Community Organizing and Engagement Coordinator

Community Organizing and Engagement Coordinator

About METCO, Inc.

Founded in 1966, METCO is the largest school desegregation program in the country. It is the commonwealth’s only program designed to address the long standing racial segregation in our public schools. Following the passage of the Racial Imbalance Act in 1966, the METCO program provides the opportunity for children from racially segregated schools in Boston and children from isolated suburban schools to learn together in an integrated public school setting. Throughout its history, METCO has provided students with a strong academic foundation, as well as an environment rich in cultural, educational, ethnic and racial diversity. METCO creates environments where students, parents and teachers of different backgrounds can appreciate diversity, find common ground through shared experiences, build lifelong friendships between diverse students and strive toward the mutual goal of preparing young people to become global citizens. METCO supports 3,300 students annually in 33 participating suburban school districts and 190 public schools.

Community Organizer and Engagement Coordinator General Description

The Community Organizer and Engagement Coordinator develops, supervises, and innovates our youth leadership and civic engagement programming that lead to a deeper community advocacy and involvement. S/he will oversee our BEAT (Boston Equity Action Teams) program where students uncover issues of inequity in their communities and the richness of the local African American community to create student-led, project-based presentations and tours. The Community Organizer and Engagement Coordinator will also conduct outreach, build community, and organize METCO stakeholders (especially parents of current students), supporting them in local grassroots advocacy work and equipping them with skills to become more engaged participants in the suburban school communities of which they are part. Additionally, s/he will implement a variety of programming via METCO Presents, where the METCO community can come together for fun engagement opportunities such as theater, sporting and art events.

Key Responsibilities:

Youth Leadership Development

● Oversee BEAT (Boston Education Activism Teams) by facilitating workshops to teens around leadership, community organizing, and research skills to elevate youth voice and challenge

systems of oppression via final presentations. These could include different modes of expression such as art, dance, writing, digital media, photography, and panel discussions.

● Research and implement best practices in creating safe spaces for racial reconciliation among Black, brown and white students to create and implement these spaces.

● Administration of youth leadership programs including partnership management, recruitment, record keeping, procedures, and evaluations.

Host Community Engagement Events

● Lead Headquarters tours of our exhibit space and Nubian Square sites for relevant parties.

● Oversee METCO Presents calendar, i.e. book shows, events, and artist talks, manage invitations, host events, and provide audience and cost reporting details for funders.

● Develop resources and opportunities for all students, i.e. networking events, job board, graduate school scholarships, “Lunch and Learns” program for current students and alumni, entrepreneurship opportunities, financial planning, and home ownership workshops, etc.

Recruit and support parent leaders and METCO Parent Council

● Recruit, train, and develop parent leaders to foster school engagement, equity advocacy, cross-racial dialogue, and allyship

● Educate interested METCO parents and grassroots leaders on METCO’s history, structure, and strategy via one-on-ones, small groups, tours, and webinars.

● In collaboration with parents, plan events such as conferences, panels, and workshops

● Build positive working relationships with district points of contact, including METCO directors and staff, community leaders, and resident parent activists to identify needs and leadership opportunities

Other Duties

● Support all student services programming as needed, i.e. filling in during short staff days, facilitating direct service programming, occasional flexible evening and weekend schedule, and collaborating with external partners as needed

● Support the creation of resources database and department newsletters

Qualifications and Required Skills:

● Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field required plus 2+ years experience organizing/community engagement/youth development

● This position is 100% in- person

● Work hours will vary including some evenings and weekends for programing needs or events

● Special interest in building power among people of color to fight for social, educational, and economic justice

● Creative thinker, outgoing personality, and ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds

● Ability to effectively use job-related software, especially Salesforce, Google Workspace, email and messaging programs, survey tools, and internet research

● Comfort with fast-paced work environment, adaptability to change, willingness to embrace feedback

● Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, multi-tasker, and ability to meet deadlines

● Solid judgment, decision-making, and problem recognition/resolution skills

● Strong communication skills (written, oral) and frequent communication with supervisor

Must have flexibility with schedule and ability to work some evenings and weekends.

Salary range: $55,000 to $57,500/year plus benefits.

To apply, submit cover letter and resume