Regional STEM Coach

Position Summary

The Regional STEM Coach leads instructional coaching, professional learning, curriculum development, and educator capacity-building across partner schools in the Warsaw, Indiana region. The position supports the workforce development initiatives of the National Science Foundation (NSF) IMPACT Engine in Indiana, the Indiana Musculoskeletal Health Partnership for the Advancement of Care & Treatment (IMPACT), focusing on upskilling local educators to ensure long-term sustainability and regional continuity in STEM education.

Working with teachers who serve students in grades 4-8, the coach strengthens integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction that connects academic standards and content areas through authentic, problem- and project-based learning.

The coach partners with school leaders to identify priorities, establish integrated STEM goals, coordinate coaching cycles, monitor progress, address barriers, and build sustainable systems. The coach leads sustained coaching cycles with teachers and works closely with the STEM Implementation Specialist, who provides ongoing school-based support between coaching touchpoints.

The coach also guides integration of the IN STEM Explorations Mobile Lab, connecting Mobile Lab experiences to classroom curriculum, integrated STEM practices, musculoskeletal health and innovation, regional industries, and career pathways.

The position operates primarily through remote coaching, planning, professional learning, and leadership collaboration, with an onsite visit to each participating school approximately once per month for job-embedded coaching, classroom observation, instructional modeling, and collaboration with teachers, school leaders, and the STEM Implementation Specialist.

The primary goal is to build long-term, sustainable teacher and leadership capacity by skilling up local educators, ensuring integrated STEM becomes an enduring, self-sustaining standard of teaching and learning throughout the region.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Instructional Coaching & Integrated STEM

• Lead sustained coaching cycles with grades 4-8 teachers, including goal setting, co-planning, modeling, observation, reflection, and feedback.
• Build teacher capacity to design high-quality integrated STEM learning connected to academic standards, authentic problems, engineering design, and real-world applications.
• Provide ongoing virtual coaching between onsite visits and visit each participating school approximately once per month for job-embedded coaching and collaboration.
• Help teachers connect instruction to musculoskeletal health and innovation, regional industries, STEM careers, and workforce opportunities.
• Support and upskill teacher leaders and school teams to embed sustainable, long-term integrated STEM practices that maintain program continuity.
• Provide targeted training, mentoring, and coaching to pre-service teachers and education students in integrated STEM pedagogy, instructional strategy, and classroom practices during clinical experiences or field placements.

2. School Leadership Partnership & Regional Alignment

• Partner with school leaders to establish integrated STEM priorities, goals, and measures of progress aligned with school needs.
• Coordinate coaching cycles and professional learning with administrators to ensure teachers have the support and conditions needed to participate successfully.
• Meet regularly with school leaders to review progress, identify barriers, and adjust coaching and support.
• Help leaders build robust organizational structures and upskill local teacher leaders to ensure long-term sustainability and instructional continuity in integrated STEM.
• Promote alignment and shared learning across participating schools in the Warsaw region while respecting local priorities and context.

3. Partnership with the STEM Implementation Specialist

• Work closely with the STEM Implementation Specialist to connect coaching priorities with ongoing school-based support.
• Establish coaching-cycle goals and instructional priorities that the Specialist can reinforce between coaching touchpoints.
• Maintain regular communication about teacher needs, school priorities, Mobile Lab experiences, and emerging challenges.
• Use observations and feedback from the Specialist, teachers, and school leaders to inform coaching and professional learning.
• Ensure consistent expectations across coaching, school-based support, and Mobile Lab experiences.

4. Professional Learning & Regional Collaboration

• Design and facilitate virtual and in-person professional learning focused on integrated STEM, engineering design, problem- and project-based learning, technology integration, and career-connected learning.
• Provide school leaders with resources and learning opportunities that support effective STEM leadership.
• Facilitate collaboration among teachers and leaders across participating schools to share practices, resources, and lessons learned.
• Organize and facilitate regional professional development opportunities and workshops to foster continuous learning and network building across districts.
• Identify, upskill, and mentor local teacher leaders who can sustain and expand regional STEM capacity and drive lasting instructional continuity within their schools.
• Use teacher feedback, student work, classroom observations, leadership input, and implementation data to refine coaching and professional learning.

5. Musculoskeletal & Integrated STEM Curriculum

• Guide the development and refinement of standards-aligned musculoskeletal and integrated STEM curriculum for grades 4-8.
• Ensure curriculum reflects strong integrated STEM practices and meaningful connections to musculoskeletal health, engineering, technology, biomedical innovation, and regional industry.
• Develop and curate shared instructional resources, exemplars, teacher guides, and professional learning materials.
• Support connections between classroom curriculum and IN STEM Explorations Mobile Lab experiences.
• Ensure resources are adaptable across participating schools and aligned with local instructional priorities.

6. IN STEM Explorations Mobile Lab Alignment

• Collaborate with the STEM Implementation Specialist, teachers, and school leaders to align Mobile Lab experiences with coaching goals, curriculum, and school STEM priorities.
• Help teachers plan meaningful connections between Mobile Lab experiences and classroom learning.
• Ensure Mobile Lab experiences reinforce integrated STEM practices, musculoskeletal concepts, and career-connected learning.
• Use feedback from teachers, leaders, and the STEM Implementation Specialist to strengthen instructional alignment and future coaching support.

Required Qualifications & Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Valid Indiana Teacher’s License.
• Minimum of five years of successful classroom teaching experience; grades 4-8 experience preferred.
• Experience in instructional coaching, teacher leadership, or professional learning.