A Call For Talented Professional Service Providers

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We are no longer accepting applications as of Feb 21st, 2021. Sign up for updates to be notified when we next open selection to the network.

 

You have worked alongside education leaders to strengthen their teams and create equitable outcomes for students, families, and communities. We want to support you, so that you can deepen your impact.

About the Network

Who This Is ForWhat You’ll Contribute and GainHear from our Providers

Who This Is For

Professional service providers in our network include:

  • Independent consultants
  • National and regional organizations (incl. nonprofits that offer technical assistance services, consulting firms, research organizations)
  • Leaders with full-time jobs but with the interest and capacity to do targeted projects that may require a commitment of up to 20 hours per month

Providers offer expertise across a range of areas relevant to schools, systems, nonprofits, and foundations. Explore provider competencies here.

We are proud of the diversity of our network, and we encourage applicants of all identities to apply. We are especially invested in hearing from providers of color.

See who joined our network during our last intake cycle here.

 

 

 

What You’ll Contribute

Here are some examples of the impact that the providers in our network have had in the last year (and read more about how we are leveraging the power of our network here):

What You’ll Gain

  • Broaden your reach

    Learn about and apply for projects aligned to your expertise and passion with a wide range of organizations and leaders nationally

  • Connect with your peers

    Get to know, collaborate with, and learn from other professional service providers

  • Build your own capacity

    Access professional development resources to help you grow

      

Hear from our Providers

Hear from our Providers-In-Residence about their experiences working with us at Catalyst:Ed. These providers from our network have worked closely with us on key initiatives.

  • "Catalyst:Ed is a special space. I'm very thankful for the conversation we had where you trusted me with the process of developing the Journey to Reclamation workshop for Black women in the network. The fact that you all also saw it as important was affirming and a really beautiful thing to experience. I just appreciate the way Catalyst:Ed's approach to community--whether it's a series like this or other DEI workshops--I think there's always this model to calling people to ask how are we practicing this thing that we preach or how are we practicing the things we put out there and reminding folks that we don't have to do this work in silos."

    Tyler Brewster, Peer ConnectTyler Brewster, Peer Connect
  • "I very much appreciate how hard Catalyst:Ed has been working to create opportunities for consultants and organizations during this trying time! Separately, I appreciate how you and the team have been thinking of creative ways to engage the consultants more - the new affinity groups are an exciting development."

    Carolyn Carpenter, Independent Consultant
  • "When we first launched our education consulting organization, CatalystED provided access to bid for opportunities and engage with clients that we would have otherwise not have had access to. The Catalyst:Ed team has been our constant supporter and champion, and they’ve been able to grow and cultivate a sense of community among the consultants through community meetings, ERGs and Slack. The team is incredibly responsive and forward-thinking, always identifying ways to serve consultants and expand opportunities. We’ve benefitted from professional development sessions led by CatalystED, the creation of Hubs, access to community, and opportunities."

    Michelle Oliva and Monica Martinez, EduDream
  • "As a new organization, being a part of the Catalyst:Ed network was a great way for us to extend our expertise around school culture and social-emotional learning to a wider network of schools and systems. It was also a way for us to be a part of a think tank of experts with a wide range of expertise in different areas. I saw it as a dual benefit, where I was not only just providing services but can also tap into the skill sets of the network as well."

    Marvin Pierre, Executive Director, 8 Million Stories
  • "TNTP joined Catalyst:Ed last year to join the conversation around how we as consultants can meaningfully and powerfully support educators so they can be present for their students and families. I’ve appreciated how Catalyst:Ed allows you to choose the ways that you can contribute, be it very technical work or very adaptive work, while also supporting me as an individual. There aren’t a lot of partners in the work where I can name both the important work I get to do and the ways that the organization supported speaking to my soul, and I’ve appreciated being part of this community."

    Christina Brown, Partner, TNTP
  • "The work we engage in through Catalyst:Ed has been some of the most interesting and compelling work we’ve done. We have been able to empower change leaders, by helping them understand their systems, think about their data use practices, and the organizational habits and mindsets that need to be developed. This has created a seismic shift in how we think about our work."

    Sherry Chen, Partner, UPD Consulting

 

Apply to the Network

What We Are Looking ForThe Application ProcessWhat We Aim To Learn From YouTimeline

What We Are Looking For

  • Deep expertise aligned to one or more of our 13 competency areas: This cycle, our priority areas include: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Social and Emotional Learning; Revenue Generation; Communications and Advocacy; and Technology and Data.
  • Relevant experience supporting K-12 and Postsecondary organizations: We especially want to hear from providers with experience supporting school recovery, new organizations, and networked improvement communities.
  • Consulting skill set: Most network members bring at least 3 years of experience advising leaders and supporting teams in building capacity. 
  • Values alignment: We expect all network members to be aligned with Catalyst:Ed’s values and bring a deep commitment to equity.
      

The Application Process

Our three-step intake process is designed to help us get to know you better, pinpoint your specific competencies, and understand the contexts where you thrive.

  • Application: Use the application form to tell us about your skills and experiences and how they have equipped you to build organizational capacity. 
  • Professional references: Provide contact details of three references who know you or your team professionally and can speak to your skills and capabilities in your identified competency areas.
  • Interview: Participate in a video interview with a Catalyst:Ed team or network member.
      

What We Aim To Learn From You

Our intake process is designed to help us get to know you better. In particular, we want to learn about:

  • Your expertise and impact: In which competency areas do you bring knowledge and skills? What kinds of projects do you usually work on? What is your approach to these projects? What has been your impact?
  • Your experience: What kinds of organizations have you worked with? In what contexts do you most shine?
  • How you learn: How are you learning from best practices and from your own experiences? Are you able to apply your learning from one context to another? How do you capture, codify, and share lessons from your projects?
  • Comfort in leadership: How confident are you in your knowledge, expertise, leadership, and experience? Are you able to push leaders when needed?
  • Equity focus: Where are you on your equity journey? How are you approaching the goal of advancing equity in a meaningful way through your work?
      

Timeline

We are extending the application deadline to 2/21 and the reference deadline to 3/1 to account for disruptions caused by the winter storm

FAQs

Click here to read our FAQs

Webinar Recording

Click here watch the recording of our Application Webinar

Click here to open the recording in a new tab

Catalyst:Ed Expert Selection 2021 Webinar from Catalyst: Ed on Vimeo.