Cybersecurity Trainer & Educator (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity-protective storytelling, consent-driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long-term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward. , Cybersecurity Trainer & Educator (Volunteer) PromiseShield | Cybersecurity Education, Digital Safety & Security Awareness Organization Mentor A Promise (MAP) Division PromiseShield Location Fully Remote — United States Type Volunteer Cybersecurity Education Role Commitment Approximately 5–10 hours per week Minimum Commitment 6 months Reports To PromiseShield / IT Security Leadership Works Closely With Cybersecurity, IT Security, Privacy, PromisePeople, PromiseLearning, Operations, and other MAP teams About Mentor A Promise Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, education, literacy, social-emotional learning, creative expression, career development, advocacy, and community-centered opportunity. As MAP grows, protecting our people, information, technology, and mission requires more than security tools. It requires people who understand how to use technology safely. About PromiseShield PromiseShield is MAP's organizational protection division, bringing together cybersecurity, IT security, privacy, safeguarding, digital governance, and related risk-management functions. Cybersecurity is not only a technical responsibility. Every person who uses an account, opens an email, shares a document, accesses organizational information, or communicates online contributes to MAP's security environment. The Cybersecurity Trainer & Educator helps turn that responsibility into practical knowledge. Role Overview MAP is seeking an engaging and knowledgeable Cybersecurity Trainer & Educator to develop and deliver practical cybersecurity education for volunteers, staff, leaders, and other approved audiences. This role sits at the intersection of cybersecurity and education. The Trainer takes concepts that can feel technical or intimidating and makes them understandable, relevant, and actionable. Training may address phishing, passwords, multifactor authentication, account security, social engineering, data protection, safe collaboration, device security, incident reporting, emerging threats, and responsible use of organizational technology. The learning model is Risk → Understanding → Practice → Behavior → Reinforcement → Safer Organization The objective is not to make everyone a cybersecurity professional. It is to help everyone become a more security-aware participant in MAP. Cybersecurity Training Develop and facilitate engaging cybersecurity training sessions for MAP team members. Potential topics may include Phishing and suspicious messages Social engineering Password and credential security Multifactor authentication Account protection Email security Safe file sharing Google Workspace security practices Device and browser safety Data handling Privacy awareness Remote-work security Incident recognition and reporting AI and emerging technology risks Common scams and digital threats Security responsibilities for volunteers and leaders Training should explain not only what someone should do, but why it matters. Security Awareness Program Help PromiseShield develop a structured cybersecurity awareness program rather than relying exclusively on occasional training. Support a learning cycle such as Onboarding → Foundational Training → Practice → Reinforcement → Updates → Measurement → Improvement Help determine what people should learn when they join MAP, what should be reinforced periodically, and what emerging risks require additional education. Security awareness should be continuous enough to remain useful without becoming background noise. Make Cybersecurity Understandable Translate technical security concepts into language appropriate for nontechnical audiences. Avoid teaching cybersecurity through unnecessary jargon. Instead of simply saying “Do not click suspicious links.” Help people understand What makes a message suspicious? What should they examine? What should they do when uncertain? Where should they report it? What happens after they report it? Good cybersecurity education builds judgment—not just rules. Interactive Learning Create opportunities for participants to practice what they learn. Develop scenarios, demonstrations, exercises, knowledge checks, case studies, discussion activities, and other educational experiences where appropriate. Training should move through Explain → Demonstrate → Practice → Reflect → Apply People are more likely to remember what they had to think through themselves. Phishing & Social Engineering Education Help team members recognize increasingly sophisticated phishing, impersonation, credential theft, fraudulent requests, and social-engineering techniques. Teach people to slow down when messages create urgency, fear, secrecy, unusual authority, unexpected financial requests, or pressure to bypass normal procedures. The goal should not be to make people afraid of every message. The goal is to strengthen judgment. Role-Based Training Work with PromiseShield leadership to develop cybersecurity education appropriate to different responsibilities. A volunteer mentor may need different training from an executive. A finance volunteer may face different risks from a social media manager. A system administrator requires different knowledge from a newsletter writer. Training should reflect actual responsibilities and access. Onboarding Education Collaborate with PromisePeople, IT Security, and other teams to incorporate essential cybersecurity education into MAP onboarding. Help new team members understand expectations concerning organizational accounts, passwords, multifactor authentication, approved systems, information handling, suspicious activity, and incident reporting. Security should begin when access begins. Training Materials Develop and maintain educational resources such as Training presentations Quick-reference guides Security awareness materials Onboarding resources Checklists Short educational videos or scripts Knowledge assessments Scenario exercises Frequently asked questions Security reminders Internal awareness campaigns Materials should be accurate, accessible, practical, and easy