Open Forum

Position Overview

The Student Programs Manager is responsible for three distinct areas of the Theater's work: the student matinee program, the annual Chicago Shakespeare SLAM for high school students, and the Theater's programs for patrons with disabilities.

This full-time, salaried position is supervised by the Director of Education and works closely in collaboration with the department's Learning Programs Manager, responsible for the Theater's teacher-focused programs. Primary responsibilities and skills include: contracting with and stewarding the hundreds of teachers participating each year in the Theater's extensive student matinee program and touring show; coordinating all on-site student matinees; extensive customer service with a specific focus on teachers and their unique needs and challenges; co-management, planning, and supervision of the annual Chicago Shakespeare SLAM; arts curriculum development and teaching; building programs and a relationship-based audience for the Theater's access programs; sharing supervision of the Department's interns and associate staff member (when rehired in future months).

The Student Programs Manager commits to the Theater's core values of service, collaboration, and innovation, and to rigorously applying the Theater's principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access across the Education Department's work with teachers, students, community, and audiences.

Frequent Saturdays throughout the school year and some evenings hours are required.

Essential Responsibilities (in approximate order of time allocation)

• Manage the year-round, day-to-day operations of CST's extensive student matinee series, including: contracting and servicing of approximately 400 contracting teachers annually; extensive customer service with teachers; maintaining accurate records of all calls and personal contacts; maintaining an active waitlist for all performances as needed.
• Manage all student matinees onsite, including: coordination and training of Guest Services staff, greeting school groups, troubleshooting, seating charts, and signage.
• Work closely with other members of the Education Department in providing outstanding, consistent service to CST's constituent teachers.
• In close collaboration with and support from the full Education team, plan, organize, implement, and evaluate the annual Chicago Shakespeare Slam with high school teams from across the region: recruit, schedule, and communicate with teacher coaches; develop support materials, including print and online collateral; plan workshops and Slam events at CST and host schools; identify, hire, and closely collaborate with a group of increasingly diverse teaching artists.
• With Learning Programs Manager, share supervisory responsibilities of the Department's Education Programs Associate (anticipated to be hired in Spring 2022), who supports the Education Department, both administratively and as a front-line program provider; share supervisory responsibilities of the Department's emerging career interns and apprentices.
• Manage all education components involved in facilitating the abridged Shakespeare tour, including scheduling, contracting, and extensive follow-up with schools; work collaboratively and communicate effectively with the Production Department, Company Management, and tour manager throughout the entire abridgment tour cycle, from planning to debriefing.
• Serve as an active thought partner and problem-solver in developing new and ongoing education programs.
• Assist in creating and leading workshop activities that exemplify and support the Department's education philosophy and ethos.
• Manage the Theater's programs (ASL, audio-description, Braille and open-captioning) for patrons with disabilities: schedule programming dates and service providers; partner with the Director of Production, stage managers, and other Production team members to deliver quality programming; work with Ticketing Services and Marketing to allocate the best-suited seats for each access program; working with Marketing Department, identify new partners in the community and promote access programming; steward relationships with patrons using Theater's access programs; advocate for the programs both internally and externally; with Ticket Services, problem-solve with patrons who request additional or unscheduled services; 
• Serve as advocate for the education programs, the Theater's accessibility efforts, and these programs' constituencies throughout the organization and the community at large, including engagement in partnerships with other organizations or arts-education entities.
• With other members of the Education Department, lead post-show cast discussions for the abridged Shakespeare production (includes some Saturdays).
• Offer new ideas for improving the department's operations and programs.
• Assist Learning Programs Manager in planning, coordinating and hosting all teacher workshops (requires some Saturdays).
• Expand and strengthen proficiency in Tessitura and Excel, using these tools effectively and efficiently; serve as Education Department's liaison with cross-departmental Tessitura leadership team, working proactively to recommend and execute changes in the Department's database implementation.
• Work proactively with Development Department in its grant-writing and reporting efforts by supplying accurate statistical information in a timely manner.
• Manage Team Shakespeare priority reservation periods, including planning, staffing needs, and development of printed and internal materials.
• Work collaboratively with the Learning Programs Manager to develop materials for CST website, print and email communications; with Marketing Department, maintain current information on CST website regarding student-based programs and access programs.
• Develop and update all Team Shakespeare-related printed materials; coordinate printing with the Marketing Department; maintain storage and archiving of these materials.
• Create and/or update program evaluations for student matinees, coordinating distribution to attending teachers and dissemination of results internally.