The Children’s Movement of Florida has begun a collaborative endeavor to imagine a new early learning future in our state. We’re calling it The Future Project.
Hearing the dreams and struggles of parents and educators is our starting point. Equity is a core value. That means we are being intentional about representation across a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, listening in communities in every corner of the state, and thinking about accessibility and belonging in designing our gatherings.
Ultimately, we are building a coalition grounded in parent and educator voices. Together, we will create an actionable roadmap for the future of early learning policy and funding in our state.
We are seeking a consultant to provide strategic guidance and facilitation for this project and be responsible for production and design of the roadmap.
Timing: May 2022 through June 2023
Tasks:
At the start and throughout the project, the consultant will:
- Work collaboratively with The Children’s Movement team and keep a check on the equity lens
- Help to design internal processes and/or ground rules for the project (including setting expectations for various levels of participation and decision-making for roadmap)
- Organize, coordinate, and convene meetings of the leadership team and/or roadmap drafting workgroup
- Track project deliverables; measure and report on results for leadership
There are three main phases of the project and the consultant would have a role in each.
Listening tour
- Participate as an observer in Let’s Talk! sessions throughout Florida (and virtually)
- Debrief with The Children’s Movement team after each session to synthesize main points and stay grounded in the participant perspectives
- Potential facilitation of listening sessions with parents, educators, early learning owners/directors, advocates and/or business community
- Serve as chief analyst of listening tour results
- Assist The Children’s Movement in identifying parent, educator, and early learning leaders to join the drafting workgroup for the roadmap
Roadmap drafting
- Organize, coordinate, and convene workgroup meetings
- Facilitate collaborative conversations (in-person and virtual) in a way that encourages each participant to contribute and balances all perspectives
- Write and edit roadmap (draft and final versions)
Feedback and finalizing the roadmap
- Participate in 10-12 community gatherings across the state to present roadmap and hear feedback
- Moderate additional sessions with drafting workgroup, as needed to make decisions about final edits
Profile:
The ideal candidate will be:
- A skilled facilitator, with experience balancing power dynamics among stakeholders and creating an environment where each voice is heard and valued
- Able to translate complex ideas into simple and clear language, in both written form (e.g. emails, documents, and presentations), and verbally (e.g. leading meetings, briefing stakeholders)
- Able to hold space in both in-person and virtual gatherings
- Have some awareness of early childhood development and the early learning environment at the state and national level
- Familiar with user-centered design
- Grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
- Motivated by the change parents, educators, and communities can help bring
- Florida-based and willing to travel throughout the state
- Bilingual is a plus (English/Spanish)
Project fee: $60,000
Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to Madeleine Thakur, care of Mary Larrick (mary.larrick@childrensmovementflorida.org), by Friday, May 20, 2022.