Vistamar School, Director of Life Planning (College Counseling +)

Vistamar School announces a search for the Director of Life Planning (DLP) to begin on July 1, 2025. The DLP will immediately be leading a reimagining of the structure of the department and the scope of its responsibilities to more fully realize the promise of an ambitious Life Planning Program. Life Planning equips students in grades 9 - 12 with the tools they will need to do meaningful work, be engaged with their communities, and sustain fulfilling relationships with others. With the support and guidance of the Life Planning department students build their life skills, understand their strengths, shape their story, and develop a post-secondary plan aligned with their values. College planning at Vistamar is intentionally embedded in the broader context of Life Planning.

In order to accomplish the full breadth of Life Planning over the 4 year period, the DLP will not only guide the Life Planning Counselors, but also involve faculty advisors and interested community members to help students explore, reflect, and shape their personal and scholarly identities. The students will develop, refine, and share their distinctive stories as a result of a series of meaningful experiences in classes, extracurricular activities, and opportunities in the community. These purposeful engagements may crystallize into compelling college applications, or they may launch a student and family into an alternative fulfilling venture. The DLP will orchestrate and champion what promises to be a signature program of Vistamar, a significant reason as to why a prospective family might choose to apply and enroll, or why an educator would want to join the team. This will be a clear demonstration that Vistamar is "what high school should be".

Reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Life Planning (DLP) integrates the curricular and co-curricular experiences of the students and channels that towards their purposeful post-secondary lives. From the vantage point of being the expert in the college admissions process, the DLP serves on the Department Chairs Council to shape the comprehensive curriculum and guide course offerings and academic policies. The DLP leads the Life Planning Program by communicating its philosophy in writing, presentations, and online, and by supervising the Life Planners. The DLP will collaborate with the Dean of Student Life to design opportunities and curriculum for students' exploration and reflection throughout their four years.

The DLP, with the Life Planners, is responsible for College Counseling and Academic Planning at Vistamar. The DLP carries a caseload of approximately 30 students per grade, working specifically with seniors and juniors on the college application process. The DLP arranges and offers workshops for students in building resumes, writing essays, standardized test prep and the range of considerations, including affordability, when exploring college options. The DLP provides individual counseling to students to develop and tell their story in the most compelling way and to pursue college options that suit their specific interests and circumstances. The DLP ensures that the Life Planning Program meets the needs of all Vistamar students.

Application Materials:
To apply, submit the requested documents listed below at https://www.vistamarschool.org/about-us/employment by February 18. 

•A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
•A current résumé;
•A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate's permission) 

Contact Information:
Erik Carlson, Interim Head of School
erikcarlson@vistamarschool.org
https://www.vistamarschool.org/about-us/employment 

See Attachment

www.vistamarschool.org