buildOn
Full Job Description
Title: Youth Engagement Specialist
Report to: Program Director
Type: Full Time/ Exempt
Location: Bronx, NY
Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday; Monday-Friday outside of the academic year
To Apply: For consideration, please provide your resume and answer the position questions.
Salary: $45,600 – $47,400
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Who We Are*
buildOn is a not-for-profit organization working to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education. We’re not a charity, we’re a movement. In the United States, we run intensive service-learning programs in under-resourced, urban high schools in six major cities. Through these programs, buildOn empowers youth to transform their communities through high-impact service. Over the last 30 years, buildOn has empowered more than 100,000 urban youth to contribute more than 2.6 million hours of service that have touched the lives of more than one million people living below the U.S. poverty line.
Globally, teams of students from buildOn programs fan out across the world to help build schools in the economically poorest countries on the planet. We have now built over 2,079 schools in Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Malawi and Nepal. More than 220,827 children, parents and grandparents attend these schools every day and at least 50% of these buildOn students are girls or women. Community members have organized leadership committees and contributed more than 2.9 million volunteer workdays to build their schools.
Who We Want
buildOn seeks an experienced and committed professional with a demonstrated passion for engaging chronically absent youth in breaking the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through participation in service learning both in school, through remote engagement, and out in the community. A successful Engagement Specialist believes in the capacity of all young people but particularly students who are chronically absent from school and builds on their Constructive Leadership skills so they can grow as individuals and mobilize their peers to join the movement. Constructive Leadership inspires solidarity and unleashes inner courage, grit, empathy and passion for the possible and it can only be ignited through service!
At the same time, the Youth Engagement Specialist embraces the opportunity to bring people together to serve in solidarity to effect positive social change. They are optimistic about the potential of connecting those who might not otherwise have the chance to serve and learn together. This occurs through Immersion programs where donors and students come together to learn about each other, grow their Constructive Leadership skills, and serve the local community side by side. Similarly, this is achieved in the Trek program where students have the opportunity to travel to a buildOn partner country, live with a host family, and serve in solidarity to build a school.
The Youth Engagement Specialist is motivated by achieving student engagement goals as measured by Key Performance Indicators which ensure both the quality and reach of the program. These indicators are essential to ensuring program reach and the ability of the program to have a positive impact for students. The specialist is passionate about engaging youth in service!
What You’ll Do
buildOn seeks an experienced and committed professional with a demonstrated passion for engaging youth in breaking the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through participation in service learning both in school and out in the community. A successful Engagement Specialist believes in the capacity of all young people and builds on their Constructive Leadership skills so they can grow as individuals and mobilize their peers to join the movement. Constructive Leadership inspires solidarity and unleashes inner courage, grit, empathy and passion for the possible and it can only be ignited through service!
At the same time, He/she embraces the opportunity to bring people together to serve in solidarity to effect positive social change. They are optimistic about the potential of connecting those who might not otherwise have the chance to serve and learn together. This occurs through Immersion programs where donors and students come together to learn about each other, grow their Constructive Leadership skills, and serve the local community side by side. Similarly, this is achieved in the Trek program where students have the opportunity to travel to a buildOn partner country, live with a host family, and serve in solidarity to build a school.
The Engagement Specialist is motivated by achieving student engagement goals as measured by Key Performance Indicators which ensure both the quality and reach of the program. These indicators are essential to ensuring program reach and the ability of the program to have a positive impact on students. The specialist is passionate about engaging youth in service!
Core Functions
Student Engagement in Service Learning
In partnership with a local high school, facilitate buildOn IPARD Service-Learning specifically for chronically absent students (50) in the classroom, during in-school suspension (or other interventions designed by the school for students with behavioral challenges), and after school in partnership with teachers, counselors, and administration.
Work in partnership with the school to implement buildOn’s credit recovery and in-school suspension program to engage students in service-learning activities. Partner with the guidance department in order to specifically recruit students who are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days).
Engage students in virtual service, socially/physically distant service, and direct service depending on CDC and local guidelines. (Proper training and PPE will be provided).
Utilize a mix of in-person interactions and digital tools which will include but are not limited to social media (such as Instagram), virtual meeting platforms (such as Google Meet or Zoom), and learning platforms such as Google classroom.
