Overview:

Generation Citizen (www.GenerationCitizen.org) is an innovative, quickly scaling non-profit that seeks to ensure that every young person in the United States receives an effective action civics education. Our New York City site, our largest in the country, is focused on improving the impact of our work in the classroom, ensuring that the young people we work with receive a truly transformational action civics experience. We also are focused on our own organizational advocacy and policy efforts, which may include promoting a bill to lower the voting age in NYC.

This position is not for everyone – we have a small but growing team, and we want someone who is hungry to dig into all aspects of this work – from training college students and holding them accountable to high expectations, to conducting classroom observations, to learning about the nitty gritty of NYC public policy, to building relationships with school administrators and meeting with City Council members. We’re an all-hands-on-deck, your-success-is-my-success kind of place. Because there’s a lot to do, there will also be significant opportunities for leadership development and growth. If all of this excites you, then we want to meet you.

About GC:

GC envisions a country of young people working as active and effective citizens to collectively rebuild our American democracy. To achieve this vision, GC works to ensure that every student in the US receives an effective action civics education. We do this by directly engaging schools in action civics while simultaneously building the demand for the concept across the country.

Our innovative core program partners college students with classroom teachers to teach an in-school action civics course which mobilizes teens around issues their own communities are facing. This year, GC is serving nearly 10,000 students across its four sites (Greater Boston, NYC, Rhode Island, and the San Francisco Bay area). Locally, in New York City, GC is empowering more than 2,500 middle and high school students, in partnership with over 30 schools and 125 volunteers from eight college campuses. GC is looking to recruit top talent to effectively run our programs and increase our effectiveness as we prepare to deepen our local impact.

Position Overview:

The primary responsibilities of the New York Program and Advocacy Associate will be to support management of existing GC programming in New York City at both the university and school level, as well as drive GC’s efforts to increase its classroom and advocacy effectiveness in the city. The Program and Advocacy Associate will report to the New York Site Director. The position will be full-time with a start date as early as March or April 2015. Some evenings and weekends will be required

Specific job responsibilities will include:

Develop College Student Talent and Leadership

Support college leaders on outreach and recruitment efforts, ensuring that each campus attracts and retains an increasing number of high-quality Democracy Coaches
Attend chapter meetings on partner campuses and participate in chapter leader calls to provide constructive feedback to GC Chapter Directors
Execute and create new systems and structures to support and develop college volunteers

Develop and Support School Relationships

Establish relationships with school administrators to lay the groundwork for successful and enduring school partnerships
Provide initial and ongoing training and support for classroom teachers to ensure that they can successfully co-teach the action civics course alongside a GC college volunteer
Manage ongoing relationships with program teachers and administrators at assigned schools
Lead school recruitment efforts within assigned neighborhoods

Manage Classroom and Campaign Advocacy

Help develop and provide initial and ongoing advocacy training and support for:

» College volunteers to ensure their own civic growth and their ability to be successful in the classroom;

» College chapter leaders to ensure their own civic growth and their ability to build and strengthen their college chapters

Drive individualized class action plan efficacy via focused support for college volunteers and teachers
Organize and direct the Community Change Fellowship, a ground-breaking summer advocacy internship and leadership development program for GC high school alumni, including coordinating with intern offices, leading weekly workshops, planning a graduation ceremony, and managing ongoing program quality
Cultivate high level relationships across sectors (elected office, on campus, and in community) to further and deepen program impact and project quality
Help shape and steer citywide advocacy campaigns to promote youth civic engagement and build demand for action civics
Coordinate local enrichment opportunities to deepen students’, volunteers’, and teachers’ civic engagement

Support Program Quality and Operations

Conduct regular classroom observations and provide constructive feedback to GC Democracy Coaches and Chapter Directors and support to teachers
Assist with systems of volunteer background checks, volunteer-to-school placement, communication, and data collection to ensure smooth day-to-day program operation and evaluation
Assist with and support execution of NY Civics Day at the end of each semester, in which 200 students present their action projects to community leaders
Collaborate with other program staff to continually improve and contribute to national efforts in order to achieve overall desired program outcomes

Qualifications:

Passion for Generation Citizen’s vision of a democracy in which everyone participates, and a demonstrated belief in the unique potential of college students to help realize this vision
B.A or B.S. degree

Experience supervising, managing, and training volunteers and/or staff
Strong communication skills in order to connect to, engage, and inspire diverse constituencies, including college students, supporters, and school and community partners
Experience leading recruitment, marketing, or organizing efforts on college campuses, with a track record of employing highly strategic and diverse recruitment tactics
Strong organizational and project management skills and high level of attention to detail
Demonstrated ability to respond proactively to adaptive, rapidly changing environments and to navigate challenging situations and relationships with creativity and diplomacy
Ability and excitement to model Generation Citizen’s Core Values: Emphasis on Process, Diverse Relationships, Openmindedness, Systemic Change, and Pragmatic Idealism
Adaptive and entrepreneurial approach: demonstrates flexibility, energy, and initiative in fast-paced, unpredictable, and complex school environments
Self-awareness: has ability to self-direct professional development and performance management in a position that offers a level of operational freedom

The following characteristics are strongly preferred:

In-depth knowledge of the New York City community
1-2 years of relevant work experience
Community organizing and/or legislative campaign experience
Entrepreneurial experience (starting or dramatically growing an organization, group, or movement)
Experience working with middle- or high school-aged youth, in a classroom or community setting

To Apply:

Qualified candidates should send a resume, compelling cover letter telling us why you’re the best fit for the job, and a list of 2-3 references to Jobs@GenerationCitizen.org. Please include “New York Program and Advocacy Associate” in your email subject line.