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Youth Advocacy Specialist

Employer
Cambridge Public Schools
Location
Cambridge, MA, US
Salary
Competitive
Position: Youth Advocacy Specialist (40 hours/11 months)
Office of Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
Overview:
The focus of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (OEIB) will be to provide leadership, coaching and support regarding issues of anti-racism and equity, including issues related to gender, LGBTQ+, and disability. The office will increase coherence and operationalize efforts to become a more actively anti-racist school district and disrupt the barriers to equity and learning. It is important to note that this work requires long-term, multi-generational, and multi-faceted work by all stakeholders at every level, including the School Committee and district, department, and school leadership. There will not be any quick fixes, but collaborative and sustained efforts.

The OEIB will meet regularly with different stakeholder groups, especially with families traditionally relegated to the margins of the education system (caregivers of color, low-income community members, and caregivers of children with learning differences) to restore trust, cultivate alliances, and ensure inclusion.

The Role:
Reporting to the Chief Equity Officer, the Youth Advocacy Specialist will lead the design of youth leadership programming. The Youth Advocacy Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
  • Serve as an advocate and liaison to youth, including:
    • build and support mechanisms that elevate the voices of students of color for input and leadership in key decision-making processes
    • assist in the development of policies and procedures that affirm youth
    • support and serve as a liaison to student organizations, including the Student Advisory Council
    • plan, coordinate, and assess student leadership events, such as the Annual Youth Equity Leadership Summit
  • Co-create a racial healing curriculum that centers the experiences of BIPOC scholars, including:
    • employ Healing-Centered Engagement and address modes of healing, personal and social, building the sense of individual and social agency, and developing the understanding of pathways for social change within the district and as a community
    • Co-plan and co-facilitate professional learning, training, and coaching to all staff on issues related to youth support, leadership, and empowerment, including:
    • restorative justice
    • de-escalation strategies
    • healing centered engagement
  • Track progress on equity-based goals, including:
    • assess student programming and identify barriers that contribute to disproportionate outcomes
    • Develop and recalibrate initiatives that advance equity-based goals
  • Conduct community outreach and partner with community agencies
    • Identify and recruit community and educational partners to host Equity Scholar Leadership Interns to assist OEIB in promoting equity leadership amongst selected CRLS scholar/interns.
Your Skill Set :
As the incoming Youth Advocacy Specialist, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:
  • At least a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
  • At least five (5) years experience as a youth outreach worker, including school counselor or social worker, preferably in an urban community or urban public school district.
  • Experience leading racial equity initiatives in an education-focused social impact organization, public school or school district, or post-secondary institution.
  • Excellent interpersonal, and written and verbal communications and presentation skills. Must be an organized, creative thinker and practical doer, with proven ability to build strong, collaborative and effective professional relationships and achieve results.
  • Reliability and a strong sense of integrity; ability to maintain positive motivation and momentum even in challenging circumstances.
  • Self-starter, driven towards achieving measurable results while effectively generating positive engagement and support among groups.
  • Proven ability to work effectively and flexibly as an individual contributor and collaborative team member.
  • Proven experience in leveraging technology as a tool in driving and supporting equity initiatives.
Cambridge Public Schools is committed to slowing and/or stopping the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as a condition of employment with Cambridge Public Schools, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than their first day of work.

Terms of Employment:
Salary: $72,685 - $83,039 annually. It is a non-union 11 month, 40 hour per week position.

How to Join Our Team:
Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position as well as stating how you heard about this opportunity.

The Cambridge Public Schools is committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.

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