Manager, FutureShock! Facilitator (Houston)

ROLE TITLE: Manager, FutureShock Facilitator (Temporary: April 2025 - August 2025)
POSITION REPORTS TO: Senior Managing Director, Senior Designer Samantha Asante-Bio

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Priority application deadline Sunday, March 16, 2025, by 11:59 pm ET

LOCATION: Houston, TX

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

FutureShock! is a ten-day experience where high schoolers explore career interests through hands-on projects with others. 

Career exploration is challenging, irrespective of age. It’s especially tough for high schoolers right now. Most young people are not sure what they want to do after graduating high school. Many have only limited exposure to the range of possibilities they could pursue after graduating. They’re increasingly skeptical of traditional higher education options, and alternative paths are unclear.

Moreover, most high schoolers are not being coached in the underlying skills needed to explore career and post-secondary options. This includes skills for self-direction; reflecting on one’s interests; and translating one’s interests into concrete projects. Existing solutions during the academic year (e.g. college and career counseling) are too shallow and often too focused on identifying a singular career path. And most existing programs focus on reflection, with little support connecting this to actual projects. The best version of career exploration supports students in moving between reflection, hands-on-experiences, and relationship building with others.

We believe that building your future is more than just about finding a job. The starting point does not have a single trajectory; it involves developing different skills over time and combining them in different ways. 

FutureShock! is designed to enable students to work on cool projects and find people to support and challenge them, all while making sense of how what they’re learning and doing might set them up for the future. By the end of the program, we hope they’ll be able to say “I practiced connecting my strengths and interests in unique ways to find challenging opportunities that I’m motivated to do in the future.”

WHAT YOU’LL DO

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced FutureShock! Facilitator to ensure a seamless and enriching experience for all high school participants across 2-3 summer school school cohorts. As a FutureShock! Facilitator, you will manage day-to-day relationships with key school partner stakeholders, coordinate with support facilitators, and lead project check-ins with participants. Your role also involves leading daily debriefs with the site team to enhance the overall program experience.

YOU’D BE GREAT FOR THIS ROLE IF…

• You enjoy collaborative problem solving

• You care about connecting with young people to understand what they care about & are motivated by unique ideas and interests

• You like to act as a guide and a support to young people, rather than an instructor

• You enjoy a high energy environment with different people working on diverse projects

• You can bring rigorous thinking to project-based learning

• You are energized by reinvented learning approaches

• You enjoy leading an empowered team

• You are a great communicator and advocate, especially working with partnerships

• You have the ability to pivot and adapt quickly based on evolving needs

• You are excited to leverage cutting-edge AI tools to guide and support students in developing projects

• You are an educator or leader with summer flexibility

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• Ensuring a smooth program experience for all participants.

• Managing day-to-day relationships with key school partner stakeholders.

• Facilitating key mini lessons and activities to enhance participant creative and technical skills

• Coaching students through project work and challenges, encouraging more rigorous outcomes

• Documenting and tracking student progress

• Leading daily debriefs with the site team to enhance program effectiveness.

• Providing feedback to Teach for America staff about your experience during and post-program

We will be hiring for a lead facilitator and support facilitator for each regional site. If you are reading this thinking, “I would be great for this but would want someone more senior to be the lead,” the Associate, Facilitator role is for you. If you are reading this thinking, “I rock in-person facilitation in my sleep and would love having a partner to share the responsibilities with,” Manager, Facilitator role is for you.

YOUR COMMITMENT

• 20 hours of training from late April to late May (virtual and one weekend in-person).

• 125 hours of prep, facilitation, and debriefs during FutureShock! programming (3 school cohorts for 2-week increments).

• Must be able to commit to up to 3 school cohorts (up to 6 weeks total of programming). Cohorts may take place at more than one school site. 

YOUR EXPERIENCE

• 2-3+ years of experience working with and facilitating learning experiences for young people, either as an educator or in youth development, via afterschool or seasonal programming

• Maker or coding experience (preferred)

YOUR FUTURE TEAM

The Reinvention Lab at Teach For America is the home team of FutureShock! This team is a creative cadre of product and program designers committed to reinventing towards the future of learning.  The FutureShock! team designs transformative experiences that propel high schoolers into meaningful lives. As a Facilitator, you play a crucial role in shaping the program's impact. Leveraging cutting-edge AI tools, you will guide and support students in developing projects aligned with their interests, fostering a dynamic and forward-thinking environment. Join forces with passionate professionals committed to redefining education and empowering the next generation through groundbreaking experiences. Your contributions will be at the forefront of a movement to reinvent learning and launch students into a future filled with purpose and possibilities.

YOUR COMPENSATION

The Manager, FutureShock! Facilitator role will be compensated at an hourly rate of $33.95. The rate will be determined based on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands.