ROLE TITLE: Future Researcher Seasonal Temp

POSITION REPORTS TO: Izzy Fitzgerald and Samantha Asante

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 9, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

LOCATION: Remote/Flexible

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As a key member, you will play a crucial role in curating and refining the Future Shock program, in the role of researcher during the school year. Future Shock is a dynamic program where kids delve into diverse interest areas like music, technology, video making, robotics, and more. They learn essential skills such as self-agency, advocacy, and critical thinking. This is a part-time position requiring 7-10 hours per week.

• Your role will involve acting as a researcher during the school year, bringing a specialized expertise that enriches the program's impact. You will collaborate closely with students from previous Future Shock cohorts to understand the impact FutureShock has had on their learning and choices beyond the program.

• Support the development of a Future Shock for Universities pilot by prototyping and conducting early university on-site testing with the Future Shock team.

• We are seeking enthusiastic individuals, ideally college or high school students, who are passionate about fostering innovation and community engagement through education.

• The ideal candidate will possess a genuine interest in educational empowerment, demonstrating a talent for creating nurturing learning environments that stimulate creativity and encourage independent thought.

• You will actively reach out to potential and/or previous student participants, conducting interviews to understand their aspirations and experience within the program.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE

• Dive into Slack each day to engage deeply with ongoing discussions, absorbing the ideas and updates circulating within the Reinvention Lab community.

• Meet weekly with Izzy and Sam, to discuss project progress, brainstorm innovative ideas, and align efforts with the lab's overarching mission and goals.

• Maintain an anonymous advisor Slack account, providing a candid space to share unfiltered reflections and suggestions, promoting transparency and fostering a culture of open dialogue within the team.

• Interview former Future Shock students to gather valuable feedback on their experiences and the impact of the program. These interviews should aim to uncover insights into their personal growth, challenges faced, and suggestions for program improvement, enriching the overall feedback loop. Create detailed case studies and success stories based on interviews with alumni. Highlight their achievements and the ways in which the Future Shock program contributed to their personal and professional development. Use these stories to inspire current and prospective students, and to refine program strategies.

• Compile and review data to assist in the creation of a Future Shock for Universities pilot program. Aim to uncover effective strategies for enhancing self-agency, creative and critical thinking, and goal ownership among students within university settings. Utilize these findings to guide the design and implementation of the pilot, ensuring it promotes innovative approaches and aligns with the needs of academic institutions.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR (7-10 hours/week)

• Monitor Slack communications and actively engage by reading and commenting on posts to stay informed about ongoing activities within the Reinvention Lab. Maintain an anonymous Slack account to provide unfiltered feedback and reflections on lab activities, fostering open and critical dialogue within the team. (20%)

• Participate in product review meetings by attending synchronously or watching asynchronously, then prepare questions, reflections, and insights for discussion with the lab team and advisors. Meet with Izzy as well as Samantha for progress check-ins on all assigned tasks and projects.Participate in the project team meetings you are assigned to. (30%)

• Conduct interviews with previous Future Shock participants to gather insights for a preliminary analysis. Focus on understanding how they navigated their projects, with particular attention to how they developed self-agency, employed creative and critical thinking, and took ownership of their goals. Use these findings to identify patterns and strategies that led to innovative solutions. (20%).

• Gather information and analyze data to support the development of a Future Shock for Universities pilot. Focus on identifying how university environments can be optimized to encourage self-agency, creative and critical thinking, and goal ownership among students. Use these insights to shape the pilot program, ensuring it effectively fosters innovation and meets the needs of academic settings. (10%)

YOUR EXPERIENCE

• Experience with providing constructive feedback, and fostering skills like organization and time management will be crucial.

• Ability to engage effectively with digital communication tools, particularly Slack, to stay informed and actively participate in ongoing discussions and updates within the Reinvention Lab community.

• Excellent organizational abilities to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strategic thinking and collaboration, demonstrated through the ability to brainstorm innovative ideas, contribute to strategic initiatives, and align efforts with broader organizational goals.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with a diverse range of stakeholders including team members, mentors, and external partners.

• Experience in areas such as music, technology, video making, robotics, fashion design, or related fields would be a plus.

YOUR FUTURE TEAM

Teach For America’s vibrant research and design team the Reinvention Lab. Our dedicated team focuses on media and community engagement. As storytellers and connectors, we are committed to amplifying diverse voices and fostering meaningful connections within our community. Together, we drive the creation of impactful content for social media, insightful blog articles, and the innovative Reinvention Lab zine. Rooted in creativity and inclusivity, we collaborate closely to brainstorm and implement strategic initiatives such as our program FutureShock all the way to our very first The Future of Learning House last year at SXSW EDU. Join us in shaping narratives, building community, and making a lasting impact through thoughtful engagement and design-driven communication.

YOUR COMPENSATION

The hourly rate for this role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area.

Tier A: $23.32

Tier B: $25.44

Tier C: $25.70

You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here. If your location is not listed, please click here for additional total rewards information.