Project Coordinator, Middle School STEM Mentoring

Job Title: Project Coordinator, Middle School STEM Mentoring

Organization: Community Resources for Science (CRS) is a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley that helps teachers and scientists work together to bring science learning to life for elementary and middle school students in the Bay Area. We provide information, support, and training for K-8 teachers, and engage hundreds of scientists and engineers from academia and industry in volunteer outreach leading science lessons in schools.

Program Description:

In the Middle School STEM mentoring program, known in Berkeley as “Be a Scientist”, UC Berkeley grad students, post-docs, researchers, and upper division undergrads serve as volunteer mentors, guiding small groups of 7th grade students during their regular science class period. Each student completes a 6- or 7-week assignment to design and carry out an independent science investigation. Volunteers commit to mentoring the same group of students (during the same class period) once a week for the full session. Mentors support each student to choose a scientific question of interest, design and carry out an experiment, collect data, and draw conclusions.

The coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the program, including recruiting and training volunteers, scheduling volunteers, providing in-class support

Project Coordinator Responsibilities:

The Project Coordinator is responsible for effective implementation of Be A Scientist middle school mentoring in Berkeley Unified middle schools. This includes overall operation of the program, including recruitment, training and logistical support for UC Berkeley STEM graduate students and undergrad students who serve as program mentors in keeping with CRS policies and best practices. Position is also responsible for all program scheduling, evaluation and materials management.

Overall responsibilities are as follows:

• Recruit, train, and schedule graduate student and postdoctoral volunteers for middle school STEM mentoring program. Maintain accurate records in the CRS Salesforce data system.
• Recruit and supervise program assistants
• Coordinate with the CRS team to post recruitment flyers/messages and generate online sign up forms for each session.
• Create/Update program materials (training documents, student worksheets, etc.)
• Work with BUSD science teachers to coordinate implementation, materials storage and evaluation of BAS, etc.
• Purchase, track, and distribute materials for student experiments, within budget
• Communicate with volunteers, staff and teachers on regular basis via email
• Provide hands-on classroom support and supervision of mentors and program assistants during volunteer classroom sessions (trouble-shooting experiment ideas, providing and finding materials, etc.)
• Conduct program evaluation
• Document program implementation, including photos, for reporting purposes
• Provide support for BASIS volunteer training as needed and as available
• Assist with special projects as needed

Schedule and payscale:

Part time, Hourly: $28-30 per hour, DOE; typically 30 hours per week. Hours may vary throughout the school year.

Project Coordinator sets the program schedule in collaboration with teacher teams and CRS team, for each 6- or 7-week session, across all BUSD middle schools. Administrative and communications tasks can be done virtually/remotely. Supervision of project and management of materials takes place in school site classrooms, generally 2-3 days per week during school hours, during active mentoring sessions. Must be Bay Area based.

Qualifications

• 2 years experience in managing STEM education program or equivalent science workplace (academic or STEM industry), or science teaching
• Demonstrated effectiveness in working with middle school aged students (for example, science outreach, camp counseling, etc.)
• Demonstrated strong speaking and writing skills
• Ability to manage a classroom of middle school students
• Ability to work independently and be self-directed, and to collaborate on teams
• Ability to lift and carry 25 lbs, stand, walk up stairs. Ability to speak and use computer to generate emails, record data in CRS database, and carry out administrative tasks.
• Must pass required background clearance

Preferred:

• Previous volunteer recruitment, training and management experience

Job requires the ability to travel, and transport materials, to local workplaces and school sites. Access to car preferred. CRS is an equal opportunity employer.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and résumé to community@crscience.org No calls. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.