Director of Professional Learning (Volunteer)

Director of Professional Learning (Volunteer)

PromiseLearning | Educator Development, Professional Learning & Instructional Excellence

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseLearning

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Leadership Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Senior Director of Education & Learning

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

At MAP, exceptional learning experiences begin with exceptional educators.

We believe every volunteer educator, teaching artist, workshop leader, and subject matter expert deserves the training, coaching, and support needed to help children learn with confidence, creativity, dignity, and belonging.

About PromiseLearning

PromiseLearning is MAP's education, curriculum, instructional design, educator development, literacy, learning innovation, and academic enrichment division.

The division develops educational experiences, instructional resources, learning frameworks, and educator support systems that help children build knowledge, confidence, curiosity, and lifelong learning skills.

PromiseLearning is committed to developing educators who teach with excellence, empathy, consistency, and purpose.

Role Overview

The Director of Professional Learning serves as the leader responsible for developing and leading Mentor A Promise's professional learning strategy for educators, mentors, workshop leaders, teaching artists, facilitators, and instructional volunteers.

This role establishes the organization's instructional philosophy, educator competencies, onboarding experiences, coaching model, certification pathways, and continuous professional development framework.

Working closely with curriculum leaders, instructional designers, PromiseRooted, PromisePrograms, and educational leadership, the Director helps ensure every educator is equipped to create engaging, inclusive, trauma-informed, and high-quality learning experiences.

The ideal candidate is an experienced educator and instructional leader who is passionate about adult learning, educator development, instructional excellence, and building strong learning communities.

Key Responsibilities

Professional Learning Strategy

• Develop and lead MAP's educator professional learning strategy
• Design long-term educator development pathways
• Establish instructional standards and educator competencies
• Promote continuous learning and instructional excellence
• Support organizational educational priorities

Educator Onboarding & Development

• Design onboarding, orientation, and certification pathways for educators
• Create learning experiences for mentors, facilitators, and teaching artists
• Develop educator learning plans and growth opportunities
• Support continuous professional development
• Strengthen educator preparedness and confidence

Instructional Coaching & Leadership

• Develop coaching and mentorship programs for educators
• Support instructional observation and feedback processes
• Provide resources that strengthen teaching effectiveness
• Foster reflective teaching and continuous improvement
• Build leadership capacity among educators

Instructional Excellence

• Develop training on trauma-informed practice, culturally responsive teaching, classroom management, child development, inclusive instruction, and student engagement
• Support instructional quality across PromiseLearning initiatives
• Ensure learning experiences align with MAP's educational philosophy
• Promote evidence-informed teaching practices
• Strengthen instructional consistency across programs

Resource Development

• Create facilitator guides, instructional toolkits, learning resources, and educator materials
• Develop training workshops, webinars, and learning modules
• Build an educator resource library
• Support curriculum implementation through professional learning resources
• Promote knowledge sharing across instructional teams

Cross-Divisional Collaboration

• Partner with curriculum and instructional design teams
• Support PromiseRooted educators and workshop leaders
• Collaborate with PromisePrograms on educational implementation
• Work with PromisePeople on volunteer development initiatives
• Align educator learning initiatives with organizational priorities

Leadership Responsibilities

The Director provides leadership and oversight for:

Professional Learning

Responsible for:

• Educator development
• Professional learning strategy
• Continuing education
• Instructional excellence

Educator Development

Responsible for:

• Onboarding
• Certification pathways
• Coaching
• Professional growth

Instructional Leadership

Responsible for:

• Teaching standards
• Educator competencies
• Classroom observation
• Instructional quality

Learning Resources

Responsible for:

• Training programs
• Facilitator guides
• Learning toolkits
• Resource libraries

What You'll Build

The Director will establish MAP's professional learning ecosystem, including:

• Educator onboarding and certification pathways
• Professional learning workshops and institutes
• Instructional coaching and mentoring programs
• Teaching standards and educator competencies
• Classroom observation and feedback systems
• Learning resource library
• Communities of practice for educators
• Annual professional learning strategy

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in education, instructional coaching, curriculum development, professional learning, teacher development, educational leadership, or related fields
• Strong understanding of adult learning theory and educator development
• Experience designing professional learning programs or facilitating workshops
• Excellent coaching, communication, and leadership skills
• Experience working across multidisciplinary educational teams
• Passion for educational equity and expanding opportunities for children and families

Preferred Qualifications

• Teaching or school leadership experience
• Experience in nonprofit education, after-school programs, higher education, museums, arts education, or community-based learning
• Knowledge of project-based learning, social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and trauma-informed education
• Experience building educator communities of practice

Why This Role Matters

Exceptional educators create exceptional learning experiences.

Professional learning strengthens instructional quality.

Strong instructional quality changes children's lives.

The Director of Professional Learning helps ensure every educator at Mentor A Promise is prepared to inspire curiosity, foster belonging, strengthen confidence, and create meaningful learning experiences for every child we serve.

This role helps build a culture where educators continuously learn, grow, collaborate, and lead.

Success Measures

• Growth of educator professional learning initiatives
• Participation in training and certification programs
• Improvement in instructional quality
• Educator engagement and satisfaction
• Development of coaching and mentoring systems
• Advancement of organizational learning goals

Leadership Participation

The Director of Professional Learning is expected to:

• Attend one weekly Senior Leadership Meeting
• Conduct regular check-ins with direct reports
• Participate in educational planning and leadership discussions
• Support cross-divisional collaboration and organizational priorities

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment required
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's safeguarding standards, mission, and organizational values
• Foster an inclusive, supportive, and mission-driven culture

What You'll Gain

• Leadership experience shaping educator development within a growing nonprofit organization
• Opportunity to build a comprehensive professional learning ecosystem
• Collaboration with educators, instructional leaders, and nonprofit professionals
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact supporting children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume and cover letter.

Please highlight experience involving education, instructional coaching, teacher development, professional learning, curriculum design, educational leadership, or related disciplines.

Help build a community of educators who inspire learning, creativity, confidence, and opportunity for every child through Mentor A Promise.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.