As an education designer, I help families discover, sort, select and leverage the education options that will lead to the most thrilling and fulfilling opportunities in the 21st-century global economy. Education design goes far beyond school choice and college admissions--it's much more about engaging parents and students in a creative and eye-opening process that reveals the greatest natural talents and interests of the young individual.

EDUCATION | I have a B.S. in Asian Studies/Psychology. I spent my senior year of college studying in nine different Asian countries. Shortly after I returned to the United States, I got a job as an English teacher in rural Japan--and stayed for five years! I've been an ESL teacher, I owned a retail store for several years, I run my own consulting business, have published an online newsletter with thousands of subscribers in over 100 countries, and worked with clients all over the world before focusing on helping U.S. families. Most important is the fact that I love to learn--and I love helping my clients get excited about learning, too!

HOW TO GET STARTED | The great thing is that it is brand new and there aren't any certification programs yet (though I am developing one). An education designer needs to be trained either by me or by someone I have trained, and then they must go through a mentoring period during which all work with clients is monitored. To be an education designer, you need at least a bachelor's degree, extensive experience studying/traveling/working/volunteering abroad, competency in working online and using various internet tools, and a passion for preparing students for the fast-changing global economy no matter where they might choose to live. The methodology is fairly straightforward, but the work requires a creative, compassionate person who is willing to look at education in new ways in order to help families find their best options.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Flexibility, compassion, great listening skills, and an ability to really understand both the parents' concerns and limiting beliefs and the student's natural gifts and inclinations. You need to be very good at brainstorming, eliciting ideas from others and ensuring that they remain open to all kinds of possible directions. There's definitely a bit of cheerleading involved! It's also important not to micromanage---it's not the education designer's job to research schools or programs! The goal is to get families fired up and allow the students to take the reins. And once that happens, it's amazing where they can go!

how I got started | Actually, I created the whole concept of education design, based on ten years as an ESL teacher (both in the U.S. and abroad), ten years as a creative mindfulness trainer for parents, business leaders, and community activists around the world, living abroad with my family in three countries, and shepherding my own four daughters through high school and college in nontraditional ways. In addition to my work with clients, I train others to become education designers. Smart Education Design is my signature game-changing approach to global education, but education design in general can be adapted to meet the needs of a wide range of students. And it's certainly not about boosting test scores or writing that perfect college essay, either---in fact, education design allows students to blast far ahead of their test-crazed peers. Many students I work with begin taking college classes while in high school, glide right into university without the angst of the traditional admissions process, and even graduate with a B.A. or B.S. at the age of 19 or 20--with no debt! Most people don't know that's even possible. This process gives them the clarity to see the creative, low-cost options that can make a world of difference in their education and their lives. It's personal, direct, inexpensive, and leads to almost immediate improvements in student success (and happiness!) We rarely ask our students the right questions---or any questions at all---about what really appeals to them. Sometimes kids end up doing activities (often for years!) that they simply signed up for at the age of six because their friends did the same thing. So what a student does in high school is not necessarily a good indicator of his best choices for learning and thriving. Education design relies upon the innate creativity and passion in each student to guide the process of selecting learning opportunities that develop his skills and traits. It's a truly rewarding experience for everyone!

why this job?| After living abroad and seeing how the world was changing--and how the U.S. education system seemed locked into an outdated approach to preparing kids for their future--it became really important to me to develop a system that parents and students can use on their own to get a great global education that doesn't cost a fortune. They don't have time to wait for education reform--they need to take matters into their own hands!

why I love this job!| I love witnessing the epiphanies--those wonderful moments when a student realizes she can actually pursue the interest she has been too afraid to explore, or when a parent is so filled with relief to learn about the fantastic and very affordable college options that won't require sleepless nights, second mortgages and years of debt for themselves or their kids.

my typical day| There is no typical day, really, because I do a lot of writing on the topic of education design, engage in outreach activities, get interviewed for publications, and of course, work with parents and students---entirely by phone, email and instant message as I currently live in Argentina and all of my clients/trainees are in the United States!

what they are | I think the biggest challenge is the mindset that there's only one way to get a "good" education in the United States. The reality is that we are no longer locked into the old place-based model of education--we can learn online, collaborate virtually, or study abroad. In addition, clinging to the traditional four-by-four model (four years of high school, then four years of college) is extremely limiting.

all about growth | It's wide open! Families are so exhausted and disheartened by the crazed college-prep process. They're really ready for a new approach! My forthcoming book, The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education (Crown/Three Rivers, May 2009) will introduce people to the basic concepts of education design, and as more people become aware of the full range of options out there, they will want to try new ways to prepare for college and beyond. The future looks very, very bright!

my website| http://www.mayafrost.com