Title: Curriculum Developer
Supervised by: Managing Director of Program Strategy
Status: Contract, paid in installments
Date: August 2022
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ORGANIZATION*
Founded in 2013, VOCEL is a non-profit early childhood education organization whose purpose is to ensure every child has the foundation to learn, grow and lead. Through a two-generation model rooted in language-rich environments and social-emotional development, VOCEL helps parents, caregivers and educators maximize young children’s brain growth, by providing tools and facilitating communities of support. VOCEL’s theory of change asserts that adults provide more nurturing interactions, robust communication, and play-based learning experiences to their young children when supported by VOCEL’s programs.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
VOCEL is seeking a Curriculum Developer to codify content to support growth in VOCEL’s portfolio of programs. At the core of this role, the Curriculum Developer will 1) assess and internalize VOCEL’s theory of change as it relates to existing curriculum and resources, 2) create detailed, engaging curriculums and quality instructional resources and 3) create and implement training and adaptation for VOCEL staff to utilize. The Curriculum Developer will report to the Managing Director of Program Strategy and work closely with the Senior Director of Programs to learn about existing program curriculum, understand the programming needs of the communities and partners we serve, and collaborate with current program managers and facilitators.
Specific responsibilities will include:
Curriculum Development (90-95%)
- Conduct research and collaborate with educators and subject experts
- Develop quality curricula and learning resources for VOCEL’s portfolio of programs.
- VCPA (VOCEL’s Child Parent Academy) will need adaptation and refinement of curriculum, aiding in the differentiation between virtual and in person programming, and activity modifications to accommodate age and developmental differences for children ages 0-4.
- PbV (Powered by VOCEL) will utilize VCPA adapted curriculum, but also needs creation of a curriculum tailored to children 0-2 and their parents and caregivers
- BELL (Building Early Learning Leaders) will need adaptation and refinement of curriculum for principals and administrators in collaboration with the BELL facilitator, as well as different activities and sessions for members after multiple years in the program
- EETC (Early Educators for Thriving Children) will need curriculum adaptation and refinement to ensure consecutive years of fellowship attendance and growth to incorporate Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers.
- Workshops are a new offering from VOCEL and would include support in creation of a standard workshop skeleton/format, best practices for workshop facilitation and engagement, brainstorming topics, and other support as needed.
- Establish feasible timeframes to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the curriculum across each program, for example length of time for activities and workshops
- Create stimulating lesson plans for each of VOCEL’s four programs and recommend additional resources to be used during workshops and other VOCEL programming
- Develop a range of digital and in person resources to optimize learning in hybrid situations
- Create supplementary instructive guides for teachers and family support specialists, as well as resources and activities for members
- Collect feedback from program managers, fellows, and members
- Monitor program engagement and impact and make relevant changes to curriculums between sessions
- Collaborate with graphic designers and other subject matter experts to create new learning resources
- Set up formal and informal assessments (ie exit tickets, checks for understanding) to gauge the effectiveness of curriculums in conjunction with Senior Program Managers.
Miscellaneous (5-10%)
- Serve as a collaboration point between each Program
- Provide written updates on project progress to a variety of audiences including VOCEL staff, board of directors, funders, and others
- Attend all staff meetings and other VOCEL activities (in person and virtual) as necessary
WHAT YOU BRING
This is an extraordinary opportunity for a dynamic individual who is interested in a flexible, one-year contract. The candidate will work in an entrepreneurial and collaborative organization that is highly focused on mission.
Background and experience we’d like to see:
- Minimum 3-5 years of experience working in education, curriculum design, instructional coaching, or related field
- Degree in education, child development or a related discipline; Master’s degree highly preferred
- Additional courses in instructional design
- Strong digital and research skills
- Excellent collaboration, and written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (i.e. Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Google Suite, Zoom, and Slack
The ideal candidate demonstrates:
- Experience in non-profit program or curriculum design or creation
- Alignment with VOCEL’s core values (https://www.vocel.org/vocel-values)
- Put people first
- Welcome all
- Innovate with intention
- Promote equity
- Embrace the child within
- Build a better tomorrow
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Strong ability to project plan, delegate responsibilities to team members and follow-up accordingly to meet deadlines and due dates
- Strong attention to detail
- Bilingual Spanish preferred
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Interest in nonprofit, community-centered work
WHAT WE OFFER
- The compensation is a flat fee of $70,000-$75,000, depending on experience, and paid in installments, following progress and completion of the following deliverables:
- Unit and lesson plans for 30-35 one-hour VCPA classes and a bank of activities for teachers to use with children
- Unit and lesson plans for 30 one-hour PbV classes for 0-2 year old children and their parents/caregivers
- Session plans for 10 two-hour sessions broken into two years of programming for EETC, created in collaboration with the Senior Program Manager, and
- Session plans for 10 two-hour sessions broken into two years of programming for BELL, created in collaboration with the BELL Principal Coach
- This is a one year contract position with the possibility of extension. We anticipate completion of the deliverables and role responsibilities to require approximately 30 hours per week.
- The daily schedule is flexible. Some evening and weekend hours may be required.
- This position can be remote or work in an office environment in Chicago.
- This position requires a reliable cell phone with the capability to add apps for communication with participants and staff, i.e. Slack.
- The Curriculum Developer will be required to provide documentation of U.S. citizenship or eligibility to work in the U.S.
Equal Opportunity Employer. All decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, military service, order of protection status, physical, mental, or neuro disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes.
Job Types: Part-time, Contract
Pay: $70,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year