Location

Northwest African American Museum (2300 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA 98144)

Application Deadline Date

October 17 2025

Audience

Undergraduate Students Graduate Students Undergraduate Alumni Graduate Alumni Master in Teaching Students: Elementary Master in Teaching: Secondary

Salary

$20.76/hr for undergraduate students. $27.50/hr for college graduates.

Position Description

Facilitate hands-on math activities for families with young children. Ask questions, spark curiosity, and create joyful “aha!” moments – all without teaching or lecturing.

The MathHappens Foundation is an educational nonprofit that seeks to create informal, playful, and creative math learning opportunities for people of all ages. Most of our work is in partnership with existing institutions and events. We design, make, supply, and distribute materials to support learning and engagement. Positions such as the Math Room Facilitator directly help create those creative and playful math learning opportunities we are looking for.

Math Room Facilitators are primarily responsible for setting up and facilitating the Benjamin Banneker Math Room. The Benjamin Banneker Math Room is a space at NAAM (Northwest African American Museum) with lots of math-related activities, games, puzzles, etc., where kids and adults can explore and interact with math. Facilitators are tasked to create a welcoming and warm space where play is encouraged.

Math Room Facilitators work in a team environment and are responsible for supporting outreach programs at the Northwest African American Museum. Facilitators support educational and tabling activities, participate in exhibit design development and complete various administrative tasks. They also support these activities at occasional special events in collaboration with the Museum.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate participants in exploring math learning materials from MathHappens, Benjamin Banneker Association, and SUMM
• Assist with programs, events, and activities that educate and engage adults and children in the community
• Collaborate with MathHappens, Benjamin Banneker Association, and SUMM to create a fun, safe, and equitable learning environment supporting participant engagement and motivation
• Participate in program/event development and complete various administrative tasks as needed (e.g. event photography, surveys, reporting, data entry, etc.)

Ideal Qualifications

• Commitment to math, growth mindset, and education.
• Experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and BIPOC communities.
• Enthusiastic about math and confident interacting in educational settings.
• Experience in tutoring, teaching, counseling, and/or coaching youth.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Strong customer service skills with high energy level and ability to enthusiastically engage both large and small audiences.
• Must be 18 years old or older.
• Must be able to pass a federal background check and be eligible to work in the United States.

Time Commitment

Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Location

Northwest African American Museum (2300 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA 98144)

Note: There are occasional days where facilitators will be needed to work outside of Saturdays and/or outside of NAAM (such as Juneteeth or Umoja Fest). Scheduling is flexible and you are NOT required to make every Saturday, commit to days outside of your schedule, or commit to working events located outside of NAAM.

Pay: $20.76/hr for undergraduate students. $27.50/hr for college graduates.

Partnering Organizations

The Benjamin Banneker Math Room is possible out of a joint offer from the 4 organizations:

MathHappens Foundation is dedicated to promoting the joy and value of mathematics in people's lives. Our mission is to inspire and empower individuals to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of mathematics through engaging and interactive experiences. We strive to create opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to discover the beauty and relevance of mathematics in the world around them. 

Through innovative programs, exhibits, and events, we foster curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, helping to cultivate a more mathematically literate society. At MathHappens, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to experience the wonder of mathematics and that it can enrich lives in meaningful and unexpected ways.

The Northwest African American Museum is an anti-racist, pro-equity, affirming gathering place of hope, help, and healing for the entire Northwest region that is building intergenerational cultural wealth. 

At the heart of the African American experience in the Northwest is the story of our journey to this region, the establishment of our vibrant community, and the ways in which we have survived. To tell this ever-unfolding story, the Museum’s exhibitions and programs feature the visual arts, music, crafts, literature, and history of African Americans in the Northwest. Cognizant of the black community’s continuous evolution, NAAM focuses on African Americans whose route to the new world was through slavery as well as recent immigrants arriving from places such as Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia.

The Benjamin Banneker Association is dedicated to empowering Black children by actively pursuing effective solutions to the challenges hindering their access to equal opportunities in mathematics education and achievement. Since our founding in 1986, our organization has been dedicated to mathematics education advocacy, establishing a presence for leadership, and professional development to support teachers in leveling the playing field for mathematics learning of the highest quality for African-American students.

The Seattle Universal Math Museum hosts events and interactive programming both virtually as well as in libraries, schools, and venues across Seattle. We offer fun, educational programming that increases math literacy and connects math to children’s everyday lives in a way that feels like play. Ultimately, our goal is to build a permanent Seattle Universal Math Museum location.