Who we are
Prisma is the world’s most engaging virtual school. For families who feel constrained or let down by traditional in-person education, our 4-12th grade program combines a supportive community, 1:1 mentorship from amazing educators, and an innovative curriculum that brings out kids’ love of learning and prepares them to thrive in the rapidly changing world of the future.
The world is changing faster than ever, yet our current education system is not designed for rapid change. At Prisma, we have designed a school from the ground up to not only develop kids' future-ready skills (curiosity, creativity, communication & collaboration, and initiative & follow through) but to instill a desire to make a positive impact. We believe every student deserves to love school, progress at their own pace, pursue what interests them, and reach their full potential. If you believe this too and you dream of a job where you can truly have an impact, read on!
What the role is
We are looking for a creative, experienced, and driven program designer and educator to join our high school team, particularly focused on designing our LaunchPad Program. As you will join our team for our high school’s second year, you’ll be getting in at the ground level & be instrumental in developing new aspects of our model.
The LaunchPad Program is a collection of experiences that prepares high school learners for the next phase, whether that be college, training programs, service, career, or entrepreneurship. This program helps learners explore their interests & strengths, navigate possible opportunities, and set & achieve goals for their future.
Context:
Prisma began in August 2020 by serving learners in grades 4-8. Based on the success of our program with kids & parents, we expanded and launched a pilot high school program in Fall 2022. Our high school began by admitting a small group of founding learners in grades 9-10 (many of whom previously attended our middle school program), but will grow to be a full 9-12th grade experience that prepares learners for college, career, or any path they want to pursue. Based on our success this year, we plan to double the size of our high school in Fall 2023.
In our high school, learners earn core credits required for graduation through project-based, interdisciplinary themes, such as Who Rules?: 2050, in which learners researched ancient civilizations and modern powers to make a prediction about the future; and The Future of Health, in which learners used a human-centered design process to develop an intervention for a patient population. Learners also participate in a weekly Life Skills course that covers everything from how to build habits using Atomic Habits to first aid.
Additionally, it is our vision that Prisma high school learners have the opportunity to pursue virtual and in-person electives, passion projects, internships, and experiential learning opportunities. We want them to be prepared to embark on a post-high school plan that matches their strengths, abilities, and interests. Each Prisma high schooler will graduate with a portfolio of interesting, rich projects & a transcript that highlights their unique strengths in a way not possible in traditional high schools.
This is where you come in.
What you will do
LaunchPad Program: Design & execute the below components of our LaunchPad program, including materials creation, facilitation of live workshops, and iteration based on learner, parent, and staff feedback:
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College Prep & Application Process: Create a process, including tracking materials, timelines, and workshops, to prepare learners to explore, apply, & select a college. This includes researching & connecting our learners with opportunities for SAT/ACT testing, dual enrollment, AP courses, and the like.
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Career Exploration Process: Create a process for learners to explore alternatives to college & future career goals, including researching & compiling resources.
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Pathways: Collaborate with the high school team to design strengths-based pathways that can be integrated into our program to help high schoolers set exciting goals for their future
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Capstone Projects: Design & pilot yearlong passion projects with our small group of rising 11th grade learners. These projects should connect to the learner's interests & strengths, and help their portfolios stand out in college admissions processes.
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Internships: Collaborate with our team to envision & execute opportunities for learners to explore virtual and in-person internships, volunteering, and other real-world, experiential learning opportunities.
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Electives: Collaborate with our team to beef up our electives program, where learners can find & enroll in exciting virtual & in-person courses through outside partners. Maintain our existing foreign language course partnership. ****
Mentor Coaching: Serve as a mentor coach for a small cohort of learners.
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1:1s: spend time getting to know a core group of learners through regular 1:1 conversations where you will support them in navigating their Prisma journey.
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Conferences: meet regularly with families of your mentor learners to discuss progress, academic evidence, and their future plans.
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Standup Design & Facilitation: Design and facilitate our daily Standup sessions for learners with a focus on community building, fun activities, and social connection.
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Office Hours & Support Squad Intervention: Support our learners in flexible synchronous work spaces where they can ask questions, work collaboratively, and get extra help when they need it.
Who the ideal candidate is
You are a/an:
- Expert at nurturing students in their college journey. Familiarity with the admissions process is a win.
- Thoughtful community builder with SEL experience who believes in taking a whole-child approach.
- Believer in the value of experiential learning who is familiar with electives and building organizational partnerships to provide learners with many options. A knowledge base is great, but you are excited to do research with an eye towards continuously building our repertoire.
- Passionate educator who has demonstrated success with learners in grades 9-12 or higher ed and loves building relationships with high schoolers.
- A flexible and creative thinker who is an advocate for learners with special learning needs, including those who are gifted, 2E, have mental health challenges, etc.
- Innovator with a strong entrepreneurial drive who is comfortable operating in a fast-paced rapidly-changing startup environment. You have experience creating and building programs and systems from the ground up and be flexible when needs change.
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Organized & efficient project manager who can juggle multiple priorities and deadlines and communicate progress as part of a remote team.
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Exceptional writer and communicator who knows how to articulate and present a vision to multiple internal and external audiences. For example, you can draft a program vision document to be shared both internally and with families and learners.
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Quality-driven creator who continually seeks out feedback and carefully edits your work to make sure it's as polished, cohesive, & effective as it can be.
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Virtual collaborator who is excited about working in a fully distributed team
In addition to the description above, we are particularly interested in meeting designers and coaches with any of the below experiences:
- Worked at a college
- Worked in a guidance counselor role
- Experience running internships, capstones, experiential learning programs, etc.
- Experience working for organizations or programs focused on social-emotional learning
- However, please do still apply if your background is in other areas!
Beyond possessing these skills, if you also exude these traits, we want to talk with you!
- Gutsy: Unafraid to speak up, take risks and think differently
- Humble: Quick to give credit and slow to pass blame
- Can-do: Optimistic, bring solutions, not problems, and always find a way
- Team player: Care about, respect, help, and speak candidly with others
- Driven: Go above and beyond to achieve our mission
How we compensate
- Competitive salary
- Health insurance and 401(k) with access to optional benefits such as Dental, Vision, Life insurance, HSA/FSA, etc.
- Work from anywhere in the world
- Flexible work schedule (compatible with US-based working hours)
Next steps
If this sounds like your dream job, please apply HERE: https://airtable.com/shrCbHXmdub750cqz 👋
