Motivate our Minds seeks new director

<p>Motivate Our Minds, a local after school program, will host its annual spelling bee Thursday. The spelling bee pairs students with local celebrities. <strong>Photo Provided, Motivate Our Minds</strong></p>

Motivate Our Minds, a local after school program, will host its annual spelling bee Thursday. The spelling bee pairs students with local celebrities. Photo Provided, Motivate Our Minds

An organization that has educated Muncie children through programs and extracurricular activities for the past 30 years is now looking for a new executive director. 

Motivate Our Minds (MOMs) is searching to fill the position after former executive director Monique Armstrong resigned in February, said Marchal Hudson, MOMs board president.

Armstrong accepted a position as program director with TeenWorks — a year-round employment and college-readiness program for teenagers in Muncie and Indianapolis. 

“She takes the kids to the next level at TeenWorks. She is always going to be involved with the community, with educating and enriching children’s lives,” Hudson said. “That is what Monique Armstrong represents.”

Armstrong, who attended MOMs as a student, led the organization for 10 years and was instrumental in its growth and success during that time. MOMs hopes to find another “visionary leader” like Armstrong, Hudson said.

“We are looking for a leader who sees the future, our children as the future and how they can be a part of enriching [children’s] lives as we move forward,” Hudson said. “One of Monique’s statements was, ‘The future is today.’ So, we want that visionary person to be one that will engage with the children, the community, the families in moving the mission forward.”

The mission of MOMs is to educate children and families to grow and flourish through educational programs, Hudson said. A new executive director would advance this through increasing collaboration between technology and education.

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Additionally, the organization is looking for a director who will seek new opportunities for the extracurriculars — yoga club, garden club, spelling club and art club — offered to children, said Holly Ford, interim executive director.

While MOMs search committee members are looking for an executive director that will expand on its mission and programs, there are several key characteristics they are looking for, Ford said. A MOMs executive director should be future-focused, community engaged and education-centered.

“Whomever is the next executive director, they will naturally have a different skill-set, different vision, different perspective,” Ford said. “Whatever our future holds, it will be empowering and educating our children.”

Ford said the search committee hopes to fill the position this summer. To apply, applicants can visit the MOMs website.

Contact Liz Rieth with comments at ejrieth@bsu.edu or on Twitter @liz_rieth.

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