K-12 Future Ready Navigator

EDUCATION AS FUTURING

Imagine being a student right now. The adults around them ( that being us) are going on and on about AI, and the ghost in the machine that might take over the world. 'We just love it,' they will say, because it helps us write our essays. We can design our own games and we don't have to learn to code or anything. In fact, they will tell us, it is better than most of our teachers because it tells us what we need to know when we need to know it.

We adults will hear this with alarm, and the students will catch our anxiety. 'Don't be too enthusiastic,' they will tell themselves 'or gramps will get grumpy.' That future that they will inherit long after we are gone looks pretty precarious right now- for us! That means that, for them, we are playing the part of dubious navigators. We don't trust the future. So why should they?

But our MyScore testing shows consistently that they do, because its their future more than it is ours. A group of adults answering C-5 'How hopeful are you about the future?' are answering 1 or 2, whereas 500 of our students in the most recent testing are scoring 4 and 5. What a disconnect?

Project CHANGE believes that hope is not some frothy feeling. It is every young persons right. Optimism and excitement should be native to them even if we have lost most of ours. But how to use it, and guide it? We adults know the future is still a tricky path. And these young people need trusty navigators who believe in them and believe that they can chart a path that is equal to their times and their genius. Part of that is getting out of the way and clearing a space for them to shine.

That is why Project CHANGE is looking for future focused adults who are willing to spend time with students engaged in their learning path and to be their mentors and companions of hope, to help the student be future ready. When the student is unsure, the mentor is there to steady their nerves, to help instill courage and self belief and persistence. We got this. Are you that kind of person? Do young people pick up on your energy and see in you what they might become? TheN you might be that trusty future navigator we are looking for.

MyScore is our method, our tool and philosphy. Its as new as it is ancient, focused on how we scaffold the student's story of themslves as life learners. The student has themselves right now ( C-1 Confidence) and their future. (C-5 Hope) And to build that future, they need to grow three essential things. C-2 is curioisty, the love of learning. C-3 the ability to collaborate and know that no one can do this on their own. And courage, C-4, when things get hard and we are up against the odds. We don't give up or despair. The path between the student and his or her future is the story of learning together to overcome. That is our recipe for a successful life learner.

We do not teach that this is a set of skills so much as know that this is what young people are programmed to exhibit by nature of their genes, their DNA. They are built to grow. And the Project CHANGE navigator is there to keep them going in the right direction. Sounds simple but it is. We cherish the future that these young people are going to inherit from us, and we are going to be vigilant that we do not pollute them with our cynicism, criticism or our disappointment.

This future ready navigation, as you can see, is as much for us adults. Many of us seem to have lost our way so when we have to help a young person find theirs, we wake up to the responsibility on our shoulders, of what our generation owes theirs. It means sometimes learning the hard way that the future is about them more than it is about us.

Being there for that student on that particular day at that time, is teaching hope- something as precious as math or science. It is teaching them about themelves by our simplest acts of acknowlegement and appreciation. This is the SEL that matters. Not heavy duty emotional regulation or responsible decision making- Most of us adults don't know even know how to do that so well- Why expect our kids to? But they need celebrate their growing awareness of the future ahead of them- "this is who I am becoming" through what students learn from the feedback they receive about themselves. It is just as important as what they learn about other subjects. Why is it then that schools rarely have time to have anyone teach students how to better know themselves, and how to future?

SERVING WITH PROJECT CHANGE
Project CHANGE is recruiting a team of Student Advocates and Champions'- 19 inspired members for 2026-7 who sign on to a project for a year or more to change all this. Through the innovative yet simple SEL instrument MyScore that Project CHANGE has developed over the last 9 years, Project CHANGE is striving to bring the students back into the conversation about their lives.

WHO IS PROJECT CHANGE?
Project CHANGE is the original AmeriCorps Montgomery County program that for 25 years, has been serving Montgomery County students. Every year, we look at the emerging needs and search for Children's Champions who ready and able to respond.

Project CHANGE's unique Social Emotional Learning Approach is based around stories. We focus on "the story that a student is telling themselves about themselves" their value, their talents, their chances for success and their future. Our student-friendly tool called MyScore gets students to focus on growing in the 5Cs of confidence, curiosity, collaboration, courage and career-future focus. Members are trained to become SEL specialists using this tool and shape interventions around the student's sense of self.

Imagine being the difference between a student passing or failing? Imagine being the difference between a student believing in herself and a student acting out their despair? Imagine helping a teacher or program leader create the safety net and the trust where children can thrive and feel the thrill of being alive.

DO YOU QUALIFY

Requirements for AmeriCorps members in Project Change:
1. At least 18 years of age and up to 110
2. High School Diploma or GED
3. Drivers license/access to a vehicle
4. Able to work in the US as a citizen-permanent resident
5. Able to devote between 25-37 hours a week
6. Experience working with children/youth
7. Willing to have a criminal background check
8 Able to serve for a full uninterrupted 12 months

BENEFITS

In return, AmeriCorps members receive:
Professional Development weekly training on Fridays
$18,000 for 1200 hours/yr, and $22,500 for 1700 hours/yr in living stipend
$7,395 educational scholarship upon completion
Health benefits- insurance includes vision and dental for full time members worth over $7000
Professional mentoring
Peer support network and connection to AmeriCorps alumni
Preference in hiring for many organizations
The positions offer an overall life-changing experience. Most positions are full-time (1700 hours during a 12-month term) beginning late August 2026 - mid August 2027 and most positions are three quarter-time (1200 hours during a 12-month term).
______________________

BACKGROUND
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with almost 160,000 Students shut down on March 2020, leaving kids cut off from their peers, depriving them of normal healthy social outlets. School returned with students eager to connect and get back to learning but they are still behind. Now, the political climate is casting a shadow over many students from minority communities. How can you learn when you your future is at risk? In these circumstances, Social/Emotional learning becomes paramount. How will students learn to cope, to believe in themselves, to not give up hope? These are the skills and attitudes that students need most to succeed in life. This is where YOU come in. Your role in the school or after school program will be as a mentor and coach to students who need it the most, and for you to model for them ways to

-Actively engage and problem-solve physical, psychological, social and disciplinary issues that affect themselves and the community.
-Take responsibility for their actions.
-Set themselves up for learning success

Project CHANGE Montgomery began in 2001 as the original Montgomery County MD program of AmeriCorps, America's "Domestic Peace Corps." Places are available from late August 2026 to mid-August 2027 and AmeriCorps members serve the county's most under-served K-12 students.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: Up to $18,000.00 per year

Application Question(s):

• Serving vulnerable populations means you must clear a background criminal check. Are you willing to consent to that?
• Are you a US citizen or a permanent resident with a valid Green Card?
• Since struggling students rely on consistency of care, can you commit to a year of uninterrupted service that will not be diverted by any other matters?

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $7,395 - $22,500