Pre-College Instructor, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, AI & Beyond (On-Campus) Summer 2024

Company Description

Through Columbia University's Pre-College Programs, high schoolers from around the globe prepare for the college experience through exploratory coursework and community activities over seven weeks in the summer. This highly selective program is open to academically exceptional high school students, entering grades 9–12 and freshman year of college.

Job Description

Columbia University’s Pre-College Programs for High School Students is seeking qualified candidates to develop and teach on-campus (i.e., in person) during Summer ’24. 

Please Note: Course(s) and course availability is subject to change. Dates are tentative and subject to change.  

Three week courses:

• Session 1: June 24th - July 12th (Classes do not meet on July 4th)
• Session 2: July 16th - August 2nd

One week course:

• Session 3: August 5th - August 9th

Course description:

This course is designed for students who have an interest in the future of finance, technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and work. Beginning with an exploration of Fintech (financial technology), we explore technology’s impact on everything from banking to real estate to Wall Street. Additionally, we look at how artificial intelligence (AI) will automate and reduce the need for human workers, as AI, Fintech, and other technologies are combined to automate many tasks.

After gaining a solid understanding of the real-world use cases of Fintech and the everyday ways it impacts the economy, social justice, and our lives, students take a journey of discovery into the world of AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, Bitcoin, and cryptocurrency. Since Bitcoin’s launch in 2009, cryptocurrency and decentralized ledger technology, aka blockchain, have emerged as an economic force majeure, disrupting the fundamentals of how people interact and how they perceive money. In addition to pushing the evolution of money, blockchain technology is now poised to disrupt how we organize businesses and the future of work. Course participants explore the organizational impacts and transformations caused by blockchain and cryptocurrencies and examine what this will mean to them as future CEOs and global business and thought leaders.

The course concludes by exploring the perspective of entrepreneurs and innovators, further examining how technologies come together to form the businesses, disruptions, and methodologies of the 21st Century. Participants walk away with a fundamental understanding of what tokens and cryptocurrencies are; how businesses leverage blockchain technology, AI, and other Fintech applications; and how digital transformation impacts social interactions and the future of work.

Please note: This course is not a computer programming course and requires no prior knowledge or experience, but rather looks at these emerging technologies more broadly from business, social, political, and cultural perspectives.

Responsibilities:

• Develop course content, syllabus, lesson plans, and assigned work
• Lead and attend all in-person class sessions
• Establish and maintain a dynamic in-class environment tailored for our high school population
• Evaluate student work and write a holistic evaluation of each participant after the course ends
• Monitor and address student concerns and inquiries (you will have around 20-24 students)
• Attend and complete all required online trainings

Qualifications

• Graduate degree or equivalent professional or academic background
• Expertise in the pertinent subject matter
• Aptitude for teaching

Additional Information

Hiring Salary Ranges: 

Sessions 1 & 2 on-campus: $6,150 - $7,850
Session 3 on-campus: $2,200 - $2,800

Please specify which session(s) you would be interested in teaching.  

• Please submit a resume inclusive of teaching experience as well as formal teaching evaluations (if available)
• Applicants must have U.S. work authorization and will need to be in the U.S. while teaching
• Applicants may not hold a concurrent appointment with Columbia for the duration of their appointment
• Once hired, applicants are required to submit to a third party background check and complete Protection of Minors training in addition to other training(s) mandated by the University

For more information on the program, hiring process, and class schedules, please see here.  

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