Location: Heritage Schoolhouse Museum & Archives (located at 21 Renfrew Dr, Markham, ON L3R 8H3)
Contract Details: Approximately 28 hours per week. 4 days with flexible Monday or Friday depending on our programming schedule up until July, then July/August Mondays through Thursdays. Anticipated contract dates: May 6, 2025 to August 21, 2025.
The York Region District School Board Museum & Archives is seeking an enthusiastic and detail-oriented student for the role of Museum Program Assistant (4-day a week position). This position provides an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in museum operations, including cataloguing museum collections, leading educational programming and assisting with exhibitions and outreach. The ideal candidate should have a passion for history, art, or culture and enjoy engaging with visitors of all ages.
For further information regarding this position, please email [email protected].
The YRDSB Museum & Archives collects, preserves and makes accessible the history of public education in York Region. As the third-largest school board in Ontario, the Museum is interested in collecting artefacts and primary documents that detail the history of the York Region District School Board. We also have a highly subscribed experiential learning program by schools to our one-room schoolhouse in Markham. Working with the Curator and Education Programmer, the Museum Program Assistant will help us move further toward our goal by:
Major Responsibilities:
Assisting in Educational Programming :
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Support the planning and execution of educational programs for school groups and special outreach.
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Assist with the creation of educational materials (e.g., worksheets, activity guides, digital content).
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Help facilitate hands-on activities, workshops, and educational events that promote experiential learning.
Artifact Cataloguing and Documentation:
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Assist in cataloguing new and existing collections, archival and artifacts.
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Update database records with accurate descriptions, images, and other relevant details.
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Ensure all artifacts are properly labeled and stored according to museum protocols.
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Perform research on collection items to assist with documentation and historical context.
Exhibit Preparation and Maintenance :
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Assist with the setup and take-down of exhibits (including travelling exhibits), including arranging artifacts.
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Help monitor the condition of exhibits and report any maintenance needs.
Administrative Support :
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Assist the museum staff with general office tasks.
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Help with social media updates and promotional efforts to engage a wider audience.
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Assist with other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
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Be currently enrolled as a college, CEGEP or university student at a post-secondary institution, preferably working towards a degree in history, public history, museum studies or a related field.
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Must be eligible for funding under the terms of Young Canada Works.
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Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
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Ability to interact effectively with diverse groups, including schoolchildren and adults.
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Prior experience in museums, cultural institutions, or educational roles is a plus but not required.
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An interest in learning about museum operations and educational outreach.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
The York Region District School Board (YRDSB) believes in giving each and every applicant an equal opportunity to succeed on their own merit and we strive to hire staff that reflect and support the diverse perspectives, experiences and needs of students and communities. We remain committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. We know that diversity underpins excellence, and that we all share responsibility for creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive Board-community.
Therefore, in pursuit of the Board’s values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across the organizational hierarchy in actualizing the Board’s priorities, goals and principles outlined in the District Action Plan. Candidates who have strong racial literacy practices and a commitment to dismantling anti-racism, anti-oppression, and creating identity-affirming spaces, in order to intentionally disrupt racist and hateful acts.
We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to sovereignty, equity, including, but not limited to:
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First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;
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African, Black and Black Caribbean peoples (in alignment with Anti-Black Racism Strategy);
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South Asian, East Asian, Southeast Asian, Middle East/West Asian, Latino/Hispanic (in alignment with YRDSB Workforce Census to address disproportionalities identified).
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members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
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persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
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persons who identify as women; and
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persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.
At YRDSB, we recognize that many of these identities intersect and therefore, equity, diversity and inclusion can be complex. We value and respect the contributions that each person brings to enriching the Board and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all in the communities that we serve.
Accessibility and Accommodation Statement
We also recognize the duty to accommodate and foster a culture of inclusion. Consistent with the principles of dignity, individualization and inclusion, we will make any appropriate accommodation based on any of the protected grounds in the Human Rights Code to support candidate participation in the hiring process. When contacted, candidates will be provided with an overview of the various elements of the hiring process, such as skills assessments, written practicum, presentation, interview, etc. If an accommodation is required, requests can be made in advance of any stage of the recruitment process. All information received relating to a candidate’s required accommodation will be addressed confidentially by the Recruitment and Retention Team. Please make this request to [email protected] or a member of the Recruitment Team. If this position is a school based LTO/Contract Teaching position, please email the Principal directly to request the accommodation to be made at the school in collaboration with Human Resource Services, Disability Management Team.
Important Note for YRDSB Employees: If you have a current accommodation in place through Disability Management, please inform your Disability Management Case Manager ([email protected]) to ensure that your accommodation needs can be met in the new role that you are pursuing. If invited to participate in the hiring process, and you are unable to perform the essential/bona fide requirements (e.g. physical, cognitive requirements), please notify the Recruitment Team by emailing [email protected] to review next steps (in the email please reference the job title you are applying to).
Important Information for CUPE 1734 Members:
LA.11.7 Those twelve (12) month employees filling vacancies as a result of their applying to a job posting are to remain twelve (12) months at their position. Ten (10) month employees are to remain in their position until the end of the school year. This requirement can be waived with permission from the Superintendent responsible for Human Resource Services. This does not prevent employees from applying for a position or from applying for a promotion during the twelve (12) month period.
CUPE 1734 applicants will be considered to have the required educational qualifications based on the job description for the CUPE 1734 classification they currently hold on a permanent basis, in accordance with the terms of the CUPE 1734 Collective Agreement.
As a condition of employment, and In accordance with the Education Act, anyone seeking employment or wanting to volunteer must provide a satisfactory police record check. A Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) must be completed by the police services in the jurisdiction in which you reside, this is based on your home address (only accepted by police services within Canada); must be satisfactory to the YRDSB and completed within six (6) months prior to the scheduled start date. It is the candidates responsibility to provide the results to the Board upon instruction.
We will accept satisfactory PVSC’s that name any other school board and other employers (daycare centers, OCT, and employers that would require a police check for vulnerable persons) in Ontario and obtained within the last six (6) months.
Online applications are collected centrally at the Education Centre – Aurora and are monitored by Human Resource Services. All applications will be screened based on the required education, experience and qualifications as noted in the posting and job description and as reflected in the application. Only those candidates meeting these criteria will be eligible to participate in the selection process and only qualified candidates will be contacted.
The personnel file of all internal applicants will be reviewed as part of the selection process.
