I am writing to you regarding a special opportunity for graduate students interested in working in some of Chicago’s most vibrant but under-resourced communities. The Egan Office needs five to six graduate students to fill School-Community Coordinator positions for 2019-20. These Coordinators are based in communities and serve as connectors—communities to resources, people to people, institutions and organizations to community, and communities to other communities. Former School Community Coordinators have described their experiences in communities as unique, highly fulfilling and invaluable in determining their professional and personal goals. Spanish speakers are especially needed in several communities!
Graduate students who have a passion for equity and social justice in communities will gain experience and skills in areas such as asset-based community engagement; countering inequity; an anti-bias approach to community building, organizing and development; institutional and systems change; education policy and practice in the context of community; parent/family/women’s leadership in communities; public policy and financing; the intersection of gentrification and segregation in housing and schools; the sustainable neighborhood community school model; and more.
Please post and share the attached flyer widely. If you know of a graduate student(s) who would benefit from such an experience, please encourage them to apply and contact me directly. The enclosed job description contains more details.
As always, we appreciate your ongoing support of our work in Chicago communities!
In solidarity!
Lourdes
Lourdes Mercedes Sullivan,
Assistant Director
Egan Center for Urban Education and
Community Partnerships
Student Center, Room 306
(773) 325-8963 (office)
(773) 953-0474 (cell)
The Egan Office
for
Urban Education and Community Partnerships
at the Steans Center for Community-based
Service Learning
JOB DESCRIPTION
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Title:
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School-Community
Coordinator
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Campus:
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Lincoln Park/Off-Campus
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Starting
Salary:
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$14.00 - $15.00
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Hours:
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25 hours per week
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Schedule:
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Mostly daytime hours; some evening &
weekend work
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Position
Starts:
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Early-August through June, 2020; must be
available to work for the entire 2019-20 school year
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Commitment:
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Two or more years of commitment to the
position highly preferred.
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Other
Requirements:
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Availability to attend weekly mandatory
staff meetings (day to be determined) and tutor meetings (held on Fridays
from 10:00-12:00).
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About The Egan Office: The Egan Office
believes that schools are important community institutions that can contribute
to and benefit from an asset-based approach to community building and
development. The Egan School-Community Coordinator is a community service work-study position
for graduate students to serve in Chicago’s most under-resourced schools by facilitating
sustainable partnership development and resource acquisition, and providing
oversight and support to DePaul tutors assigned to the school.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Egan
School-Community Coordinators
work with Egan Office staff to promote understanding of and commitment to the
social justice vision, mission and operational principles of what we call the
“Egan Way” through modeling and through development of opportunities for study,
reflection, dialogue, and praxis. In schools, school-community coordinators are
key in developing positive, sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships among
school, community and university partners. Schools are viewed systemically and
are always understood within the context of their community and its
development.
Egan School-Community Coordinators have four primary roles: (1) Promote
an asset-based approach to identifying community resources—developing
relationships; facilitating sustainable partnerships and promoting collective work
on community-defined goals; (2) connecting school partners with university and
community resources and; and; (3) supporting the work and learning of a team of
DePaul undergraduates who work within the schools; and, (4) assisting in
planning, monitoring and implementing various program components and projects.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
I.
Promoting
an Asset-based Approach to School-Community Development: (4-5 hours per week)
a.
Become immersed in the asset-based approach to
community development and other critical theories and principles of the “Egan
Way” through participation in regular professional development opportunities; through
self-education (ongoing reading, discussion, etc.); and through praxis—ongoing
practice using those models and principles and regular reflection on the
efficacy of the practices and the need for ongoing improvement.
b.
Facilitate the implementation of a preliminary
and ongoing asset-mapping process both within the school and within the
community
c.
Develop strong knowledge of community and
university resources by identifying and building relationships with diverse
peoples, implementing asset-mapping strategies and doing research to better
understand the unique history, assets and needs of your school and its
community
d.
Collect and analyze data and key documents on
both the school partner and the community
e.
Document all interactions, resources identified,
and other observations and reflect in dialogue with others on how they may
contribute within the school and community
f.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with
people from all constituent groups (principals/
administration, teachers, students, parents, community residents and leaders, and
school staff) through on-site participation in school and community meetings
and timely communication, in order to effectively learn about the community’s
and school’s strengths, goals and needs and build mutual trust
g.
Promote relationship–building among all
stakeholders by ensuring that people have opportunities to get to know and work
with each other; by eliminating any obstacles to participation; and by both
formal and informal training, coaching and networking with others
h.
Promote the development of effective groups,
associations and councils that determine their own agendas, purposes, goals,
vision/mission, principles and practices
i.
Ensure inclusive participation of all
stakeholders having their voices heard in planning, decision-making,
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of partnerships, programs and
projects
j.
Other specialized practices as needed.
