YYGS Connect Summer Staff Responsibilities
Contents
Overview of Responsibilities
YYGS provides a unique opportunity for Instructors and Lead Instructors to teach talented high school students from around the world in the intimate context of small seminars, breakout sessions, and session-long simulation projects. They also play a crucial role in mentoring small groups of participants and supervising online events throughout the session. In YYGS, instructional staff obtain significant real-world experience in the development of curriculum, online classroom management, and student mentorship.
Seminar Development
Instructors and Lead Instructors in YYGS Connect are responsible for developing unique seminars on their choice of academic topics. In the spring, all YYGS Connect instructional staff submit a proposal of their intended seminars. The YYGS leadership team selects and approves seminars, considering the balance of all seminar proposals. Upon approval, all instructional staff develop assigned readings, discussion questions, and all other aspects of their seminars. The key to successful seminars is substantial planning in the months preceding the session.
Academic Responsibilities
There are several academic components that instructional staff are responsible for:
Lectures. YYGS lectures feature renowned Yale faculty and leading practitioners in their fields, and expose students to a wide array of new ideas, perspectives, and exciting research. Instructional staff are required to attend the lectures, moderate online discussion forums and lead live breakout sessions pertaining to each lecture topic.
Breakout Sessions. Following lectures, instructional staff monitor and moderate smaller breakout sessions and forums to further explore topics related to the content of the lectures. Instructional staff moderate the discussions, but students are expected to take the lead and voice their opinions, formulate thoughtful questions and responses, debate varied perspectives, and consider possible follow-up experiments/studies. A curriculum guide is provided.
Seminars. Seminars are interdisciplinary classes that are designed and taught by instructional staff to help students develop critical thinking skills by exploring a variety of relevant topics. Instructional staff propose seminars based on topics of their choice, and leadership staff select and schedule the seminars that will be taught in YYGS. Students give their preferences on a wide range of seminars available and are assigned to seminars accordingly. To promote thoughtful discussion, seminars can have assigned readings that are made available to YYGS participants prior to the beginning of the program.
YYGS Family Time. YYGS Family Time is a unique opportunity for students to meet and bond with a small group of students throughout the session. YYGS Families are mentored by instructional staff members. A curriculum guide is provided.
YYGS Simulation. Simulations are an opportunity for students to work in small groups to creatively and collaboratively practice skills that will help them address the root causes and design potential solutions to some of the greatest challenges our global community faces. Instructional staff will supervise and mentor students through the simulation process. A curriculum guide is provided.
Yale resource presentations. Students will have an opportunity to virtually access a wide range of Yale resources and departments through various presentations and panels throughout the online session. Instructional staff will be asked to moderate or participate on some of these panels, along with YYGS leadership staff.
Other Responsibilities
All staff members are the face of YYGS Connect and as such are held to the highest standards of responsibility and integrity. YYGS Connect instructional staff are expected to be an active presence in the program and should react to any emergent situations to ensure student comfort and security. Given the nature of our program, other responsibilities may arise periodically and will be delegated to staff members as necessary.