Request for Proposals
Curriculum Audit Consultant: Career-Connected Learning in Elementary Afterschool STEM
ExpandED Schools is a leading after school organization that advances educational equity for students from under-served communities across New York City. Founded in 1998 with a catalytic $125M grant from the Open Society Foundations, ExpandED helped shape the nation’s first city-wide, publicly funded system for after-school programming. Today, through advocacy, research, and program development, ExpandED continues to build the capacity of the NYC afterschool field to address the educational inequities that prevent far too many students from reaching their full potential.
STEM Educators Academy is ExpandED School’s signature afterschool STEM initiative. STEM Educators Academy is taught by collaborative teams of school-day and afterschool educators at middle schools and elementary schools across New York City. Focused on relevant, hands-on, and design-based projects connected to the city’s science standards, the program is designed to nurture youth interest and engagement in STEM while also supporting educator skill development. Educators have access to training, curriculum, coaching, and planning materials from ExpandED Schools and the New York Hall of Science, which they utilize for support in creating interactive and inclusive STEM learning experiences for young people.
Scope of Work
ExpandED Schools is seeking an experienced independent consultant to conduct a comprehensive audit of an existing portfolio of approximately 60 elementary STEM lesson plans through a career discovery lens.
The purpose of this engagement is to:
- Assess the extent to which existing lessons introduce, reinforce, or could meaningfully connect to STEM identity and career discovery for elementary-aged students; and
- Provide clear, actionable recommendations for revising and further developing the curriculum to more intentionally embed career discovery learning concepts across the portfolio.
This work will build on ExpandED Schools’ prior curriculum review efforts, including a past audit focused on cultural responsiveness, and will inform future curriculum revisions and professional learning supports for afterschool educators. Future funds are anticipated to support in the curricular revision based on this audit.
Responsibilities
The consultant will be expected to:
- Review approximately 60 STEM-focused lesson plans designed for elementary-aged students in informal, out-of-school-time settings
- Develop or apply a clear STEM identity/career discovery framework appropriate for elementary learners (e.g. exposure to real-world STEM applications, role models, skills connections, etc.)
- Analyze lessons to identify
- Existing strengths and entry points for career discovery connections
- Gaps or missed opportunities
- Patterns across the lesson portfolio
- Collaborate with ExpandED Schools staff through periodic check-ins to ensure alignment with program goals and context
Final deliverables (exact format and level of detail will be finalized in collaboration with ExpandED Schools) are to include:
- A concise curriculum audit report that includes summarizing findings and recommendations
- High-level findings and themes
- Recommendations for curriculum-wide strategies to strengthen SEA lesson plans to complement students exploring career pathways during the school day.
- Suggested next steps for phased revisions and continued development
- A set of practical modification strategies (e.g., suggested lesson components, prompts, or design principles) that can be applied across multiple lessons
- Guidance on prioritization (e.g., quick wins vs. longer-term curriculum development)
Qualifications
- Significant experience in career-connected learning, workforce development, or career awareness initiatives, particularly for elementary or early learners
- Experience reviewing, evaluating, or designing STEM curriculum, ideally in informal or out-of-school-time settings
- Understanding of developmentally appropriate approaches to career discovery for young learners
- Commitment to educational equity and expanding access to meaningful learning pathways
- Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills
Other Terms
This position is for an independent contractor and will be paid in monthly installments. We anticipate that this scope of work will take no more than 350 hours through June 30, 2026. We are accepting proposals not to exceed $20,000 and proposals should include a timeline and anticipated number of hours the consultant expects to complete.
To Apply
Please submit a brief proposal outlining relevant experience and approach to curriculum audits and career-connected learning, a proposed budget and timeline, resume and examples of similar work to Ashley R. Johnson at [email protected] as soon as possible. Proposals will be considered on a rolling basis through March 2026