II. Partnership Facilitation (4-5 hours per
week): In collaboration with school and community partners,
- Provide consultation,
modeling and facilitate training among diverse constituents to build
inclusive and effective partnerships committed to school and community
development
- Ensure that all of the
components of our work are carried out in a respectful, reciprocal,
sustainable and highly professional manner that adds value and addresses
real school and community needs
- Develop strong knowledge
of community and university resources, build relationships and facilitate
partnerships
- Provide support for all community
and school constituents (especially those that are most disenfranchised)
to identify and use their own strengths/assets, set their own goals and
priorities, and direct the processes involved.
III. Support for Team of Tutor-Mentors (8-10
hours):
a. Manage
the relationships among school partners, community partners, Egan tutor-mentors
and other DePaul staff by ensuring excellent communication, problem-solving and
by taking initiative to address the needs of all stakeholders
b. Serve
as the on-site supervisor for Egan tutor-mentors and reinforce high levels of professionalism
and excellence in tutoring and mentoring through individual coaching, knowledge
and resource sharing and mutual support
c. Assist
in developing and facilitating Egan staff and program meetings and events
including weekly school-community coordinator meetings, planning and
facilitating weekly tutor meetings and attending ad hoc meetings as needed
d. Assist
in developing and implementing professional development and other learning
opportunities for the purposes of community-building, reflection, and
discussion about social justice issues and practices
e. Support
students in balancing work, study and other responsibilities and intervene with
information and referrals to additional resources whenever necessary
f.
Promote community-building and a safe space for
dialogue among tutors and among all Egan staff.
g. Maintain
administrative policies and procedures as needed including assisting with
attendance monitoring, performance assessment and implementation of student
employee disciplinary procedures
h. Assist
with on campus student recruitment, hiring and onboarding activities as needed
IV. Program Planning and Development (5-9
hours):
a. Contribute
to ongoing & long-term program planning, implementation, monitoring and
assessment of Egan programs and initiatives
b. Communicate
and collaborate effectively with Egan, Steans Center and other University staff
c. Effectively
document, file and share program updates on progress, successes and challenges
in your work and contribute to data gathering and reporting
d. Contribute
to scholarship and publicity about our school-based efforts, Egan and the
Steans Center
e. Serve
on special committees or task forces to accomplish short terms goals, initiate
new projects and other needs.
V. Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:
a.
Must be federal work-study eligible. Please contact DePaul Central to make
sure you are eligible.
b.
Graduate student with graduate level work in
education &/or social justice related field preferred
c.
Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to
equity and social justice in schools and/or community
d.
Evidence of ability to learn from and develop
positive relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
e.
Must be able to work well both independently and
as a team member
f.
Evidence of excellent written/verbal
communication skills, problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills
g.
Demonstrated evidence of flexibility, creativity
and overall professional demeanor including timeliness, organizational skills,
taking initiative, and excellent attendance and follow-through
h.
Experience working with schools and/or
community-based organizations preferred
i.
Experience working with, leading and/or supervising
college students preferred
j.
Experience with schools, tutoring, literacy, community-building,
community organizing, program development and/or child development preferred
k.
Must be willing to use public transportation as
necessary; current driver’s license and willingness to drive a personal vehicle
and/or a University van preferred
l.
Ability to use Microsoft Office Word, Outlook,
& PowerPoint and familiarity with social media preferred.
To apply, please visit the Campus Job
Board.
For more information, please contact Sol
Logsdon at slogsdon@depaul.edu.
Hiring NOW for 2019-20!
Graduate Student
Positions
The Egan Office of
Urban Education and Community Partnerships offers community-based positions for
graduate students interested in careers in community
work and/or the public or nonprofit sectors.
Depending on the length of your graduate program, positions may last for
several years giving you an opportunity to become truly immersed in a specific
community! Both PhD and Master’s
students are welcome to apply. Scholarships and
work-study jobs are available. Starting compensation is equivalent to $14 to
$16 per hour.
Graduate students engage in
and learn from by working directly with people who live and work in under-resourced
communities in their efforts toward sustainable, transformative change and
equity for all. Among the skills and knowledge students can gain are the
following:
Ø Community-building, organizing & planning…
Ø Asset-based community development…
Ø Relationship- and network-building…
Ø Building & sustaining strong partnerships…
Ø Supporting grassroots leaders…
Ø Using community funds of knowledge…
Ø Restorative practices in communities, schools and as
alternatives to incarceration…
Ø Collaborative leadership, shared decision-making and co-management…
Ø Coalition-building across group differences...
Ø Program
development & event planning
Program
development & event planning
Ø Accessing & using community profiles and data…
Ø Participatory action research
Ø Identifying and acquiring needed resources…
Ø Power analysis in schools, institutions & communities…
Ø Impact analysis of policies and practices…
Ø Addressing bias based on race, gender, sexuality, religion,
language, culture, etc. …
Ø Addressing bias within yourself and others…
Ø Understanding educational policy & practice in the
context of community…
For more information: Lourdes Sullivan: lsulli17@depaul.edu Come visit us in the Student Center, Room 306
or online at steans.depaul.edu/egan