to maintain. Cybersecurity Culture Help create a culture where people feel comfortable reporting mistakes, suspicious activity, and security concerns quickly. People should not hide a possible security mistake because they are afraid of embarrassment. Early reporting can significantly change how effectively an organization responds. Teach Notice → Stop → Protect → Report → Escalate Security awareness should create responsibility without creating fear. Collaboration With Cybersecurity Professionals Work closely with PromiseShield's cybersecurity and IT security professionals to ensure training reflects MAP's actual systems, policies, risks, and response procedures. The Trainer should not independently establish security policy or technical requirements outside delegated authority. Cybersecurity leadership determines appropriate security standards. The Trainer helps people understand and apply them. Privacy & Safeguarding Coordinate with MAP's privacy and safeguarding functions when training intersects with personal information, youth information, confidentiality, data handling, or digital communications. Because MAP serves children and families, cybersecurity education should reinforce that protecting information is ultimately about protecting people. Data security is not merely an IT issue. Measurement & Continuous Improvement Help evaluate whether cybersecurity education is actually working. Consider measures such as training participation, knowledge checks, recurring questions, reported suspicious activity, common errors, phishing-awareness results where appropriately authorized, and qualitative feedback. Training Delivered → Understanding → Behavior → Evidence → Learning → Improvement Completion rates alone do not demonstrate security awareness. The question is whether people make better decisions afterward. Qualifications Strong candidates may bring experience in cybersecurity, information security, IT security, cybersecurity education, security awareness, instructional design, technical training, IT, risk management, or related fields. Candidates should demonstrate Strong understanding of foundational cybersecurity concepts. Ability to explain technical concepts to nontechnical audiences. Strong presentation and facilitation skills. Excellent written and verbal communication. Ability to develop engaging educational materials. Patience and an educator's mindset. Strong judgment and attention to accuracy. Ability to collaborate with technical professionals. Understanding of phishing and social-engineering risks. Respect for privacy, confidentiality, and responsible information handling. Ability to receive feedback and continuously improve training. Reliable communication and follow-through. Alignment with MAP's mission and values. Residence in the United States. Preferred Experience Experience with one or more of the following is particularly valuable Cybersecurity awareness programs Security training Phishing education Google Workspace security Instructional design Adult learning Volunteer or nonprofit training Privacy awareness Security communications Cybersecurity workshops Technical education Security certifications or formal cybersecurity education Certifications are welcomed but are not required when a candidate can demonstrate relevant knowledge and strong teaching ability. What Success Looks Like Cybersecurity becomes easier for nontechnical team members to understand. New volunteers receive consistent security education. Training is practical rather than overly theoretical. Team members become better at identifying suspicious activity. People know where and how to report concerns. Security concepts are reinforced throughout the volunteer experience. Different teams receive education appropriate to their responsibilities. Training materials remain current and accessible. PromiseShield receives feedback about where confusion or risk remains. And people increasingly understand that cybersecurity is something they participate in—not something another department handles for them. What You'll Gain This role provides an opportunity to build and deliver cybersecurity education within a growing nonprofit organization. Volunteers can develop experience in security awareness, technical education, instructional design, training facilitation, cybersecurity communications, organizational behavior, and cross-functional security collaboration. The role is particularly well suited to cybersecurity professionals who enjoy teaching or educators who want to apply their skills within cybersecurity. Why This Role Matters Organizations can invest in sophisticated security technology and still remain vulnerable if people do not understand the decisions they make every day. Someone receives an unusual email. Someone is asked to share a document. Someone receives an unexpected login request. Someone makes a mistake. What happens next matters. Cybersecurity education helps people recognize those moments and respond with greater confidence. The strongest security culture is not one where nobody ever makes a mistake. It is one where people know how to recognize risk, ask questions, report concerns, learn, and respond quickly. Volunteer Commitment This is an unpaid volunteer position requiring approximately 5–10 hours per week with a minimum six-month commitment. Consistent participation, preparation, collaboration, and reliable follow-through are essential. Volunteers should provide at least two weeks' notice when ending their service whenever possible. How To Apply Please apply directly through Idealist and submit A current résumé A cover letter describing your interest in cybersecurity education and Mentor A Promise Candidates are encouraged to highlight relevant cybersecurity, IT security, teaching, facilitation, instructional-design, training, or security-awareness experience. At this time, MAP volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, compliance, and programmatic requirements. Make security understandable. Teach people what to notice. Give them opportunities to practice. Build confidence without creating fear. Turn technical knowledge into everyday judgment—and help create an organization where protecting the mission is something everyone knows how to participate in.