Far Horizons Summer Counselor

Far Horizons Summer Counselor

Full-Time Temporary

About the Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.

Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way.

The Position

The Adler Planetarium is seeking a Far Horizons Summer Counselor to join our dynamic team located on Chicago's Museum Campus. The Far Horizons Counselor collaborates with Far Horizons staff and the Teen Programs Manager to implement two programs - Mission Near Space and Far Horizons Teens. 

In Mission Near Space, 7th and 8th-grade students join a unique team of engineers, educators, and astronomers. They prepare, launch, track, and retrieve a scientific payload sent to the stratosphere aboard a high-altitude balloon. During Far Horizons Teens, high school students will continue a teen-implemented light pollution research project. Teens will learn about light pollution and the ecology of local ecosystems through hands-on activities and plan and carry out the next steps of a research project. They will also create communication tools and activities to share their project with the public.

The Counselor keeps middle through high school-aged participants engaged all day, every day, while assisting the Program Manager with program operations. They take the lead on individual needs management, allowing the Program Manager to focus on whole group instruction. 

This individual will also be responsible for:

• Assisting the Program Manager to maintain participants’ safety and positive engagement during indoor and outdoor activities, including one weekly off-site trip (Mission Near Space) and fieldwork (Far Horizons Teens)

• Understanding and implementing all Adler Planetarium emergency procedures

• Helping participants complete fun, STEAM-based activities and adapting activities to meet participants’ needs.

• Encouraging all teens to participate fully in all activities while providing individual attention when required

• Participating in all training sessions and preparation as needed

• Supporting Mission Near Space drop-off and pick-up procedures by greeting participants and keeping them engaged in games or other age-appropriate activities while waiting

• Setting up and cleaning up program materials and activities daily

• Traveling with Mission Near Space program participants to Kankakee and the payload recovery site on balloon-launch day, and traveling with Far Horizons Teens to a TBD location for fieldwork

The Work Schedule

This temporary full-time position begins on June 1st, 2026, and ends on August 7th, 2026. The typical work schedule for this position is 35 hours per week. The anticipated schedule for this position is:

Mission Near Space Training & Preparation:

• June 1 - June 12 | Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm

  • Training Flight: June 4th (June 3rd as weather backup) 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM

Mission Near Space Implementation:

• Session 1: June 15 - 19 | Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm 

  • One extended day, usually Thursday (varying, but 6:30 pm is average)

• Session 2: June 22 - 26 | Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm 

  • One extended day, usually Thursday (varying, but 6:30 pm is average)

• Session 3: July 6 - 10 | Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm 

  • One extended day, usually Thursday (varying, but 6:30 pm is average)

Far Horizons Teens Preparation:

• June 29 - July 3 | Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm

  • Possibility of remote or virtual work

Far Horizons Teens Implementation:

• July 13 - August 7

  • Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 8 am - 4 pm 

  • Wednesdays 2 pm - 10 pm

• Other Night-Time Field Work | Dates TBD

FT Compensation & Benefits

Compensation:  $18.02/hr

Work-Life Balance

• 35-hour workweek

• Eligible to accrue up to 6 vacation days per year

• 3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)

• Eligible to earn time and a half for working on any of the 7 Adler observed holidays

• Flexible work arrangements

• Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty

• Paid Parental Leave

Commuter flexible spending account

Retirement Savings Plan

• 403B plan with Adler match

• Adler's match is 100% vested immediately

• Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire  

 Network of Support through our EAP programs

• Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues

• Face-to-face, telephonic, and web-based services

• Free subscription to the Calm Premium app

 Employee Loan Program

 Discounted Onsite Parking Program

 Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions

The Person

The Far Horizons counselor is ready for anything and curious about everything! They always have a new game or challenge prepared to keep the group of young folks occupied during downtime, and they're great at figuring out what needs to happen to keep the day running smoothly. Teamwork and collaboration come naturally to them, and they know that the best way to help someone learn is to guide them toward their own discoveries. They’re equally comfortable in the field (possibly a literal field!) or in the classroom. They’re curious about the world around them, from the plants and animals of an ecosystem to the layers of the atmosphere and up into the night sky!

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED

• Must be 18 years of age or older

• One or more years of experience working with 7th - 12th graders in an educational and/or camp-like setting 

• Valid driver’s license

• Proficient in Google Suite

• Confident tech user and excited to learn new tech skills 

• Must pass a Chicago Public Schools Background Check/Fingerprinting

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Associate's Degree or 3+ years of professional work experience

• College coursework or comparable in formal (classroom) or informal (museum) education, space science field, technology, or relevant science field

• Experience teaching in bilingual (English/Spanish) learning environments

• Previous research fieldwork experience

• Camp counselor experience

• Experience with high-altitude ballooning

• Comfortable driving a 15-passenger van

Application and Interview Timeline

Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by March 21, 2026. First-round interviews will take place from late March to mid-April, followed by final interviews in late April.

The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its obligations as an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email the Human Resources Department at recruiting@adlerplanetarium.org and provide the nature of your request and your contact information. Accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.