Recruit and support students for Immersions to serve in solidarity with donors (36 Hours, Partnership Program, and Digital Immersions) and Trek (an opportunity for students to travel to the developing world to help build a school).
Partner with the Digital Community Organizer to grow student participation using peer-to-peer recruitment and by using a suite of online and digital tools.
In coordination with the Digital Community Organizer, help manage the school-based social media channels such as a school-based Instagram account.
Achievement of KPI Focuses & Data-Driven Decisions
Use the Salesforce platform to enter engagement data in a timely fashion and use tools and analytics to drive tactics for expanding the reach and engaging more students in service.
Meet student recruitment goals for participation in Immersion activities with buildOn stakeholders.
Constructive Leadership
Serve as the adult facilitator for the school-based Leadership Committee which will inform school-based events and service-learning projects.
Incorporate opportunities for young people to lead in each part of IPARD.
Work with the regional team to run the Summer Leadership Institute.
Relationship Building
Establish, develop, and maintain strategic partnerships with school advisors and counselors, administrators, faculty, support staff, parents and local community partners. Work in partnership with the school to implement buildOn’s credit recovery and in-school suspension program through participation in service-learning activities.
Provide outreach to parents/guardians and gain their support for engaging students in service-learning.
Establish relationships with partner organizations to connect students to needed services that are outside of buildOn’s scope.
One buildOn
Support collaboration with other departments, such as Development, Marketing, Global, Finance, and HR to meet organizational goals, such as fund development and elevating student voice, to work as ONE buildOn.
Work collaboratively with Marketing to elevate students’ voices and identify students who can demonstrate the transformational impact of service learning.
Support the planning and execution of all regional events, including Service Kick Off, Citywide Service, Celebrate buildOn! and other large-scale events.
Manage school budget and personal expense report.
What You Bring
Personal commitment to buildOn’s mission – the power of service to change lives, communities, and the world and commitment to buildOn’s core values of empowerment, responsibility, and compassion.
buildOn Alumni preferred (indicate buildOn Alumni status in the application, if applicable).
Extensive experience living and/or working in underserved communities. Commitment to creating programs for youth that are empowering and antiracist.
2+ years experience and passion for engaging students who are chronically absent and/or experiencing behavioral challenges. Belief in the transformative power of service.
Ability to work cooperatively and responsibly as a member of a team with colleagues extending into the school community. Willingness to take initiative in co-developing and implementing new service-learning initiatives in partnership with the school. Demonstrated skills as a teacher/facilitator or experience working side-by-side with teachers/facilitators, particularly implementing service-learning projects.
Demonstrated use of a mix of in-person interactions and digital tools which will include but are not limited to social media (such as Instagram), virtual meeting platforms (such as Google Meet or Zoom), and learning platforms such as Google classroom.
Ability and or willingness to learn the use of new technology to implement programs.
Experience harnessing the power of students to address systemic issues and make meaningful and lasting changes in their own lives, the community, and the world through service learning.
Knowledge of the systemic issues that inhibit the growth of communities and a strong desire to develop youth so they can be the drivers of positive social change through service.
Experience and commitment to data-driven or evidence-based practices regarding working with chronically absent students. Driven to achieve goals
Organized and disciplined with time to effectively accomplish multiple projects simultaneously.
Functional knowledge of regional school district(s) and educational and nonprofit landscape.
Relevant educational background (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience).
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What We Offer*
Generous time off policy which includes paid vacation personal days and sick days along with a paid summer and end-of-year shutdown week.
100% insurance premium paid for medical, dental and vision along with subsidized deductibles.
Up to $50 in cell phone expense reimbursement
Opportunities for advancement.
Annual performance reviews with merit increases.
403 (b) retirement plan with an employer match.
Pre-tax benefits (Commuter, FSA and Dependent Care accounts).
Professional development opportunities.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
buildOn is committed to building and maintaining an inclusive environment that drives innovation, strengthens ONE buildOn and bolsters a culture where people truly feel valued, heard and respected. buildOn provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, amnesty, or veteran status.
To learn more about buildOn, please visit our website at www.buildOn.org.
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Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $38,300.00 – $43,200.00 per year
