Curriculum and Instructional Designer Temporary PartTime

About Indy Reads

Our vision is simple: 100% literacy for all.

Located in historic Fountain Square and serving central Indiana, Indy Reads builds the literacy, English language, and job readiness skills to empower adults and their families to reach their full potential. We advance our mission through our holistic program model that integrates our virtual and in-person Community Classrooms, Workforce Literacy Program, Literacy in Action, and Community Bookstore, which serves as a retail space, community hub, and extension of educational programming.

This highly regarded, well-established nonprofit organization has more than 40 years of experience in adult education and community-building through literacy. Guided by the CEO’s bold vision and a deep commitment to advancing literacy for all amid rising demand, Indy Reads is poised for growth.

Our adult learners are at the heart of everything we do. Dedicated staff and volunteers engage native and non-native English speakers to strengthen their literacy and English language skills, earn their High School Equivalency diplomas, acquire workforce certifications, and increase their participation in the community. With literacy and language education, our adult learners redefine their potential for success. They get new and better jobs, help their children with homework, and engage with society in new and deeper ways.

At Indy Reads, everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to share. In this way, Indy Reads advances social equity through education.

This temporary (12-month), part-time Curriculum and Instructional Designer will support Indy Reads to fulfill key grant-funded initiatives to research, develop, trial, and refine civics and health literacy curricula that will ultimately be adapted and integrated into all of our course offerings. In this phase, the Curriculum Designer will convene students, teachers, community partners, and subject matter experts to inform key civics and health curricular goals.

The Designer will further research existing definitions, frameworks, curricula, and best practices in these areas and identify opportunities and gaps between what exists and the unique needs of Indy Reads’ learners. Based on this research, the Designer will develop Health and Civics Literacy curricular modules, prepare teachers to pilot the curriculum, observe and gather feedback on implementation, refine the modules based on that input and prepare materials for broader organizational implementation.

The curricula will be supplemented by our community bookstore events led by Indy Reads’ Bookstore Manager, in collaboration with the Curriculum and Instructional Designer.

This part-time position reports to the Vice President of Community Impact (VPCI) and requires the flexible availability needed to work with a collaborative team, stakeholders, partners, and classrooms, including weekdays and some evenings and weekends. Work will occur primarily on-site at Indy Reads’ location. Hybrid work options and flexibility may be available.

This position is a grant-funded, temporary role, with potential to grow and be made permanent. The following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. Other duties may be assigned.

• Research and synthesize existing definitions, frameworks, curricula, evidence-informed practices, and emerging approaches in Health Literacy and Civics Literacy.
• Examine existing approaches critically through the lens of Indy Reads’ mission, values, educational philosophy, and the lived experiences, cultures, goals, and needs of adult learners.
• Identify gaps and opportunities within existing resources and develop clear curricular goals and frameworks to guide the creation of Indy Reads’ Health Literacy and Civics Literacy curricula.
• Consider how health and civics content can strengthen literacy, language development, critical thinking, self-advocacy, and learners’ ability to navigate and participate in systems that affect their lives with greater agency.