STUDENTS NEED MORE SAY IN THEIR LIVES-BE THEIR VOICE
AS A RETIREE, SERVING IN SCHOOLS -0r- AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS with PROJECT CHANGE PARTNERED WITH MCPS
SEL learning is more than a fad- it comes from the awareness that what students learn about themselves is just as important as what they learn about other subjects. Why is it then that schools rarely have time to teach students how to better know themselves, and learn self-care, self-respect, self-valuing.
When it comes to who might be the best mentors and teachers about life, it is someone like you, a retiree or a senior who has so much life experience and who has some time and energy to pass on their wisdom to a new generation.
COVID disadvantaged all of us, and especially students. The current political climate is stressing out families who are new to this country and adding extra burdens to kids who are trying to learn a new language and get ahead. Tests have shown students are behind. Most schools are still teaching "Catch Up." Teachers are not allowed time to ask students how they are feeling. What if they are overwhelmed? What if they are depressed, or hungry, or scared? Yet, ask any teacher who is struggling to get the class to learn. They will know what students are saying in the only way kids can speak- through behavior. We are not ready to learn-they are saying- until you are ready to learn about us and from us- where we are and what we are going through. One Million dead with COVID, and now thousands deported, and you presume we come ready to learn and all is normal? Why won't you listen? We need people like you who have probably raised your own kids and know what your grandkids are dealing with. No better qualification than that.
SERVING WITH PROJECT CHANGE
Project CHANGE is recruiting a team of retirees to act as Student Advocates and Champions- 19 inspired members-retirees for 2026-27 who sign on to a project for a year or more to change all this. Through the innovative yet simple SEL instrument MyScore that Project CHANGE has developed over the last 9 years, Project CHANGE is striving to bring the students back into the conversation about their own lives.
The standardized tests want to know if you can write and read, ( That is Their Score) but we are interested in 'How Confident, How Curious, How Collaborative, How Courageous, How Career and future- focused you are- (That is MyScore.) These 5C's are more predictive of a successful Life Learner (SLL) than any test result.
We know which students are struggling because they tell us. We can support them to persevere and grow. We know which class is stuck because most students are telling us they are bored or struggling, or feel alone. And we know which students are thriving and who we can invite to help us build a climate of learning. Together with their teachers and their classmates, we can better support those who might be behind. MyScore allows us to build an environment for learning and growing. We lift up every voice.
This seems so obvious. Yet it represents a radically different approach to student welfare that has never been tried before until Project CHANGE decided to democratize education and re-center the curriculum on life and self as the ultimate lesson. After the pandemic, and in our troubled times, it is critical to place the student voice back at the center of the conversation about education. And one way to do that is to create an intergenerational exchange where retirees can sign up for part time, for a semester, or for a few hours a week.
WHO IS PROJECT CHANGE?
Project CHANGE is the original AmeriCorps Montgomery County program that for 25 years, has been serving Montgomery County students. Every year, we look at the emerging needs and search for Children's Champions who ready and able to respond.
Project CHANGE's unique Social Emotional Learning Approach is based around stories. We focus on "the story that a student is telling themselves about themselves" their value, their talents, their chances for success and their future. Our student-friendly tool called MyScore gets students to focus on growing in the 5Cs of confidence, curiosity, collaboration, courage and career-future focus. Members are trained to become SEL specialists using this tool and shape interventions around the student's sense of self. Retirees are invaluable in this role, and Project CHANGE seeks to create opportunities that fit your lifestyle.
Imagine being the difference between a student passing or failing? Imagine being the difference between a student believing in herself and a student acting out their despair? Imagine being that adult in a child's life that they trust? Imagine helping a teacher or program leader create the safety net and the trust where children can thrive and feel the thrill of being alive.
DO YOU QUALIFY
Requirements for AmeriCorps members in Project Change:
1. At least 18 years of age and up to 110
2. High School Diploma or GED
3. Drivers license/access to a vehicle
4. Able to work in the US as a citizen-permanent resident
5. Able to devote between 10-30 hours a week
6. Experience working with children/youth
7. Willing to have a criminal background check
8 Able to serve for an uninterrupted time period, a semester at a time.
BENEFITS
In return, AmeriCorps members receive:
Professional Development weekly training on Fridays
$25,500 living stipend for Full Time (1700 hours) if retirees need it, or it can be a pure voluntary role
$7,395 educational scholarship upon completion that you can share with your family
The positions offer an overall life-changing experience. Positions for retirees can be full time, or three quarter time, or even term by term. (1700, 1200, 900, 300 hours during a set period) beginning August 2026- mid August 2027.
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BACKGROUND
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with almost 160,000 Students shut down on March 2020, leaving kids cut off from their peers, depriving them of normal healthy social outlets. School returned with students eager to connect and get back to learning but they are still behind. Now, the political climate is casting a shadow over many students from minority communities. How can you learn when you your future is at risk? In these circumstances, Social/Emotional learning becomes paramount. How will students learn to cope, to believe in themselves, to not give up hope? These are the skills and attitudes that students need most to succeed in life. This is where YOU as a retiree come in. Your role in the school or after school program will be as a mentor and coach to students who need it the most, and for you from your own life experience to model for them ways to
-Actively engage and problem-solve physical, psychological, social and disciplinary issues that affect themselves and the community.
-Take responsibility for their actions.
-Set themselves up for learning success
Project CHANGE Montgomery began in 2001 as the original Montgomery County MD program of AmeriCorps, America's "Domestic Peace Corps." Places are available from end of August 2026 to mid August 2027 and AmeriCorps members serve the county's most under-served K-12+ students.
Pay: $18,000.00 - $25,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
