THE OPPORTUNITY
Ella Baker Institute (EBI) lives through the wisdom of our namesake: “Give light and people will find the way.” In honor of Ella Baker’s enduring legacy, EBI was created to provide community-responsive learning experiences centered on catalyzing leadership development and community well-being. To support the continued success of our flagship program, Young People’s Leadership Cooperative (YPLC), we are looking for a Program Director to join our team.
ABOUT EBI
EBI’s vision is that education can serve as a connective force to cultivate community well-being and development. In service of our vision, EBI’s mission is to provide community-responsive learning experiences where young people lead and communities gain the holistic supports they need to thrive as radical change-makers in their communities and beyond. We make this happen by focusing on three groups: Black and Brown marginalized youth, social impact organizations, and historically underserved Black and Brown communities.
With the ideals of collective and values-based leadership, we center the following in all we do:
- Love humanizes our work and fuels us to build upon our ancestors’ legacies
- Trust creates the psychological safety necessary to center and amplify youth voice
- Innovation helps us center our creative genius in all we do
- Sustainability helps us honor Nature and our need for collective well-being to sustain our work together
- Interconnectedness reminds us that we need each other to make lasting community change
ABOUT YPLC
YPLC is an afterschool program grounded in the three R's of community-responsive pedagogy: relationships, relevance and responsibility. In this way, young people lead the way toward building critical consciousness while strengthening their self-concept, and positively impacting their own communities. To accomplish this, young people engage youth-led participatory action research () to identify challenges in their community, investigate those challenges, and implement solutions for greater community well-being.
Through funding and partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), this role will oversee programming at l located at 820 Hancock Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233. Activities and content areas for programming will include:
- Academic Support (homework help)
- Literacy and STEAM
- Physical Activity + Healthy Living
- Social Emotional Learning
- Introduction to College and Career Readiness
- Leadership and Life Skills Development
YPLC PROGRAM DIRECTOR POSITION SUMMARY
In this full-time role, you will join an amazing team of dedicated and passionate leaders. In primary partnership with our Head of Educational Impact, the Program Director (PD) will oversee YPLC’s smooth operation at PS 005. In alignment with EBI’s core values, mission and vision, the leader in this role will be responsible for the overall implementation of YPLC and serve as the liaison between school sites and EBI’s servant leadership team (SLT). The PD will support the team of Navigators (i.e., Activity Specialists) and maintain strong family/caregiver and community relationships on behalf of EBI. Additionally, the PD will play a huge part in capturing the story of the YPLC journey in collaboration with EBI’s Head of Partnerships + Sustainability.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR ROLES + RESPONSIBILITIES
The primary responsibilities of YPLC’s PD role include but are not limited to the following three areas:
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- Direct program logistics and activities at the school site level
- Uphold safety procedures, policies and guidelines for youth and program staff
- Organize curriculum in concert with Director of Learning + Unlearning
- Serve as primary point person for YPLC Facilitators
- Collaborate with the Head of Educational Impact to iterate on program structure, activities, goals, etc.
- Support the Program staff by providing curricular support and resources to ensure the delivery of content and attainment of program outcomes
- Provide support to Program staff as it pertains to instructional best practices for successful implementation
- Coordinate with the Head of Organizational Well-Being to manage program budget and staff development processes
- Regularly attend and occasionally lead team meetings and professional development sessions
STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT
- Serve as primary liaison between EBI and school site staff and leadership
- Partner with and work closely with host schools’ liaison or schools’ leadership team(s)
- With a culturally responsive approach, serve as primary contact for parents/caregivers
- Serve as a point person with community partners, invited speakers, workshop leaders, etc.
- Identify, develop, and maintain positive relationships within the school and surrounding community
PROGRAM EVALUATION
- Perform observations to formally and informally evaluate progress toward programmatic goals set with the Head of Educational Impact
- Collaborate with Head of Educational Impact to ensure integrity in data collection procedures
- Collaborate with Head of Educational Impact and Head of Organizational Well-Being to craft programmatic reports
WHO YOU ARE
You are a seasoned program leader with particular expertise and/or demonstrated passion for working with Black and Brown young people through identity-affirming programming. You are a leader in your own right, with a collectivist mindset and a can-do spirit; that is, you live by the adage: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” You are skilled in culturally responsive curriculum, relationship-building and successfully managing competing priorities. You are passionate about building equity and cultivating wellness in Black and Brown communities, particularly among young people. You also have experience working with diverse populations, including students with disabilities and multi-lingual students.
You are not afraid to take initiative and you are able to manage and resolve conflict with superb problem-solving skills. You have strong written and verbal communication skills. You excel in managing resources effectively, working autonomously yet collaboratively, and taking a motivational approach to supporting a team. You have competency with Microsoft and Google suite applications.
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
You hold an associate’s degree in child development, elementary education, physical education, recreation, or a related field (Bachelor’s degree or higher is preferred). You have a minimum of three years of direct experience working in youth development with children less than 13 years of age, including at least one year in a supervisory capacity in a childcare program or related field of work.
COMPENSATION
EBI offers a full-time salary rate of $75k - $90k, commensurate with experience.
JOIN US
To apply for this role, SUBMIT YOUR RESUME VIA THIS FORM: www.bit.ly/pdwithebi
Be prepared to answer the following questions on the form:
- What are the top three values that drive you and how do they show up in your work?
- What is your approach to leading diverse teams? (Note: Diverse includes race, gender, ethnicity, talent, experience, skills, etc.)
- What is your approach to working with young people and their families from diverse backgrounds (race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc)?
- What are your long-term aspirations as it pertains to working in the youth development space?
EEO Statement: While we prefer candidates who reside in Central Brooklyn, the Ella Baker Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Please note that all candidates invited to join the team will be subject to a background check.
Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
