Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, The Petey Greene Program in Pittsburgh

About Us

Founded in 2008, the Petey Greene Program (PGP) is an educational justice organization that supports the academic goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through high-quality volunteer tutoring programs, while educating volunteers on the injustice manifest in our carceral system. 

We envision a world in which all incarcerated people have access to high-quality academic programs and we strive to inspire our alumni - both students and tutors - to become advocates, and to take on leadership roles that reimagine the criminal legal system. 

The PGP operates the largest multi-state volunteer tutoring program for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Since its founding, the PGP has tutored more than 18,000 students at over 120 tutoring sites, including both correctional facilities and reentry programs. We've trained and placed approximately 4,000 volunteers and recruited from more than 40 partner universities in six states and the District of Columbia.

The PGP is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, but the majority of our 25 employees work in a hybrid arrangement in their respective regions. For more information about the Petey Greene Program and our work, take a look at our 2023 Annual Report.

The Role 

The Volunteer Engagement Coordinator will work with PGP’s Division Manager in Pittsburgh to recruit, train, and manage volunteers participating in PGP’s tutoring programs in prison, jails, diversion and reentry settings in the greater Pittsburgh area. 

At the beginning of a semester, the Volunteer Coordinator will help PGP staff recruit, vet, place, and coordinate the onboarding of volunteers. During the semester they will monitor student and volunteer attendance, working with PGP staff to provide debrief opportunities for volunteers, as well as troubleshoot and offer additional support to tutors when necessary. The Volunteer Coordinator reports to and is supervised by the PGP’s Division Manager in Pittsburgh. 

The position is 15-20 hours per week and may require some evening and weekend hours. The position will be hybrid with a combination of work-from-home days, meeting days or events in the community or at partner sites in and around Pittsburgh, and in-office days at an agreed upon location. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Support PGP staff with developing and maintaining on-campus presences at universities in the Pittsburgh area to meet with and recruit new volunteers
• Support PGP staff with the maintenance of relationships with university contacts to distribute information about the Petey Greene Program to support volunteer recruitment
• Support PGP staff with responding to new applications with next steps
• Vet applications and conduct volunteer interviews, in collaboration with PGP staff
• In collaboration with PGP partner organizations and with support of PGP staff, determine volunteers’ semester tutoring schedule
• Support in the process of getting volunteers cleared to enter the prison or jail where they are assigned to tutor, which includes collecting clearance paperwork, scheduling an orientation, and organizing transportation
• Ensure volunteers complete all onboarding requirements before beginning tutoring and send reminders when necessary
• Coordinate transportation for volunteers  to tutoring sites
• Monitor volunteer attendance forms and follow up with any necessary support or to provide reminders about not submitted attendance forms
• Communicate regularly with volunteers, especially if an incident occurs or a volunteer misses a tutoring session, flagging issues for regional management when appropriate
• Ensure that all volunteers and students complete intake and evaluation forms
• Manage volunteer data, including schedules, attendance, and feedback, through Salesforce
• Respond promptly to emails from volunteers, university faculty and staff, and fellow staff.
• Support the logistics involved with hosting events each semester
• Participate in multiple meetings a week with regional staff and all PGP staff. 

Competencies

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Proficiency in Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Calendar  
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person and via email, text, and phone.  
• Attention to detail and extremely organized.  
• Ability to work independently and with a team.
• Awareness of issues related to mass incarceration and broader educational justice and social justice concerns.
• A commitment to social justice, racial equity, and the rights of formerly incarcerated people
• A commitment to racial equity, and the rights of currently and formerly incarcerated people.

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Familiarity or involvement with Pittsburgh communities. 
• Working knowledge of the people or organizations involved in the Pittsburgh criminal justice or education space. 
• Working knowledge of Pittsburgh university systems, offices, procedures, and resources.
• Experience working with student organizations.  
• Experience working with volunteers, particularly student volunteers or young professionals
• An understanding of the US criminal justice system and local policies. 
• A commitment to education in confined settings.

Compensation

Job Type: Part-time, 15-20 hours per week, $18.50/hour

Ideal Start date

June 24, 2024 or July 8, 2024

How to apply

Please email pittsburghjobs@peteygreene.org with the subject “Pittsburgh Volunteer Engagement Coordinator” and the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover letter (applications without a cover letter will not be considered)

Application deadline: May 17, 2023