Roles with Andover Summer
Andover Summer is an extremely supportive environment where you are encouraged to be bold and try new things.
”Andover Summer is hiring for the summer of 2024! If you would like to apply for a position, please visit our employment site.
One of the nation’s premier boarding schools, Phillips Academy annually offers summer academic programs to nearly 1000 students in grades 7-12 through its 5-week on-campus residential program (Summer Session) its 2-week on-campus day student program (Andover Advantage), and its four Outreach programs (Andover Bread Loaf, Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, Mathematics & Science for Minority Students, and PALS – a partnership between Phillips Academy and Lawrence Public Schools).
Students in these programs bring an enormous diversity of geographic origin, religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background to the summer experience, but despite such differences are united by strong academic records and a serious desire to spend the summer in an academic community. Our summer students enjoy challenging themselves and one another through disciplined study, and are seeking out these learning experiences not for credit or a grade, but for the sake of learning and growth.
Every summer Phillips Academy hires a number of visiting faculty members to teach, coach, and house counsel in these summer programs. Regardless of assignment, a summer faculty member’s experience is rigorous and thoroughly challenging, but also incredibly rewarding, as students and faculty build deep, meaningful, and supportive relationships during their time together.
Jobs with our on-campus 5-week residential program
Lead Teaching
TAs & RAs
House Counseling
Coaching
Lead Teaching at Andover Summer
Andover Summer teachers are charged with ensuring that students in their classes have a challenging and academically rigorous summer experience, while also making learning incredibly fun. We see teaching in the summer as an opportunity for teachers to innovate and experiment; there is no strict curriculum to which teachers must adhere (outside of following the general guidance provided by the course description). Project-based, hands-on, authentic learning experiences are encouraged, and teachers should be prepared to lead students through an intensive and highly engaging exploration of their chosen content. For a more comprehensive vision for the competencies held by teachers in the summer, please see the Portrait of a Teacher that was created with our Andover Summer faculty.
Typically, teachers in our residential programs are hired to teach two courses, and may also opt to house counsel and to coach an afternoon activity. Each on-campus course meets for roughly 1½ hours each day, 5-6 days a week.
Teaching Assistants (TAs) are typically rising college seniors or recent college graduates who are interested in gaining direct experience with the sorts of teaching, coaching, and residential duties that comprise the life of a boarding school faculty member.
- To gain classroom experience, TAs are paired with experienced Mentor Teachers for the duration of the summer, collaborating closely to execute on the syllabus designed by the Mentor. Together, TAs and their Mentor Teachers are charged with ensuring that students in their classes have a challenging and academically rigorous summer experience, while also making learning incredibly fun. Project-based, hands-on, authentic learning experiences are encouraged, and TAs should be prepared to support their mentors in leading students through an intensive and highly engaging exploration of their chosen content. With the support of their mentors, TAs work towards planning and leading at least one complete lesson over the course of the summer, with most TAs assuming lead-teaching responsibilities by the end of the session.
- All TAs serve as coaches in our Afternoon Activities program, facilitating an activity (such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, dance, yoga, etc.) 3-4 times per week. TAs have the opportunity to express interest in particular activities as part of the onboarding process.
- Most TAs serve as House Counselors in student dormitories. In this capacity, they are charged with creating a safe, supportive living environment and ensuring the health and wellbeing of the students in their care. Dorm teams consist of 2-5 House Counselors (depending on the size of the dorm) who share residential responsibilities, rotating through evening dorm duties, facilitating dorm meetings and activities, coordinating dorm events, communicating with families, and providing care and support to students as needed.
- Most TAs serve as facilitators of weekly Connections groups: cross-program groupings of high school aged students which aim to break down barriers and help students make social connections through team building activities, discussion, and socializing.
For those interested in only the residential side of the work, without the teaching responsibilities, Andover Summer hires a set of Residential Assistants (RAs) to supervise the dorm and athletic activities without any additional teaching duties. RAs have substantially more free time and flexibility in the mornings and early afternoons, enabling them to focus on building strong and supportive relationships with students and fulfilling their residential responsibilities as house counselors with particular dedication and focus. Most RAs serve as coaches and as Connections facilitators, similar to the role of TAs, above.
Summer house counselors live in dorms, and work to ensure that students are safe, supported, well-known, and have fun. They coordinate all aspects of residential life for students, facilitate dorm meetings and activities, build community, and refer students to additional supports as needed. House counselors serve as the primary point people for families during the summer.
Coaches are responsible for creating and fostering a safe, enjoyable environment for all students enrolled in their activity; each activity meets three times per week. Coaches are attentive to safety and logistical considerations while also ensuring students are active and engaged each session. Coaches may be asked to design the activity’s games, drills, or exercises, and collaborate with others in the Athletic Department throughout the summer. Coaches also serve as another adult in students’ lives, building relationships and taking an active interest in their well-being and overall summer experience.
Other Jobs with Andover Summer
Advantage Teacher
Our newest program, Andover Advantage, offers local students entering grades 6-9 the opportunity to get a jump on the school year through 2-week refresher courses in math, English, and STEM. An open enrollment program, there are no academic prerequisites except for an interest in hitting the ground running when the regular school year begins.
In 2024, we will run 2 sessions of Andover Advantage, one during the month of July (July 15-26) and one during the month of August (August 5-16).
Andover Advantage faculty members typically teach 1-2 classes daily, with no additional responsibilities. Classes meet M-F for 90 minutes, and faculty members are charged with developing an engaging curriculum that matches the course description, while also meeting the identified needs of students enrolled in these classes.
Administrative Intern
Through its Administrative Internship Program, the Phillips Academy Summer Session offers a limited number of positions to college undergraduates. Administrative interns are charged with a wide variety of duties in support of the running of Andover’s summer programs, including summer setup and preparation for the physical and technology needs for over 130 summer faculty and 600 students, coordination of all faculty and student communication during the summer, oversight of the summer office and all associated tasks – from answering the phones to handling finances, maintenance of data logs related to student attendance, behavior, and academic needs, and responding to a multitude of requests from all stakeholders. Interns are integral to the successful operation of Andover’s summer programming, and the role requires a high level of self-direction and organization, as well as an ability to collaborate closely with others and communicate effectively.