Michelle Rabkin

Experience

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  Teach For America

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2005

  Teach for America Corps Member
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  Chicago Public Schools

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2005

  Elementary School Teacher

  Elementary school teacher for 3rd and 5th grade at Carrie Jacobs Bond Elementary School (90% low income, 25% diverse learners)

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  Field Museum

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2010

  Museums and Public Schools (MAPS) Coordinator and School Partnerships Educator

  Developed 7th grade social science curriculum, led teacher professional development, managed school-Museum relationships, supported in-school curriculum and field trip implementationLed biology teacher professional development for High School Transformation Project Developed Educator Guide framework and created numerous temporary exhibition Educator Guides; coordinated 2008 Educator Open House serving more than 400 educators; Prepared annual grant reports for family and corporate foundation supported education programs Show less

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  Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

  Dec 2010 - Jan 2024

  Creates and executes strategy & operational decisions around program development, implementation, operations & impact evaluation for equity-focused science/environmental education programming, forums & resources including: 1. Teacher professional development & school-wide planning with school leaders in K-8 Chicago schools 2. Programming for students (PK-undergrad) 3. Youth Development & Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs with high school students & young adults 4. community engagement (e.g. adult, family & bilingual programs, early childhood partnerships, programs for people with disabilities)reaching over 800,000 students and 15,000 adult community members across all Chicago zip codes. Programs reach more than 67,000 people annually in immersive, locally-focused science learning, including 1,700 teachers from 200 Chicago schools. All programs' approaches are grounded in a combination of racial equity, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), science and environmental education, museum learning, asset-based community engagement, and positive youth development best practices.Leads financial strategy and oversight for a ~$1,100,000 budget annually comprised of over 30 different contributed and earned revenue sources. Identified, secured, and sustained over $10M in revenue from fee, grant, and contract-based sources as the head of the education department. Collaborates to secure contributed revenue outside of the education budget for $6 million general operating budget annually.Leads and participates in partnerships with local and national leaders and consortia in science education, museum, community engagement, and environmental fields.Manages a team of 16 direct reports and 36 staff. Most racially diverse team in the institution with the lowest turnover (92% full time staff retention year over year 2021-2023)Creates and maintains Board member relationships, communication, and strategic planning collaborations; leads quarterly Board meetings Show less

  • Vice President of Education

    Nov 2017 - Jan 2024

  • Senior Director of Education

    Dec 2014 - Nov 2017

  • Associate Director of Education

    Aug 2014 - Dec 2014

  • Student Programs Coordinator

    Dec 2010 - Aug 2014
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  DePaul University

  Sept 2014 - Jan 2024

  Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Environmental Science and Studies

  Creates, develops, and teaches "Environmental Education: Theory and Practice", an undergraduate junior-year experiential learning (JYEL) class for DePaul University's Environmental Science and Studies Department