing interested students to apply for art colleges, the program also aims to broaden participation and degree completion in the arts.
For more information, visit saturday.cooper.edu.
Position Description:
The Saturday Program is seeking a part-time Portfolio Instructor to support students in our Portfolio Preparation Class. This role involves working with two Cooper Union Undergraduate Teaching Assistants to assist high school juniors and seniors in producing competitive portfolios for their college applications to art, design, and architecture schools.
Responsibilities:
- Guide students in observing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating artworks to develop informed critical perspectives.
- Support students in developing a comprehensive understanding of art concepts, including cultural and historical contexts, design principles, materials, and techniques.
- Help students curate portfolios that reflect personal style, thematic development, and technical growth.
- Facilitate critiques of student and historical works to deepen artistic understanding and strengthen art-making practices.
- Assist students in developing artist statements that clearly communicate intention, theme, and process.
- Collaborate with program staff to support writing strategies aligned with curricular goals and student development.
- Encourage student engagement and confidence in the writing process.
- Introduce students to career pathways, professional practices, and opportunities for growth in the arts.
- Cultivate strong work habits through goal setting, self-assessment, reflection, and purposeful creative practice.
- Maintain a professional, supportive, and academically focused classroom environment.
- Develop and maintain semester and weekly lesson plans for Saturday sessions.
- Meet weekly with Teaching Assistants prior to class to review lesson plans and prepare for instruction.
- Provide Teaching Assistants with lesson plans and clear guidance in advance to support classroom facilitation and student engagement.
- Support the professional growth of Teaching Assistants through mentorship, feedback, and collaborative teaching practices.
- Notify the Director or Assistant Director promptly in the event of illness or emergency to coordinate class coverage.
Position Qualifications:
- BA/BFA or MFA in Fine Art, Art Education.
- Familiarity with the NYC public school system and art college admissions.
- Excellent writing and communication skills.
- Enthusiastic and positive attitude enjoys engaging with high school students.
- Attention to detail, organized, self-motivated.
- Excellent collaboration and coordination skills.
Schedule & Compensation:
- Schedule: 2 Cycles per year October – December/January-April - 10 sessions per cycle, Saturday, 9am – 5pm
- Teaching Rate: 75.00 per hour
- Meeting, Planning and Training Hours: 25.00 per hour
This is a non-union position.
