Position Summary
The Education Programs Administrative Specialist provides direct admin support of the Education Department, which encompasses the youth and intern programs. Administrative support includes the maintenance of youth/intern required paperwork, the coordination of supplies and deliveries, accurate data collection on program outcomes for internal and external reports, some curricular support and development, and support in coordinating essential functions of the department. The Education Programs Administrative Specialist reports directly to the Assistant Manager of Education Programs.
Within Youth Programs, The Education Programs Administrative Specialist will work closely with youth program instructors, program staff, and collaborating internal departments to assist in the implementation of a 6-week youth summer employment program and 10-week school-year employment program that engages high school aged youth. Youth gain job training experience in sustainable food production and marketing, cooking, nutrition, science, food justice, food system literacy, personal development and leadership education.
Within the UGC Internship Programs, The Education Programs Administrative Specialist will directly collaborate with the Assistant Manager of Education Programs to support the implementation of the internship program, the subsequent tracking of individual intern progress, and program outcomes. Intern programming runs in 10-week cycles, and provides experiential learning opportunities and job training for participants 18+.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:
In-Program Administrative Support; Interns and Youth (60% - 24hrs):
Work closely with program staff to support the administrative implementation of an Urban Agriculture training program for 100+ Chicago teens during the Summer and 30+ teens during the school year (Spring/Fall).
Provide youth/intern recruitment and community partner outreach support.
Maintain accurate and updated contact information for previous program participants through Keela software.
Assist with organizing, preparing, and distributing curriculum books to youth instructors;
Assist in reporting program participant individual and collective learning outcomes;
Assist in reporting overall program impact and outcomes;
Ensure accurate program reporting and recording, tracking attendance, program provider deliverables, youth paperwork, etc.;
Assist in the development of supportive program materials related to curriculum, (ex. worksheets, daily lesson plans, or other teaching resources);
Coordinate transportation for field trips and other Education-related events;
Provide support to instructors regarding enrollment requirements and payment distribution, and assist in directing instructors, youth, and their families to the appropriate resources;
Collaborate with Manager of Education in duties relating to interfacing with families, guardians, and parents for updates to programming, schedules, youth pay information, behavioral updates;
Support alignment of the departmental monthly budgets to program spending;
Support administrative execution of the Internship application, interview and onboarding process;
Support the tracking of intern stipends in collaboration with the Assistant Manager of Education Programs and Finance Department;
Support maintenance of intern performance and progress tracking;
Deliver supplies and materials to program sites;
Support data collection and survey administration within all Education Programs (Youth and Intern);
Ensure accurate and timely data entry in collaboration with other departments and partner organizations;
As needed:
Substitute for teacher educators when needed;
Assist with preparation for Special Events;
Adapt programming for remote learning;
Out-of-Program Administrative Support (30% - 12 hrs):
Maintain accurate inventory of supplies for programs;
Track supplies from ordering, to mailroom, to inventory or program site;
Track administrative compliance with partner contracts, in collaboration with the Assistant Manager of Education Programs;
Support Internship partnership applications in collaboration with the Assistant Manager of Education Programs;
Maintain physical archive of program documents;
Support in file collection and submission for routine audits;
Additional Responsibilities (10% - 4 hrs):
Complete weekly work plan and daily checkouts;
Submit accurate clock in/outs & expense reports via R
Represent UGC in a professional, inclusive and respectful way at meetings and personal social media pages;
Contribute to online newsletters and other communications with UGC members and supporters;
Assist in maintaining consistent social media and web presence; develop & edit media content;
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)
Bachelor’s Degree or high school diploma with 2+ years of relevant experience;
Experience working with providing administrative support to educational programs;
Must have a proven track record with establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with teens, parents, community partners and residents, especially underrepresented communities and communities of color;
Competency working with communities of color and diverse workplace;
Excellent organizational, communication and follow-through skills;
Maintains appropriate professional boundaries in working with co-workers and teens;
Ability to think critically and creatively;
Willingness to work as part of a team in a collaborative environment, but have the ability to work unsupervised to complete the job;
Basic familiarity with Google Workspace & GSuite, and/or willingness to learn;
Must have a passion for food justice, youth development and urban farming;
Required:
Valid Driver’s License and willingness to drive
Able to work weekends.
Familiarity with the following is a plus, but not required:
Cityspan Youth Attendance and Compliance System
After School Matters / DFSS programs
Keela communication software
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions:
The ability to lift up to 50lbs
Frequent travel across the city to youth program sites
Must be willing and able to work in an open-office environment; and outdoors in all weather conditions (hot, humid, rainy, cold)
Position will require some periods of prolonged use of a computer, to be provided by Urban Growers Collective.
Schedule
This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week
5 days / week Tuesday - Saturday; (Schedule will adjust seasonally, M-F between Fall and Spring programs)
Tuesday: 8:30-5:00
Wednesday: 8:30-5:00
Thursday: 8:30-5:00
Friday: 8:30-5:00
Saturday: 8:30-5:00
Breaks: 2 - 20 minute breaks (paid) + 30 minute lunch (unpaid)
Vacation Blackout Dates: June 15 - August 15
Note
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.