Opening for Lead Organizer/Program Coordinator
The Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative, a collaboration of Massachusetts Advocates for Children and Harvard Law School, is seeking a Lead Organizer/Program Coordinator to join its small, interdisciplinary, multi-tasking team in helping to foster the trauma-sensitive schools movement. TLPI’s mission is to ensure that children traumatized by exposure to violence and other adverse childhood experiences succeed in school. This full-time position provides an exciting opportunity to broaden and deepen the growing movement among educators and advocates who are creating and advocating for trauma-sensitive schools. The ideal candidate will be committed to work on system change by promoting the creation of trauma-sensitive, safe and supportive learning environments that can improve education outcomes for all students. To read more about our work, go to www.traumasensitiveschools.org
Responsibilities/opportunities:
The Lead Organizer/Program Coordinator will have responsibility for implementing activities designed to engage, support and sustain more schools in creating trauma-sensitive learning environments, and will also participate in advocacy for laws, regulations and policies that support schools to develop trauma-sensitive environments. As a member of the TLPI team, the Lead Organizer/Program Coordinator will participate in the full range of advocacy strategies we engage in: legislative and administrative advocacy; use of the media; research and report writing; and coalition building.
Activities will include the following:
- developing geographically-based networks of educators and advocates engaged in creating trauma-sensitive schools;
- facilitating web-based discussion forums for educators to share their ideas and best practices with each other;
- helping to develop self-teaching modules, based on our publications and supplementary teaching tools, to enable schools to access our expertise;
- managing and updating the TLPI website;
- responding to queries and requests for assistance;
- facilitating on-site and distance training and consultation, including innovative approaches to engage educators in other parts of the country;
7) participating in developing strategies to move forward the implementation of the new Safe and Supportive Schools statute;
8) participating in developing advocacy materials, designed to help schools in Massachusetts engage their school committees to support them in becoming Safe and Supportive Schools; and
9) participating in advocacy campaigns, designed to advance laws, policies and funding streams that enable schools to create trauma-sensitive learning environments.
Qualifications:
Strong interpersonal and relational skills; flexibility, creativity, and a collaborative spirit; ability to work well with a team.
Excellent communication skills: clear and effective writing to various audiences, including website, blogs, social media and other content, e.g., training materials; ability to communicate effectively with educators, advocates, legislators, parents and youth, both individually and in groups; lead meetings; and deliver presentations.
Technologically savvy re the use of electronic advocacy tools, web-based data management, and social media, as well as creative in how to capitalize on these tools to foster the growing trauma-sensitive schools movement.
Outstanding organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks, and to be both detail-oriented and a global thinker.
Experience working with educators and schools; understanding of K-12 public education system and issues facing vulnerable populations.
Experience with coalition-building and engaging in other advocacy strategies described above.
Masters/advanced degree in related field (education, policy, law, social work or other related) and 3 years relevant experience preferred. Bachelor’s degree in related field and 5 years relevant experience considered.
Please mail or email a cover letter and resume to:
Massachusetts Advocates for Children
Attn: Tania Duarte
25 Kingston Street
Boston, MA 02111
tduarte@massadvocates.org
Salary is based on a scale commensurate with experience. MAC is an AA/EO/handicapped accessible employer committed to diversity in its workforce.