Working Title: Regional Ambassador (Five Positions)

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Education

Department: 540961 - I'm Determined Center

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? Yes. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon continued funding.

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 04/19/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Virginia Department of Education I'm Determined Center (IMD) at JMU is seeking qualified and experienced education professionals to provide training and consultation related to fostering self-determination skills in students with disabilities’. We are looking for dynamic candidates who are interested in a work environment that affords ongoing professional learning opportunities, collaboration with colleagues, and an opportunity to influence educational practices. These are grant-funded positions.

Regional Ambassadors will be the most direct line to school divisions across the Commonwealth. The focus in this role is to establish, maintain, and sustain relationships with divisional youth, educators, and families in that region. Regional ambassadors will also be attuned to find opportunities for Youth Leaders to assist in providing implementation and training. All ambassadors will develop opportunities from a student-centered and youth-led perspective and seek to include young people in the development of self-determination practices.

This role requires responsive leaders who can listen to the needs of divisions and provide adequate ideas and solutions across different school environments. From introducing self-determination practices to supporting the organization of Echo events, regional ambassadors are representatives of I’m Determined and will provide exceptional support, care, and technical assistance to educators in their region and across the Commonwealth.

We will be hiring five regional positions to include NOVA, Valley, Coastal, Central, and Southwest. These are tele-eligible positions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide Regional Technical Assistance Grounded in Self-Determination Theory:
Respond to requests from public schools and state-operated programs with an emphasis on building environments that support student autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Collaborate with educators and administrators to ensure that technical assistance efforts are aligned with research-based practices that foster students’ intrinsic motivation and self-determination, including but not limited to High Leverage Practices (HLPs), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI).

Support Capacity-Building in Schools:
Collaborate with school divisions to design capacity-building action plans that integrate self-determination theory principles to support both student autonomy and teacher empowerment.
Offer professional development that equips special education teachers with strategies to nurture autonomy and competence in students, creating an inclusive, supportive environment that also fosters teacher retention and job satisfaction.

Regional Networking:
Facilitate connections between regional youth leaders to share experiences, collaborate on initiatives, and build community.
Support partnerships with regional advocacy groups and organizations to create more opportunities for youth engagement.
Serve as a mentor and point of contact for youth leaders within assigned regions, fostering their growth through regular check-ins and goal-setting activities.
Collaborate with IMD staff to integrate I’m Determined principles into regional professional development efforts.
Adapt statewide resources to meet the unique needs of each region, ensuring cultural and geographic relevance.
Provide tools and support to local schools and educators implementing I’m Determined strategies.

Develop High-Impact Professional Development:
Coordinate and conduct professional development sessions focused on self-determination skills essential for students with disabilities, such as self-advocacy, decision-making, and goal-setting.
Help educators incorporate practices that build students' competence, autonomy, and sense of belonging in order to generalize skills, abilities, and beliefs that are necessary for meaningful participation in postsecondary life, whether in college, employment, or community engagement.

Generate Consultation Reports and Educational Content:
Document technical assistance through written reports that showcase the application of self-determination theory in and across the Commonwealth.
Share observations and findings with other IMD staff and collaborate to generate best practices, strategies, and capacity-building models that can be utilized broadly by divisional leaders, classroom educators, and service providers.

Support Statewide Initiatives that Prioritize Self-Determination and Inclusion:
Engage with VDOE initiatives that align with self-determination theory, including those focusing on inclusive practices, specially designed instruction, and transition.
Participate in work groups and contribute to statewide goals that integrate autonomy-supportive strategies, enhancing outcomes for students and promoting inclusive, high-quality educational practices.
Collaborate on initiatives that support autonomy-supportive, competence-building, and relatedness-focused environments, ensuring a cohesive approach to serving youth with disabilities across the Commonwealth.

Maintain Professional Growth in Self-Determination Theory to Support Autonomy-Supportive Environments:
Pursue ongoing training and professional development in self-determination theory and its application in educational settings.
Stay current with research on fostering autonomy, competence, and relatedness, ensuring that all capacity-building activities are grounded in evidence-based practices that promote self-determination for students and educators.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in education, special education, psychology, social work, or a related field.
• Previous professional experience in education, youth development, or a related field.
• Proven experience working with youth, particularly those with disabilities, to foster self-determination and inclusion.
• Demonstrated expertise in providing professional development and technical assistance to educators or school administrators.
• Familiarity with implementing research-based educational practices, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL), High Leverage Practices (HLPs), and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI).
• Knowledge of Self-Determination Theory: Understanding of its principles (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and the ability to apply them in educational and youth leadership contexts.
• Ability to serve as a mentor for youth leaders, educators, and other stakeholders in fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment.
• Strong ability to build relationships with educators, families, and regional organizations, and to facilitate partnerships that support youth engagement.
• Skilled in designing and delivering high-impact professional development sessions tailored to diverse educational settings.
• Ability to document technical assistance and generate reports that analyze effectiveness and share best practices.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for engaging with diverse audiences, including students, educators, families, and policymakers.
• Proficiency with educational technology, including tools for virtual training and resource sharing; familiarity with data collection and reporting software to track outcomes and measure impact.
• Ability to travel regionally and occasionally statewide to meet the needs of assigned school divisions.
• Dedication to creating inclusive, autonomy-supportive environments for all students.
• Experience leading youth leadership initiatives or events.
• Familiarity with Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) initiatives and policies.
• Experience collaborating across organizations or regional networks in ways that enhance youth participation.

Additional Posting Information:

We will be hiring five regional positions to include NOVA, Valley, Coastal, Central, and Southwest. Please indicate which region(s) you are interested in within your cover letter. In your cover letter, please also address your previous experience with I'm Determined and/or implementing self-determination theory.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.