Technical Assistance Specialist for Urban/Suburban Community Schools

Afterschool for Children and Teens Now Coalition (ACT Now)

Position Title: Technical Assistance Specialist for Urban/Suburban Community Schools

Location: Illinois

Job Type: Full-Time

Background:

Afterschool for Children and Teens Now Coalition (ACT Now) is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our team as a Community School Specialist.

ACT Now is a diverse coalition that works to ensure that youth have access to quality, affordable youth development programs. We are funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation and are the Statewide Afterschool Network in Illinois, with a counterpart in each of the 50 states. Our primary offices are based in Chicago, Illinois. We support a hybrid work environment and are open to filling this position remotely within the state of Illinois.

Position Summary:

We are hiring a Technical Assistance Specialist for Urban/Suburban Community Schools who will support ACT Now’s work implementing and expanding the community school model of education at schools around the state in urban and suburban locales. This role will provide support to Community School Coordinators and other school and community personnel on the implementation of programs in the four pillars of community schools (expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities; active family and community engagement; integrated student supports; collaborative leadership and practices) as well as pipeline services (early childhood education; post-secondary readiness; workforce preparation). Additionally, this role will track data on specific grant deliverables. The ideal candidate will be highly organized and personable with a passion for whole child development and community engagement.

Please note that this position will require visits to schools and afterschool programs when public health guidelines allow it. The candidate will need to meet all legal requirements for entering these establishments. 

Key Responsibilities:

Program Implementation and Support

• Support schools and their staff with the implementation of the four pillars of the community school model.
• Provide creative guidance and strategic problem-solving to address the individual needs of students and communities.
• Support colleagues in the planning and dissemination of professional development trainings and quarterly meetings to support community school providers regionally.
• Execute in-person site visits at schools during programming.
• Support schools in maintaining high-quality indicators for programming.

Data and System Management

• Maintain systems for equitably collecting and tracking school data.
• Provide support and follow up to schools in their collection of grant-required data.
• Ongoing evaluation of data metrics to determine the success of project implementation.
• Work with external data and evaluation consultants.

Networking and Relationship Building

• Build relationships with a variety of statewide impact groups to improve services at schools.
• Work collaboratively with other internal team members on community school projects.
• Conduct statewide district outreach to spread awareness of the community schools model.
• Support the work of the Statewide Steering Committee.

Additional Duties

• Project timeline organization and implementation.
• Provide administrative support to the ACT Now team as designated by a supervisor.
• Research and develop resources to support program improvement.
• Support ACT Now events.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in child and youth development, education, social work, or a related field.
• Experience in the youth development field (school day, afterschool, early childhood education, etc.).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written).
• Highly organized with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Ability to travel across the state as needed.
• Familiarity with Microsoft and Google Suites.
• Experience interacting and supporting individuals from a variety of backgrounds.
• Equity mindset.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience, or familiarity, with the community school model.
• Experience collecting and analyzing data for compliance metrics.
• Experience working within a nonprofit environment.
• Community organizing experience.
• Familiarity with a learning management system and data management database.
• Experience implementing a federally funded grant program.

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $60,000-$70,000 per year, commensurate with experience. ACT Now is an equal opportunity employer and offers a generous benefits package and paid time off.

Application Process:

Please send a cover letter, resume (with GPA), three references, and two writing samples to Lesley Rivers, ACT Now Director of Community Schools, at riversl@actnowillinois.org. The writing samples should reflect your experience as it relates to the above job responsibilities and can include things such as a professional development training description or outline, a community newsletter, or a program summary. Please include “Technical Assistance Specialist for Urban/Suburban Community Schools” in the subject line and your available start date. This position is open and we will accept applications on a rolling basis until it is filled.

In your cover letter, please address the following:

• What makes you interested in working for ACT Now?
• Any experience working in the youth-serving field, working with schools, or working under the community school model.
• Any experience with compliance monitoring or developing trainings.

ACT Now is an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply and help us create positive changes in education for all children and youth across the state.