Request for Proposals
Professional Learning Consultant: STEM Educators Academy Half-Day Trainings
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 (or consulting organization) to design and facilitate two half-day, in-person professional learning trainings for STEM Educators Academy afterschool educators — one session for elementary school educators and one session for middle school educators, using the same core content differentiated by grade band. These trainings will take place at ExpandED Schools on Saturday, November 21st, 2026 and Saturday, January 9th, 2027 from 10am to 2pm.
The consultant will design training content and activities that build educators’ capacity to achieve the following outcomes:
- Demonstrate high-quality instructional practices, with visible evidence of youth voice, youth participation, STEM engagement, and STEM content learning in their afterschool STEM sessions
- Apply culturally relevant strategies that connect to young people’s backgrounds and identities
- Demonstrate the skills and content covered in the professional learning day in their ongoing facilitation practice
ExpandED Schools has not prescribed specific workshop topics or frameworks for this training. Past successful trainings have focused on the Engineering Design Process and some topical ideas of interest include:
- Facilitating the Engineering Design Process (EDP) as a Vehicle for Youth Voice
- Productive Struggle and the Role of Failure in Design Thinking
- Assessing Engagement and Learning in Design-Based Afterschool Sessions
- Sessions focused on building connection to students’ neighborhoods, identities, and lived experiences
- Capturing evidence of STEM content learning and participation throughout the design cycle, rather than relying on a finished product alone
Proposals should articulate the specific content, structure, and activities the consultant will use to achieve the outcomes above, and should be grounded in the realities of afterschool and informal STEM education spaces.
Workshops should be interactive, practice-oriented, and grounded in the realities of afterschool and informal education spaces, along with aligning with ExpandED Schools current professional development portfolio.
Responsibilities
The consultant will be expected to:
- Collaborate with ExpandED Schools staff to align training content with SEA program goals, participant context, and the desired outcomes above
- Design and facilitate two full-day (approximately 6-hour) in-person professional learning trainings, differentiated for elementary and middle school afterschool educators
- Incorporate adult learning principles, interactive activities, and structured opportunities for practice and reflection
- Provide all training materials, educator resources, and planning/prep, including any materials needed to support implementation after the training
- Attend one (1) kickoff meeting with the ExpandED SEA team to align on goals and materials before the trainings begin
- Participate in one (1) check-in meeting before each training to finalize content and logistics
- Participate in one (1) close-out call after each training to reflect on shared learning
- Provide brief follow-up support to educators as needed, pending availability
Qualifications
Strong candidates will demonstrate:
- Significant experience designing and facilitating professional learning for educators in informal or out-of-school-time settings (afterschool, museums, libraries, community-based organizations, etc.)
- Deep understanding of culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy and strategies that center student identity and background
- Experience with youth voice and youth participation frameworks in educational settings
- Strong content knowledge related to STEM education and engagement strategies for out-of-school-time settings
- Commitment to educational equity and asset-based, strengths-based approaches to teaching and learning
- Excellent facilitation, communication, and organizational skills
Other Terms
This position is for an independent contractor and will be paid in two payments, for a contract term of $5,000, inclusive of planning and facilitation, representing approximately 100-120 hours.
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter/proposal outlining relevant experience and approach to the workshop topics, resume and/or organizational biography and one relevant workshop sample to Ashley R. Johnson at [email protected] as soon as possible. Proposals will be considered on a rolling basis through October 2026.
