The GGSC is Hiring an Education Content Writer!

October 24, 2022

The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (GGSC) is looking for an Education Content Writer to produce new content for its large and growing community of education professionals, including on its Greater Good in Education (GGIE) platform. This contract position will:

• Develop and write approximately 50 new well-being activities for educators to use with students in the classroom, with their colleagues, and for their own well-being and professional development. These practices will draw from research studies, content partners, and practitioners, and they will focus heavily on the moral, civic, and spiritual development of students and the adults who work with them. Here is a sample practice.
• Write approximately 4-6 “GGIE Topic Pages” that provide an overview of research findings that are key to student and educator well-being (e.g., wisdom, honesty), along with practical examples of how these topics come to life in classrooms and schools. Here is a sample topic page.
• Contribute content to online learning modules that train California educators in the foundations of social-emotional learning (SEL). These modules are part of a broader online training for educators working in every country office of education across the state of California.

This position is grant-funded and will run at least through June 2024, with the possibility to extend longer depending on funding. Remote working (100%) is an option. It is a contract position that will not provide benefits.

About Greater Good Education

The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society—what we call “the science of a meaningful life.”

As part of the GGSC, our Greater Good Education (GGE) program presents education professionals with practical, scientific insights that help them bring the science of a meaningful life into their lives, schools, and classrooms. It draws on disciplines such as social-emotional learning, mindfulness, character education, and related topics. GGE’s goal is to help them better understand the roots of kind, helpful—or “prosocial”—behavior and emotional well-being, and how they can build those skills in themselves, their colleagues, and their students.

Building on this goal, GGE’s Greater Good in Education platform distills key strategies for the social, emotional, and ethical development of students and for the well-being of the adults who work with them, synthesizing the top insights and practices from science, programs, and practitioners.

Responsibilities

• In consultation with the GGSC Education Director, identifies potential practices from research studies, content experts, and practitioners related to the moral, civic, and spiritual development of students and the adults who work with them.
• Reaches out to and meets with potential content partners to explore how to adapt their materials to GGIE, and works with them to develop and edit these materials for GGIE.
• Translates the latest research on moral, civic, and spiritual development into easily digestible content, including practical classroom and school examples that bring the research to life.
• Plans and carries out the creation of at least two new social-emotional learning online modules for California educators, including writing content, curating resources, conducting interviews, and creating slideshows.

Qualifications

• Exceptional writing skills, particularly for making scientific research understandable to non-academic audiences; K-12 curriculum writing experience preferred
• Thorough knowledge of the education field, especially the landscape of social-emotional learning (SEL), mindfulness, and/or character education, including research, best practices, and leading programs
• Experience working as a teacher or school administrator at the K-12 level, strongly preferred
• Knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in K-12 schools, preferred
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practices in K-12 schools, preferred
• Familiarity with scientific research and ability to search for and understand scientific studies
• Thorough and effective interpersonal communication skills
• Experience and skill in developing online education preferred
• Experience and comfort working with Google Suite and Zoom
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently, prioritize, and meet deadlines
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to take constructive feedback on writing—edits are our friend at the GGSC!
• Familiarity with—and affinity for—the GGSC’s mission

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in related area required
• Masters degree or Ph.D., preferred

Compensation

This is a contract position with payment for each deliverable completed. Benefits are not included.

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to Vicki Zakrzewski at ggsceducation@berkeley.edu. A writing exercise will be required of final candidates.