Instructional Aide - MEDIA MAKERS
Outside the Lens seeks a passionate and dedicated Instructional Aide with experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Instructional Aide for the Media Makers Program at OTL collaborates with the Media Makers Team to support its mission to provide a space for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to discover and express their place and purpose in the world. The Instructional Aide is proactive, flexible, and forward-looking, assisting with delivering innovative digital media curricula to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in alignment with OTL's mission, vision, goals, and objectives, while also providing social and emotional support.
About Us
Outside the Lens (OTL) activates and amplifies voices of youth through photography, filmmaking, and media literacy, catalyzing change within themselves and their communities. For over 20 years, OTL has brought arts-integrated programming to over 23,500 students in weekly classes, after-school programs, summer sessions, workshops, and teacher training. Their project-based approach is designed to engage students with core academic subjects, creative thinking, and issues important to them to envision and build a more equitable and inclusive world.
Media Makers seeks to inspire and nurture individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to express their place and purpose in the world through media arts and build a more inclusive society.
For more information, visit
Position Summary
Join Outside the Lens (OTL), an innovative organization igniting confidence in young people through media arts. The Instructional Aide (Media Makers) for OTL reports to the Media Makers Education Managers and collaborates with other media educators to inspire and nurture individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to express their place and purpose in the world through media arts. The Instructional Aide is proactive, flexible, and forward-looking, assisting with delivering innovative digital media curricula to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in alignment with OTL's mission, vision, goals, and objectives, while also providing social and emotional support.
Our Culture
Outside the Lens is an inclusive arts education nonprofit located in San Diego's Promise Zone, home to the City's most culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, home to many of the students we support. Our collaborative culture provides employees the opportunity to develop and share their skills and expertise-learning from each other and the communities we work in. With a growth mindset, we exercise our values of transparency, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion both inside and out of the classroom.
Benefits
$21-$25/hour, commensurate with experience Medical, dental, and vision insurance
403(b) retirement plan
10 Days of PTO
13+ Paid holidays
Paid Sick Leave
Full Time
Roles & Responsibilities
Program Coordination:
- Assists with managing and preparing progress reports to be sent to participants and their families.
- Assists with maintaining accurate records and documentation of student progress and program effectiveness.
- Assists in integrating each client's Individual Service Plan into the program, and meets with participants to review progress and goals.
- Works with Client Services Administrator and Media Educators to deliver Individual Support Plan Reports to San Diego Regional Center
Program Implementation:
- Supports Media Educators during daily programming in any necessary capacity.
- Supports in creating and maintaining a positive classroom environment to provide and support student engagement, mutual respect, student choice, and collaborative learning opportunities.
- Support individual and small groups of students as needed.
- Provides social and emotional support for students when necessary.
- Collaborates with Media Makers staff to establish a safe space for participants.
- Supports exhibition planning and implementation.
- Leads non-media related activities and icebreakers or other activities as needed.
Program & Curriculum Development:
- Supports the development of projects and lessons for students aligned with program goals, outcomes, curriculum standards and varying interests and needs of students.
- Assess student progress and adjust curriculum as needed to meet individual learning needs.
- Utilizes and implements OTL assessments for planning and instruction.
- Meets regularly with the Media Makers Team.
Program Administration and Operations:
- Assists with the implementation of the program's pre and post-evaluation (mid-eval when applicable), ensuring program outcomes are being met.
- Supports the documentation of student progress reports
Qualifications and Requirements
- Degree or Experience in Special Education or related field.
- Certification in Special Education.
- Experience working with youth with special needs, particularly in media or arts education.
- Knowledge of and experience with assistive technology and adaptive equipment.
- Understanding of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and experience in developing and implementing accommodations and modifications.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a team.
- Understanding of program implementation processes and instructional best practices.
- Familiarity with curriculum development principles, assessment methods, and program administration tasks.
- Knowledge of special education principles and practices.
- Proficiency in supporting program implementation, coordination of exhibitions, and addressing classroom needs.
- Ability to adapt projects and lessons to align with participant goals, program goals, curriculum standards, and student interests.
- Ability to manage participant data, program data and evaluation processes, as well as leading activities as needed.
- Ability to adapt instructional techniques to meet student needs and effectively organize materials and equipment.
- Ability to promote OTL teammates' events, utilize assessments for planning, and support program updates.
- Patience, empathy, and a genuine interest in working with special education students.
The pay range provided above indicates the minimum and maximum potential earnings within the specified pay scale. The final rate for an individual hired for this position will be determined by a range of factors, including but not limited to their professional and academic background, training, job responsibilities, and specific business and organizational requirements. Please note: salary decisions are tailored to the unique circumstances of each individual hire.
Our Commitment
Outside The Lens is highly committed to diversity and a workplace environment that respects, appreciates, and values employees from all backgrounds; candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. OTL is an equal employment opportunity employer. OTL's policy is to not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex and gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender identity and gender expression (including transgender individuals who are transitioning, have transitioned, or are perceived to be transitioning to the gender with which they identify), age (40 or over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. OTL also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws ensuring equal opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, reasonable accommodations are made for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability unless an undue hardship, direct threat to health and safety or other job-related consideration exists.
This job description is intended as a guide to the general job responsibilities and is not inclusive of all everyday duties the employee is expected to perform.
Please send cover letter and resume to:
Subject Line: Instructional Aide - Media Makers
Timeline for Hiring:
5/12-5/31: Accepting Applications
Applications will close on 5/31
6/23/2025: Expected Start Date
Job Type: Full-time