Jobs

Community Engagement Associate

Posted on: January 5, 2021 Apply Now
Full-Time Job Nonprofit, Social Justice, & EducationExpires January 30, 2021

Job Description:

Community Engagement Associate

About NYC Kids RISE

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working to expand economic opportunity and equity by providing families, schools, and communities with a way to work together to save for their children’s education. NYC Kids RISE manages the Save for College Program in partnership with the NYC Department of Education and the City of New York. The Save for College Program is a scholarship and savings program designed to make college more accessible and achievable for all NYC public school students, starting with all kindergartners in School District 30 in Queens—regardless of their family’s income or immigration status. By providing upfront scholarships to every student, tools and information for families to develop their own college savings plan, and a platform for communities to save together, the Save for College Program empowers families to begin saving and planning for college from their child’s very first days of school.

NYC Kids RISE launched the Save for College Program in School District 30 in Queens in Fall 2017, the first year of a three-cohort pilot that aims to enroll approximately 10,000 kindergartners. (School District 30 includes the neighborhoods of Astoria, Ditmars, East Elmhurst, Hunter’s Point, Jackson Heights, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside.) Following this pilot, NYC Kids RISE hopes to expand the Save for College Program to all NYC public schools.

Learn more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program at nyckidsrise.org.

Community Engagement Associate

NYC Kids RISE seeks a highly organized, and detail-oriented Community Engagement Associate to join our Parent Foundations team and support the execution of our direct parent engagement strategy. The ideal candidate will engage participating families, help them understand the Save for College Program and its benefits, and support families to complete the foundational steps, with a special focus on understanding savings account options and opening their own savings accounts. Community Engagement Associates will also educate parents about different opportunities to continue to engage with their savings accounts including different ways and moments to save and provide appropriate referrals to supportive services.

Community Engagement Associates should both be familiar with at least one of the District 30 neighborhoods (Astoria, Ditmars, East Elmhurst, Hunter’s Point, Jackson Heights, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside) and have an interest in community-building and working directly with parents/guardians of School District 30 students. Applicants should be bilingual (English & Spanish).

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Becoming fluent in Save for College Program and college savings account materials in order to be able to present this information in a variety of settings, answer parent questions and work 1:1 with parents
  • Conducting direct outreach to participating parents in person, via phone, text and / or email in order to explain the program and engage them to complete the foundational steps
  • Delivering presentations about the Save for College Program and facilitating informational workshops
  • Providing one-on-one navigational and technical support for parents/guardians in viewing their scholarship accounts, opening and linking their own college savings accounts and making deposits;
  • Staffing the NYC Kids RISE Hotline in order to answer the questions of participating parents and other stakeholders as well as help them sign up for workshops and complete key program steps
  • Ensuring timely follow up and excellent customer service to participating parents including appropriate referrals to other services
  • Working on administrative and logical projects that support the execution of the direct parent engagement strategy
  • Providing feedback and generate new ideas for ways that NYC Kids RISE can support parents to understand the program and complete the foundational steps
  • Representing NYC Kids RISE in interactions with a variety of community stakeholders such as school and community based organization partners
  • Completing timely data entry to ensure all interactions with participating parents and other key data points such as workshop attendance and hotline calls are captured in NYC Kids RISE’s database
  • Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, maintaining, and supporting other staff and volunteers to maintain, strict adherence to NYC Kids RISE data security and privacy policies; remaining vigilant on the ways in which NYC Kids RISE can continue to protect Confidential Information (including Student and Family Data); identify vulnerabilities, and proactively problem solve to improve controls and practices; and
  • Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, participating and sharing in the organization’s work to advance racial equity and anti-oppression in the organization’s and program’s operations and practices; proactively identify opportunities to advance the development of an anti-racist organization; share and solicit ongoing feedback and conversations to advance this work.

Qualifications include:

Requirements:

  • Bilingual in Spanish;
  • 1-2 years of related work experience
  • Interest in or previous work experience in financial empowerment and / or college and career readiness
  • Strong oral and/or written communications skills.
  • Proficiency in MS/Google Suite
  • Familiarity with Client Relationship Management databases
  • Proficiency in Zoom / Google Meet / MS Teams or other video meeting technology
  • Availability for some evening, early morning, and weekend events;

Preferred Skills:

  • Ability to lead presentations and / or facilitate workshops / events in English and Spanish
  • Ability to break down complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand in English and Spanish
  • Ability to walk someone through the technical aspects of a registration, enrollment or application process in English and Spanish
  • Ability to lift and transport materials (5 lbs.)
  • Ability to travel throughout District 30 (state and local public health regulations permitting)

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@nyckidsrise.org and list the name of the position, “Community Engagement Associate” in the subject of the email. Salary based on experience.

Apply Now