Project-Based Learning Specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has set ambitious goals to ensure that every child in every school and every neighborhood has access to a world-class learning experience from birth, resulting in graduation from high school college, career, and civic ready.

The Project-based learning specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing various special projects and oversee the restructuring and redesign of the Service Learning mandate within the CPS District Civic Engagement Strategy.

The Project-Based Learning Specialist role is an exciting, new position in the district that will develop and implement action plans to support "problem, project, and place based" experiential learning across all content areas and grade levels as a means of civic learning and engagement in the district. The position is focused on communicating a new approach to service learning in the district, supporting schools and educators in integrating projects in their classrooms, supporting interested schools in a school-wide civic learning focus, and broadly advocating for our localized, culturally relevant civics learning approach. In addition, this position entails coordinating with community organizations to increase the opportunities for CPS students to experience high quality community based service learning.

The Project-Based Learning Specialist will be responsible for the following:

• Oversee the launch and implementation of a new interdisciplinary approach to, civic oriented, place-based project-based learning in the district
  
  
• Supports the Social Science and Civic Engagement strategic plan by ensuring the k-12 project-based learning components are effective, timely, focused, and valuable. Ensures that the strategy addresses existing issues, making certain that these issues are thoughtfully addressed by the laid out plans.
  
  
• Design and deliver professional learning series focused on project based learning integration grades 6-12
  
  
• Develop, curate and promote instructional resources that support the integration of community and problem-based projects into curriculum
  
  
• Advocate for project-based civic learning to school administrators, teachers, and the larger community
  
  
• Present at conferences to promote the CPS approach to project-based learning
  
  
• Maintain and manage relationships with providers and community organizations in order to identify civic related action project opportunities
  
  
• Manage the district's transition from current service learning project to be focused on civic action that stems from and enriches classroom content
  
  
• Proactively seek and support new, sustainable partnership opportunities for CPS schools with service learning providers and community organizations
  
  
• Support and expand the number of schools engaging in civic-oriented project-based learning
  
  
• Communicate and collaborate with Social Science and Civic Engagement team to implement civic learning expansion strategy
  
  

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Project-Based Learning Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

• Outstanding organizational, communication (written and oral), critical-thinking, project management, and analytic skills
  
  
• Passion for culturally relevant and democratic education, civic learning, project-based learning, and communities in the classroom learning.
  
  
• Demonstrated understanding of best practice instruction in civic education and adolescent youth development including experiential and project based learning and ability to provide thought leadership in this area
  
  
• Proven success as a classroom teacher with project-based learning and assessment experience
  
  
• Experience being a central part of a wide range of strategic decision-making processes and as a result have become comfortable assessing a systemic strategy and making appropriate choices.
  
  
• A natural collaborator with an ability to establish and maintain lasting relationships both internally and externally
  
  
• Proven experience working independently with minimal supervision
  
  
• Experience managing a portfolio of projects simultaneously while meeting associated deadlines
  
  
• Experience designing and leading adult professional learning experiences
  
  
• Experience in standards-based instructional planning process i.e. backwards planning; familiarity with state Social Science standards
  
  

Type of Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Education with Teaching License (open to all content specialties)
  
  
• Master's degree and/or National Board Certification preferred
  
  

Type of Experience

• At least 4 years teaching experience, strong project-based learning experience preferred.
  
  
• Experience with classroom or youth development setting in instruction and curriculum design (in grades 6-12 preferred)
  
  
• Experience planning, leading and executing civic action, service learning and/or other community engagement related projects
  
  
• Experience developing and leading professional learning, training and workshops for educators
  
  
• Experience with development or curation of instructional materials and resources for educators
  
  
• Skilled in identifying and analyzing best practices in instruction, assessment, and civic learning
  
  
• Knowledge of and experience working with school based educators and administrators, school-level leadership experience preferred
  
  
• Familiarity with CPS, Chicago community organizations and/or non-profit organizations that support youth civic engagement
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Is passionate about equity in opportunities and removal of barriers so that all students access and engage in high quality civic education and/or project-based learning
  
  
• Possesses excellent analytical, organizational and communicative skills; an effective communicator in speaking, listening, writing, and leveraging various media to advance the civic learning movement
  
  
• Able to collect and analyze data related to the effectiveness of programs and initiatives, and use to make strategic decisions for the advancement of the vision
  
  
• Self-motivated and able to self-direct; demonstrates a sense of urgency in accomplishing goals and objectives
  
  
• Organized, able to work in fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks as well as adapt to priorities that change quickly
  
  
• Innovative and interested in developing creative ways to support educators and schools in building sustainable civic engagement programs; committed to continuous learning and improvement
  
  
• Is invested in being part of a team that is committed to advancing meaningful, experiential civic learning to every young person, in every grade and content area, throughout Chicago Public Schools
  
  

Residency Requirement:

• As a condition of employment with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of his or her CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.