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Careers

The I’m Determined Center is building a powerhouse team of professionals to elevate our work and expand our impact.

What We Do

We design experiences that empower youth to embrace their strengths, cultivate self-determination, and make a lasting impact on the world.

View open positions

How We’re Structured

The new I’m Determined Center is structured into two complementary teams: Implementation and Innovation. The Implementation team ensures the effective application of proven strategies, providing direct support to educators, students, and families that sustain and grow the practices associated with self-determination. The Innovation team explores new ideas, emerging technologies, and creative approaches to expand and enhance self-determination initiatives.

Figure-8 infinity loop with implementation on one side, leading into innovation on the other.

Together, these teams create a dynamic synergy—forming an infinity loop where innovation fuels fresh possibilities that are tested and refined for implementation, while successful implementation informs and inspires future innovations. This continuous cycle ensures ongoing growth, adaptation, and lasting impact.

About Us

We believe in:

  1. Centering Youth Voice – Students are not just learners, they are leaders. Their ideas, choices, and agency shape our work.
  2. Filling Your Cup First – Serve and love yourself so you can bring your best to the work and those around you.
  3. Adaptive Agility – Embrace change with flexibility, responsiveness, and a solutions-focused mindset.
  4. Innovation that Fuels Action – Bold ideas drive implementation, and implementation fuels bold ideas—continuous improvement is our norm.
  5. Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness – Learning thrives when students and educators feel skilled, self-directed, and part of a supportive community.

About You

We are seeking dedicated professionals who:

  1. Amplify Youth Stories – Share the voices and journeys of our students through media, resources, and in-person events, making their impact visible.
  2. Support Families as Guides – Provide care, resources, and encouragement so families can confidently support their children’s growth.
  3. Empower Educators to Innovate – Give teachers the freedom and tools to reimagine learning and help students build self-determination.
  4. Believe in Self-Determination – See the world through self-determination-tinted glasses where opportunities for high levels of competence, autonomy, and relatedness thrive.
  5. Measure What Matters – Track and showcase the real outcomes of self-determined students in creative and meaningful ways.

Positions

*While we are still working through the hiring process, we are no longer accepting applications for the positions below.

Regional Ambassador (5 positions)

Regional Ambassadors will serve as I’m Determined’s primary connection to school divisions. They are responsible for building and sustaining relationships while promoting self-determination practices at the regional level. Our Regional Ambassadors will support youth leadership, provide implementation guidance, and offer proactive solutions to the needs of educators and students.

One Regional Ambassador will serve each of the following five regions: Central, Coastal, NOVA, Valley, and Southwest. If you are familiar with Virginia’s Superintendent Regions, here’s how it lines up:

  • Region 1 & 8 = Central
  • Region 2 & 3 = Coastal
  • Region 4 = Nova
  • Region 5 = Valley
  • Region 6 & 7 = Southwest
Map of Virginia divided in to 5 Ambassador Regions: NOVA, Valley, Central, Coastal, and Southwest

Ambassador: Media Strategy and Development

The Media Strategy and Development Ambassador will lead multimedia projects to showcase the impact of self-determination. They are responsible for collaborating with other ambassadors to produce videos and online media resources that communicate the importance of self-determination by highlighting research findings, success stories, and the voices and experiences of Virginia’s youth.


Ambassador: Communication Strategist and Content Creator

The Communication Strategist and Content Creator Ambassador will develop an integrated website and social media strategy to enhance user engagement, encourage creativity, and support self-determined practices. They are responsible for managing and promoting I’m Determined resources, creating campaigns to highlight self-determination, and developing communications plans for outreach to schools, families, and communities.


Ambassador: Research Coordinator

The Research Ambassador will analyze and research longstanding I’m Determined practices and translate them into practitioner-friendly resources. They are responsible for leading research design, coordinating research projects, and engaging with youth, educators, and families to highlight the impact of self-determination in education.


All I’m Determined Center positions are considered Administrative & Professional (A&P) Faculty positions, except Fiscal Technician, which is regarded as Classified staff.

About JMU

The I’m Determined Center is a state-wide center funded by the Virginia Department of Education and is housed at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. All IMD Center team members will share the top-tier benefits that come along with being a JMU employee, such as robust health and dental insurance, paid holidays and ample leave, tuition assistance and reimbursement, retirement plans, and more. 
Learn about JMU benefits

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The I’m Determined project, a state directed project funded by the Virginia Department of Education, focuses on providing direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior.
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