Mayfair Community Coordinator

Organization Background

Somos Mayfair was created in 1997 as a place-based, community-led initiative to fight the debilitating effects of poverty in the Mayfair neighborhood of east San Jose. Over the years our work has evolved into the current campaign that we've titled En Nuestras Manos/In Our Hands: a community power building campaign. Our En Nuestras Manos campaign is targeted at closing the third grade reading achievement gap at Cesar Chavez Elementary School by the end of school year 2014-15.

Our campaign is an experiment in community development that is aggressively designed to rely on a network of neighborhood residents to be the primary agents of change that ensures our children succeed in school and our families enjoy health and wellness at home and in the streets of Mayfair. Because this strategy is community-led, our goals are aggressive in timeline; Mayfair residents are tired of the incremental pace and the shallow depth of change.

Our theory of change is based on three interrelated foundations:

• Find the Feeling – Increase the awareness and emotional feelings in the neighborhood of the consequences of high rates of school failure and chronic disease in Mayfair on all aspects of life in our community. Concurrently, raise the fervor for actions we can take individually, as families, and collectively, to lower the rates of school failure and chronic disease;
• Shrink the Change – Break down the path to changes in the community into actions that do not overwhelm people, while leveraging the greatest change with the least effort;
• Change the Climate – Nurture a neighborhood environment that deeply values community activism, school success and family wellness, and raises our collective expectations for these.

Somos Mayfair has been redesigned so that up to 100 Somos trained and certified neighborhood leaders work as a network to deliver 100% of the program strategies of In Our Hands. Consequently, the role of Somos' paid staff changes to one that is focused on recruiting, training and supporting our network of activated Community Promotores (certified peer-to-peer educators and mentors). Our six-week intensive, Promotor University and the year-round follow up trainings certify leaders with core community organizing skills and the ability to deliver evidenced-based, best practices in the areas of early education and family wellness. Upon completion of our training, these grassroots leaders will motivate their neighbors to read, walk, eat, breathe and organize on a daily basis.

The work of our Community Promotor network is focused on the school enrollment zone of Cesar Chavez Elementary School, one of two Alum Rock Union School District elementary schools within the Mayfair neighborhood of east San Jose. The enrollment zone is comprised of 2,000 households; approximately 10,000 residents. Our new partnership with Cesar Chavez School is a new effort to bring aggressive innovation to a public school. Public schools continue to be where most Mayfair children attend school.

The Mayfair Coordinator Position

The Mayfair Coordinator is one of is one of up to six Coordinators who serve as trainers, educators and mentors for up to 100 volunteer community promotoras (Mayfair Promotores). The Mayfair Coordinator is responsible for the initial identification and recruitment of Mayfair residents to participate in Somos Mayfair's leadership development programs. Coordinators deliver the leadership development curriculum and provide individual support to Mayfair promotores in facilitating group and individual work with families in Mayfair. Coordinators also deliver the key messages of the In Our Hands campaign and participate in policy campaigns to secure adoption of local policies. Mayfair Coordinators also contribute to the leadership development of Mayfair promotores through participating in the Community Leadership Coordinating Committee.

Required Qualifications

1. Deep passion and commitment to advancing social justice in immigrant, working class communities;
2. Bilingual/biliterate Spanish-English required;
3. Experience with applying popular education methodology;
4. Experience with community organizing, community leadership development or peer-to-peer service delivery models (ie. Promotor) in working poor, immigrant communities;
5. Computer proficient in MS Word, Excel, Internet and e-mail;
6. Valid California drivers license and proof of auto insurance required;
7. Able to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends;
8. Fingerprint and background check required.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Ability to build rapport with families and to express warmth and empathy;
2. Good interpersonal, communications skills and problem solving skills;
3. Self-motivated, independent worker;
4. Able to interact well with young children and adults;
5. Consistent, high quality analysis and judgment;
6. Commitment to nurturing healthy working relationships and communication;
7. Demonstrated ability to work effectively and flexibly under tight constraints with diverse groups and organizations.
8. Commitment to nurturing healthy working relationships and communication;
9. Knowledge of best practices or experience working in programs related to early childhood development and physical and emotional well-being.
10. Experience in public presentations and group facilitation;
11. Extensive knowledge of community resources;
12. Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with diverse groups and organizations.