Jobs

If you want to work with students holistically, teaching essential writing skills while also helping them adjust to the toughest parts of college, the Residential TA position is for you.

RTAs live in suites with our students and lead evening Writing Tutorials in which they teach key writing skills to students and run writing workshops. In all, RTAs work with our students between the hours of 1:30pm and 11pm. Other RTA responsibilities include leading social events and teaching general study skills and time management. Overall, this is your chance to help a young person recognize that she or he belongs on a college campus and in a college seminar. RTAs additionally serve as college mentors for 3 students throughout the academic year, with introductory mentorship meetings beginning in July. 

See our sample daily schedule. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to be a Civic Leadership TA as well. Civic Leadership TAs work with F&C students throughout the academic year on a civic leadership project of their choice. Groups meet twice a month from September through April.

Qualifications:

• Editing and/or Tutoring experience
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Must be a Columbia University sophomore or junior who has taken Contemporary Civilization
  • Barnard students and GS/SEAS students who have taken comparable classes are welcome to apply. Please indicate in your application questions which classes from your transcript best match the F&C syllabus
• Demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team
• Experience organizing or leading others
• Prior work with low-income and first-generation students is desired

Time Commitment:

Approx. 35 hours per week from June 29 - August 5
+ 2.5 hours per month Sept - May

• RTA Move In: June 27
• Staff Training: June 29 - July 3
  • Typically 9:30 - 5pm
     
• Summer Program: July 5 - July 31 , Sunday - Friday
  • 35 hours per week maximum
  • Staff are typically ON during the hours of 12:30pm - 11:00pm (with occasional wake-up/breakfast shifts and late-night hallway checks)
  • Staff are OFF Fridays 5pm - Sundays 5pm (when students return home for the weekends
• RTA Move Out: August 1
• Staff Wrap-up Days: August 3 - 5 (virtual - most of this is paid prep time to provide feedback to students' papers)
• College Mentorship: September through May
  • TAs meet one-on-one with each mentee for about 1 hour a month to keep them on track with college applications

Compensation:

Up to $4,730 per year
+ free housing and meal plan June 27 - August 1

RTAs are paid $23/ hour biweekly, which amounts to around:

• $4,000 - $4,500 for staff training and summer program (June - July)
• $230 per student college mentorship (Sept - May)
• Opportunities are available throughout the program for extra work and additional compensation
• Free housing and full weekday meal plan June 27 - August 1

Turn political thought into action by leading students on a yearlong civic engagement project

We put theory to practice in our civic engagement and leadership program during the academic year. Civic TA partners co-lead twice-monthly after-school lessons for a group of 10-12 students. Pre-written lessons and a tested curriculum provide students with the skills and building blocks to research a civic issue, educate others about it, and advocate for change. The program culminates in May with Civic Night presentations to the incoming class of F&C scholars. You can see past civic engagement projects here. 

See a sample academic year calendar here. 

Because the civic leadership project is a continuation of the summer's activities, Civic Leadership Teaching Assistants must also work with our students in the summer as either Residential TAs or Classroom TAs.

Qualifications:

• Same as those for Residential TA or Classroom TA, plus...
• Experience leading group projects, clubs, or events
• Some knowledge of the civic issues relevant to NYC youth
• Some familiarity with the structure of NYC government and political process
• Ability to commit to the full academic year (see below)
• Must be a Residential TA or Classroom TA in summer 2024 to serve as a Civic TA in the 2024-2025 school year.

Time Commitment:

5 hours per month Sept - May

• 2 hour meetings every other week, typically 5:25 - 7:25pm
• Must be able to commit in advance to the meeting day for the fall semester
• CLTAs do not work over school holidays or winter break

Compensation:

$925 per year

• $23/hour for meetings, prep time, and trainings

If you're ready to start training new teachers, coordinating events, and managing a staff, apply to be a graduate student fellow!

The graduate fellow works with our Executive Director to train our new cohort of undergraduate teaching assistants, and support them during the summer. The fellow will help with the planning of events, ordering and distributing supplies, and onboarding students. During the academic year, the fellow manages undergraduate college mentors and shares supervision of the after-school civic leadership program.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with full-time staff to run staff training in late June
• Engage in student programming and staff development during summer program in July
• Support the program behind the scenes by performing necessary administrative tasks, such as ordering supplies, and coordinating events, such as our annual alumni dinner
• Supervising college mentorships during the academic year
• Observing and supporting civic leadership meetings during the academic year
• Coordinating and hosting other academic year events such as alumni programs, community-building activities, or teacher development.

Time Commitment:

• Spring Training
  • February - May
  • Est. 8 hours/week
  • Flexible schedule, in-person and remote
• Summer Prep:
  • May – June
  • Est. 20 hours of prep total
  • Flexible schedule, in-person and remote
• Staff training and summer program:
  • June 29 – Aug 7
  • Est. 30 hours/week Monday - Friday
• 2026 - 2027 Academic Year
  • Sept  – Early May
  • Est. 10 hours/week
  • Late afternoons and evenings, in-person and remote

Qualifications:

• Must be current Columbia graduate student who will not graduate before May 9, 2027
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Experience leading or training others
• Experience teaching in the humanities, especially reading and writing skills
• Familiarity with program texts highly desired
• Prior work with high school students, low-income and/or first-generation students is ideal
• Must be authorized to work in the United States

Compensation:

$35/hr, up to $20,000 per year

• Up to $11,000 for the summer
• Up to $9,000 for the academic year

Application:

Please submit the following materials by February 15

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume or CV
3. References (names and emails of 2 references)
4. Unofficial transcript through Fall 2025
5. Writing Sample
6. Submit online