Instructional Designer (Volunteer – PromisePlay Educational Game App)

Instructional Designer (Volunteer – PromisePlay Educational Game App)

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromisePlay – MAP Educational Game Initiative

Location: Remote

Type: Volunteer (Unpaid)

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability in New York City. Through mentorship, academic enrichment, social-emotional learning (SEL), literacy development, and creative expression, MAP creates safe, consistent, and empowering spaces where young people can thrive.

PromisePlay, MAP’s educational game initiative, brings together educators, designers, and storytellers to create trauma-informed, culturally responsive learning experiences for children navigating unstable housing. PromisePlay transforms play into a pathway for emotional healing, learning, and belonging through interactive digital storytelling and SEL-based design.

About the Role

We are seeking an Instructional Designer to join the PromisePlay team in developing an innovative educational game app that delivers social-emotional learning lessons for children experiencing homelessness. You’ll collaborate with educators, game designers, and youth partners to design meaningful, accessible learning experiences that inspire connection, creativity, and resilience.

This volunteer role is ideal for an instructional designer passionate about child-centered learning, equity, and creative digital education.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Project Manager, Game Designer/Story Developer, and Educational Content Specialist to design and document learning outcomes, game mechanics, and narrative structures aligned with SEL and academic goals.
• Develop curriculum frameworks, storyboards, and scripts that translate educational objectives into playful, engaging experiences.
• Apply trauma-informed and culturally responsive design principles to all content and interactions.
• Ensure inclusive, low-barrier user experiences for learners in transient or unstable environments.
• Evaluate and iterate on learning design through prototype testing and educator/child feedback.
• Support development of teacher/facilitator guides and family engagement materials extending the game’s learning beyond the app.
• Check and respond to emails daily, ensuring all responses are completed within 48 hours.
• Take responsibility for performance improvement by integrating feedback from testing and iterative design reviews.

Qualifications

• Experience in instructional design, curriculum development, or learning-experience design.
• Knowledge of social-emotional learning (SEL), child development, and trauma-informed education.
• Experience designing game-based or interactive digital learning preferred.
• Strong collaboration skills and comfort working on cross-functional creative teams.
• Excellent communication, organization, and storytelling abilities.
• Familiarity with inclusive and accessible learning design practices.

Commitment

• Volunteer role requiring approximately 5 hours per week.
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred.
• Fully remote position with weekly virtual team meetings.

What You’ll Gain

• Opportunity to design meaningful, equity-centered instructional content for children experiencing housing instability.
• Hands-on experience applying instructional design in a nonprofit and educational-technology context.
• Collaboration with educators, developers, and creative professionals through PromisePlay.
• Professional development, mentorship, and leadership growth opportunities.
• Letters of recommendation and professional references upon successful completion.

Application Process

Please send your resume, LinkedIn profile, and a brief statement of interest to hr@mentorapromise.org with the subject line Instructional Designer (PromisePlay).

You may also apply directly here: https://forms.gle/ptgy2zBZXJB1q7GV8

Design with purpose — help build a digital world where play, empathy, and imagination guide every child toward learning, healing, and hope.