Education Coordinator

West Virginia Mine Wars Museum: Education Coordinator

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is seeking a full-time (40 hours per week) Education Coordinator to lead and grow the Museum’s educational programming and outreach. This role is central to how the Museum engages students, educators, and the public, translating history into accessible, relevant learning experiences across the region.

The Education Coordinator works across staff, board members, and partners to ensure that the Museum’s education work is strategic, well-coordinated, and deeply rooted in community relationships. The role spans three core areas: K–12 education, people’s history programming, and labor education. This position also activates and supports three key working groups within the Museum’s network: the Education Advisory Committee, Labor Education Committee, and Research Committee, ensuring alignment, coordination, communication, and follow-through across each.

About The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is a dynamic, high-functioning nonprofit dedicated to preserving and uplifting the history of the West Virginia Mine Wars. We are a small but mighty collaborative team. We are recognized as a leading voice for history and labor in the region. In addition to our public programs and partnerships, we own and operate the historic 11,000-square-foot Cecil E. Roberts Building in Matewan, West Virginia, which we are actively repurposing as a hub for expanded exhibitions, a growing archive and research facility, and community gatherings.

What You’ll Do

The Education Coordinator will lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of the Museum’s education programs, including field trips, public programs, educator resources, and regional outreach. This role connects program design with on-the-ground execution, ensuring that education initiatives are well-planned, well-attended, and aligned with the Museum’s mission and strategic priorities.

Core Responsibilities

Educational Programming and Events

• Lead planning and coordination of the Museum’s Mine Wars book talks, including identifying speakers, shaping a well-rounded program, and ensuring successful execution
• Coordinate and execute public-facing education programs, including workshops, lectures, and virtual trainings
• Lead planning and execution of Camp Solidarity, the Museum’s biannual labor education conference
• Develop and facilitate additional public programs that connect Mine Wars history to present-day issues

School and Educator Engagement

• Coordinate school visits, field trips, classroom talks, and regional outreach, including scheduling, logistics, and follow-up
• Conduct outreach to regional schools to expand participation and build long-term relationships
• Develop and support educator-facing programming, including virtual trainings and classroom engagement opportunities

Education Advisory Committee and Curriculum Development

• Facilitate the Museum’s Education Advisory Panel, including scheduling meetings, setting agendas, and ensuring follow-through
• Work with educators to develop lesson plans and curriculum materials grounded in Mine Wars history
• Ensure lesson plans and educational resources are accessible, distributed, and maintained on the Museum’s website
• Maintain integrity and integrate the Museum’s CEPs (Core Educational Principles) in all materials

Tours and Visitor Engagement

• Coordinate and facilitate walking tours and in-museum educational tours
• Serve as an on-site educator and representative of the Museum, including regular weekly shifts engaging visitors
• Ensure historical accuracy and consistency across all educational materials and tours

Program Coordination and Systems

• Develop and manage education program timelines, systems, and workflows
• Track participation, feedback, and outcomes across education programs
• Coordinate across staff to align education programming with exhibitions, communications, and strategic priorities

If you were here today, you’d be:

• Preparing for and leading an upcoming Mine Wars book talk series
• Coordinating logistics and outreach for a week of scheduled school field trips
• Coordinating and meeting with the Education Advisory Panel to review draft lesson plans and committee work
• Updating the Museum’s website with newly developed teacher resources
• Leading a walking tour or facilitating a group visit to the Museum
• Planning next steps for the upcoming Camp Solidarity conference

Keys to success (the must-haves)
We are looking for someone who brings:

• K–12 teaching experience and education-related work, with a strong understanding of curriculum design, pacing, and what works in real classrooms
• Ability to design lesson plans and educational materials that are practical, age-appropriate, and aligned with classroom realities
• Knowledge of the Mine Wars, labor issues, economic justice, and/or nonprofit operations
• Strong relationship-building skills, particularly with educators, students, and community partners
• Experience conducting outreach and building sustained engagement with educators across regions
• Experience with facilitation and project management
• Ability to manage logistics, timelines, and follow-through across multiple concurrent projects
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage responsibilities, calendars, and deadlines
• A demonstrated commitment to follow-through, including maintaining communication and feedback loops with partners
• Comfort facilitating groups, leading discussions, and speaking with a range of audiences
• Experience developing or supporting teacher workshops, trainings, or professional development opportunities
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, across a range of audiences and contexts
• Ability to translate complex historical material into accessible, engaging content across education levels
• Ability to create classroom-ready resources, including lesson plans, visual materials, and primary source-based content
• Basic digital fluency, including shared drives, spreadsheets, and web-based tools
• Self-motivation and willingness to take initiative and solve problems as they arise
• A collaborative spirit
• A deep understanding of coalfield communities, and a commitment to telling truthful, grounded stories
• Ability to support or contribute to grant writing and funding strategies for educational programming

Have other skills that might strengthen this work? Tell us.

We’re a small staff on a big project, and many different kinds of experience can be valuable here!

What else you should know about the job

This position is based in southern West Virginia or eastern Kentucky and includes a mix of in-person and remote work. The Education Coordinator is expected to be on-site at the Museum at least two days per week, including one day focused on visitor engagement and Museum operations.

Regional travel is required for school outreach, programming, and events. Evening and weekend work is expected, particularly for public programs and community engagement, and is scheduled in advance.

The salary range for this position is between $40,000 and $48,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Museum offers a $700/month fringe benefit allotment that can be used toward insurance, retirement, or as a salary increase. Paid time off includes 10 sick days per year and 5 vacation days in the first year. In the second year, employees receive 10 vacation days, with one additional day accrued for each year of employment thereafter. Full-time employees also receive paid holidays, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, and a holiday break between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. While Labor Day is a working holiday due to Museum programming, all employees who work that day receive one additional floating holiday to be used with approval.

We are actively seeking to recruit diverse candidates for this position. We want the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum to represent the diversity found in West Virginia communities. We are seeking candidates who demonstrate diversity of perspective, experience, and culture. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, as well as others who have been historically underrepresented in roles like this.

The desired start date is ASAP.

How to Apply

To apply, please complete the application form and be prepared to upload the following: a cover letter; your resume or CV; three professional references (including at least one former supervisor); work samples that demonstrate related job capabilities. If you have a question about qualifications or what is needed for this role, please contact Kenzie New Walker at kenzie@wvminewars.org or 304-691-0014.