Ambassador: Youth Leadership Development

Working Title: Ambassador:
Youth Leadership Development

State Role Title:Administrative and Professional Faculty

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

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Education

Department: 540992 - I'm Determined Center FY26

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:03/09/2026

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
Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 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. 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 a qualified and experienced education professional to provide training and consultation of youth related to fostering self-determination skills in students with disabilities. We are looking for a dynamic candidate who is interested in a work environment that affords ongoing professional learning opportunities, collaboration with colleagues, and an opportunity to influence educational practices.

This is a grant-funded position.

The Youth Leadership Development Ambassador's role is to organize, plan, and facilitate youth leader development throughout Virginia including but not limited to the I'm Determined Youth Leaders. The ambassador will plan leadership activities, record and manage TRACK evaluation data, and identify training opportunities outside of IMD. Key areas include disability awareness, IMD tool utilization, peer support, mentorship, and community building.

When working with youth and young adults, the ambassador will also need to build and maintain relationships with families so that they know how to best support the development of their child. This could look like equipping parents and caregivers to help youth prepare for a student-led IEP or conference presentation, helping them think through how to problem-solve in the school, work, and community environments, and help the continuation of self-determination skill development when they are not in the presence of I'm Determined staff.

These are tele-eligible positions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Statewide Leadership Initiatives:

• Coordinate and oversee youth involvement in statewide events, including I'm Determined Youth and Family Summits, educator workshops, and other statewide conferences where youth leadership development opportunities are available.
• Develop and implement statewide youth leadership programs, ensuring alignment with Virginia Department of Education goals.
• Act as a liaison between youth leaders and other stakeholders to advocate for the inclusion of youth perspectives in educational initiatives.
• Establish and support youth leadership networks within specific regions, connecting youth leaders with local schools, families, and community organizations.
• Facilitate youth leadership and participation in regional training workshops and events that focus on youth leadership, self-determination, and advocacy skills.

Training and Curriculum Development:

• Design and distribute statewide training materials and toolkits to support youth self-determination and leadership growth.
• Support, participate and deliver virtual and in-person training sessions for youth leaders, families, and educators across Virginia.
• 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.

Statewide Youth…