Penn Fellows Program: Middle and Upper School Teaching Fellowship in Computer Science

Riverdale Country School, a Pre-K through Grade 12 independent all-gender school in New York City, is dedicated to inspiring students to live meaningful and purpose-driven lives. The school achieves this by fostering a culture of academic excellence, critical thinking, and curiosity, supported by a diverse and inclusive community. Riverdale emphasizes both high challenge and high support in its approach to education, encouraging students to engage deeply in interdisciplinary learning, research, and experiential education, both inside and outside the classroom and beyond our campuses. This holistic approach aims to develop well-rounded individuals who are prepared to make a positive impact on the world.

At Riverdale, we strive to reflect the diversity of the New York metropolitan area in our students, faculty, and staff. We believe that a diverse and inclusive community enriches the educational experience and is integral to our mission. With a student body of approximately 1,300 students from 117 different zip codes, Riverdale is a vibrant community where 48% of our students identify as students of color. 

We seek to employ educators and leaders who bring a student-centered approach, passion for their work, a commitment to DEIB, and a desire to contribute to the growth and development of our entire school community.

In partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), Riverdale seeks to hire a Penn Fellow in the Computer Science Department for a two-year position. The fellow will teach a reduced course load in the Middle and Upper School while taking graduate classes and pursuing a Master's degree at Penn GSE.

An ideal candidate is interested in growing the computer science program for students to address real problems with an understanding of the ways technology intersects with society. Our courses use a variety of hardware and programming languages including micro:bit, Arduino, block-based coding, JavaScript, Processing/p5.js, Python, C-based languages, and R; applicants should already be comfortable with a few of these languages and willing to expand their knowledge. In addition, the fellow will have the opportunity to assist with various extracurricular activities and programs such as Robotics, Girls Who Code, Rocketry, and Build-a-Ware. 

We are seeking a fellow who would intentionally use their teaching practice to build and sustain an inclusive learning environment for all students, meeting the needs of students across a range of academic abilities and identities. Since some of our programs are middle school focused, applicants should be comfortable working with students in grades 6-8. 

Applicants should possess a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university preferably in a computer science, engineering, math or technology-related field. We are also excited to hear from applicants with a degree in a different field and significant programming experience.

For international applicants: The H1-B visa is the only visa that international applicants can currently use to participate in the ISTR program; however, at this time, Riverdale is not able to sponsor a candidate for this visa unless an applicant is transferring from another type of visa to a H1-B visa. The OPT visa or OPT extension cannot be used, as students cannot be enrolled in a degree or certificate program while on an OPT extension. 

More information about this program is available on the Penn website, linked here, as well as our specific Penn Fellows page on our website. 

If you have specific questions about the program, please email our Penn Program director Andrew Kingsley (akingsley@riverdale.edu).

To apply for this position, please click on the red “Apply for this Job” button. Please submit a resume and cover letter.  If there are pronouns we should use in potential future communications, we invite you to share that information with us.  For information about this position and all open positions, please visit the Careers page of Riverdale’s website.

Working at Riverdale Country School is a purposeful and meaningful career choice that comes with many benefits including:  

Transportation: Shuttle service is available to/from the 242nd St / Broadway subway station. Limited stops are also available near transit hubs in Manhattan including the Metro North Harlem Station and subway lines – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, A, B, C, and D. If there is need in the community, we can also run a shuttle from the Henry Hudson Parkway / 246th St bus stop which connects to the #7, #10, and Express Buses to/from Manhattan.

Professional Development: A generous professional-development budget provides for conferences, skills training, and onsite training in areas such as mindfulness, coaching, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Grants and Stipends: All employees are eligible for Frankel Fellow grants, known as “passion grants,” which pay for enrichment activities. More than 120 grants have been made to faculty and staff since the program started in 2014. Stipends are available for coaching, affinity group facilitation, advising clubs with significant out-of-school time, and chaperoning trips (including global trips!).

Sabbatical:  Full time teaching faculty are eligible for a sabbatical after 10 years of employment.  

Health Benefits: Riverdale offers and subsidizes health, dental, and vision insurance.  In addition, the school offers a flexible spending account through which employees can use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses.  

Retirement:  Employees are eligible to join our Defined Contribution retirement plan through TIAA.  The school contributes 7% of an employee's annual salary to their retirement account.  

Vacation:  Riverdale Country School has a generous time-off policy for staff in addition to vacations afforded by the school calendar.