Director of the Marlon Family IDEAS Center

Gould Academy seeks a candidate with experience in entrepreneurism, design thinking, engineering, robotics, making, and with a demonstrated capacity to lead a cross-disciplinary, applied learning environment. The Director of the Marlon Family IDEAS Center is a critical member of a team of program leaders bridging STEAM, the humanities, computer science, and experiential learning. The IDEAS center curriculum is centered in exploration, collaboration, problem solving, and design.

The ideal candidate would support student-directed projects, foster external regional partnerships and relationships to forward industry leadership, and provide fabrication support for various academic and non-academic departments. They should have a student-centric vision and a capacity to engage a variety of learners and to be excited to leverage student and faculty interests. A mindset that a problem can be approached from a variety of perspectives and an acknowledgement that one's skill set will be constantly emerging is essential. While prior teaching experience at the high school level is desirable, we are open to considering candidates without experience in formal K-12 education. The team approach for curricular design can provide support and guidance for curriculum development.

Essential Qualities of Employment

• Relevant knowledge and skill in their area of expertise
• Creative, life-long learner who seeks to constantly evolve and expand their knowledge base
• Student-centric & tech savvy
• Selfless team player and intrinsically motivated
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Responsible and trustworthy; exhibits good judgement
• Possesses strong moral values that are aligned with Gould’s
• Seeks joy and inspires others through their actions and words

Key Relationships and General Responsibilities of IDEAS Center Program Director

Key Relationships

• Participate actively as an IDEAS team member including Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, Director of Innovation, Director of Experiential Learning, Farm & Forest Manager, Technology Integrator, STEM, Arts and Humanities faculty
• Collaborate with colleagues to design engaging curricula that emphasizes critical thinking and real-world problem-solving, engages students in hands-on, project-based learning experiences, and aligns with the overall philosophy of Gould’s mission and strategic direction
• Partner with students, teachers, and administrators to promote learning in all students
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a variety of audiences, including students, parents, and colleagues, both in person and in writing

General Responsibilities of IDEAS Center Program Director

• Actively create an inclusive and welcoming culture in the IDEAS Center that honors all students wherever they are on their learning journey
• Develop and teach design, engineering/robotics, fabricating courses expertly in a differentiated and student-centered classroom
• Convey enthusiasm for intellectual inquiry and model lifelong learning
• Run on-campus workshops, trainings, design challenges, and other similar experiences for teachers and students for promoting innovation and creativity
• Ensure students are being supervised in the shops, and guiding students in safe and responsible use of technology (including software)
• Flexibility and creativity in working in a dynamic environment where new ideas, mistakes, and iteration are embraced; profound openness to feedback and improvement
• Maintains supplies and inventory; assists in ordering supplies and sharing resources.
• Deep interest and willingness to learn and grow in any of the above areas, especially those that are not currently familiar to you
• The IDEAS Center Director is expected to develop and implement a summer camp that showcases the IDEAS Center and advances Gould’s enrollment

An IDEAS Center Lead Teacher

• Teaches and/or co-teaches three or four sections of courses per trimester in the IDEAS Center
• Develops curricula that exposes students to a variety of techniques and tools to help with navigating complex problems
• Demonstrated familiarity with some special topics in the design or engineering
• Designs curricula to expose students and faculty  to the fabrication processes available in the IDEAS Center studios such as laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, woodworking, CAD/CAM, CNC machining, robotics, electronics, physical computing (such as Arduinos), Adobe etc. 
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to shop safety, respectful behavior, and inclusive attitudes
• Ability to explain things in varied ways to reach both less-experienced and more-experienced students
• Ability to guide students through projects while allowing students to do as much of the work as is practical and safe 
• Effectively uses an LMS to plan and organize instruction