EXCELS Community Engagement Liaison

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is seeking a contractor to provide community engagement liaison and facilitation services. The contractor will be responsible for designing and implementing a robust interest holder engagement strategy, facilitating focus groups and collective inquiry sessions, and synthesizing feedback into actionable recommendations for Maryland EXCELS program and policy improvements. The contractor will also act as a bridge between internal teams and external agencies to align early childhood services and reduce duplication across systems. Some key responsibilities of the contractor include: • Facilitating at least one focus group with an intentionally selected array of partners • Synthesizing high volumes of qualitative feedback into clear, actionable problem statements • Designing and implementing community and family engagement strategies that effectively respond to the needs, preferences, and circumstances of Maryland’s families and early childhood providers • Collaborating on the expansion of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) alongside the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) • Managing connections between LENA, Watershed, CCRCs, and Public Pre-K (PPK) The contractor will be expected to travel regularly throughout the State of Maryland to facilitate in-person sessions and must maintain full technical proficiency and provide their own modern computer equipment and high-speed internet connectivity.