Coordinator for Advocacy and Community Voice (Innovation & Justice)

GODDARD RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER•New York, NY

17d•$60,000 - $60,000

About The Position

Goddard Riverside Community Center is a well-established community-based agency with an annual operating budget of approximately $95 million and serving 22,000 New Yorkers annually. Goddard Riverside is one of New York City’s leading human service organizations with a mission to strive for a fair and just society where all people can make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families. The Innovation and Justice Department (INJ) promotes learning and leadership throughout the organization and among community members. #DegreesNYC as an arm of INJ is a data-informed collective impact movement co-led with young people to achieve education equity in NYC. #DegreesNYC grew out of the counseling and training programs of the Goddard Options Center to address systemic barriers to racial and income inequities in the education pipeline to and through college and in 2020 #DegreesNYC launched its Youth Council. The goals of #DegreesNYC is that 60% of each racial and income group in NYC will have quality postsecondary credentials. #DegreesNYC operates through a vast web of coordinated councils, task forces and working groups. As a settlement house, Goddard seeks to change community and societal conditions to create just pathways to self-sufficiency, thriving and growth. The purpose of this newly created position is to strengthen our impact by identifying and convening community leaders and partners towards purposeful change that promotes thriving for residents of all ages. The Coordinator of Advocacy and Community Voice will work primarily with #DegreesNYC and the community of Amsterdam Houses and the Addition; the Coordinator will also support activities across the organization to promote voice and leadership by community members. #DegreesNYC is the primary driver of Goddard Riverside’s educational equity agenda. Our Co-Coordinators play a pivotal role in nurturing and empowering the next generation of NYC’s youth leaders. The role of the -Coordinator is to provide comprehensive training, tailored curriculums, and guide youth fellows through the planning and execution of projects related to #DegreesNYC’s policy priorities. The Co-Coordinator for Advocacy will be responsible for monitoring projects related to advocacy, qualitative data, and policy. They will meet weekly with the Advocacy Fellows and will provide 1:1 supervision. The Coordinator for Advocacy will also work with the Co-Coordinator for Data and Research to co-lead the Youth Council in collecting and consolidating qualitative and quantitative data for their projects. The Co-Coordinators also engage in coalition-building efforts and facilitate youth-led call-to-actions to mobilize education advocates and practitioners. This role presents a unique opportunity for Co-Coordinators to effect tangible change within New York City's education systems, collaborating with youth from diverse backgrounds across the metropolis. Amsterdam Houses and the Addition are a campus of public housing that is a focus of multigenerational programs offered by Goddard and a new community organizing initiative to impact community factors that promote resident thriving. Purpose: This position advances Goddard’s “case to cause’ approach to solving root causes of individual issues through building relationships with community members, convening them in purpose-driven meetings to develop a collective agenda for change and strategies, and to develop leadership among community members. This is a community organizing job with a social change focus that will create a mechanism for residents to identify common concerns and build community power. In addition, as a steward of the #DegreesNYC Youth Council, the Coordinator helps to shape its vision and trajectory. Directly accountable to the Deputy Director of #DegreesNYC, they oversee a team of up to five Youth Leads, driving the expansion and influence of the Youth Council. Their responsibilities encompass developing the Youth Council’s strategy, expanding its membership, and organizing outreach efforts. They are also responsible for managing the communications, data collection, events, and advocacy initiatives of the Youth Council. Additionally, they will support fundraising endeavors and contribute to #DegreesNYC’s data-driven approach. Engaging both locally and nationally, they actively participate in advocacy meetings and wider Goddard Riverside community engagements, ensuring the Youth Council's voice resonates within broader spheres of influence.

Requirements

Graduate of NYC school (high school or college)
Experience in the #DegreesNYC Youth Council or other youth-led advocacy efforts or a background in youth organizing, community organizing or education justice
Experience with design software such as Photoshop/Canva; willingness to learn required
Able to learn and manage online platforms, websites and apps
Demonstrated commitment to education equity and community empowerment
Commitment to collective impact, youth voice and leadership, and data-informed approaches
Demonstrated experience in being diligent, creative, and proactive when designing advocacy initiatives
Facilitation and communication skills
Demonstrated facilitation and convening experience
Demonstrated experience working with youth development principles, especially youth leadership
Strong collaborative skills
Strong speaking, writing, and presentation skills
Working knowledge of technology Computer
Able to conduct community outreach and attend meetings in various locations.

Responsibilities

Facilitate systems innovation and opportunities to increase community members’ ability to make positive change happen
Ensure regular systems for communication among relevant Goddard Riverside staff, within the Amsterdam Houses/Amsterdam Addition development and among residents.
Set the vision and direction for #DegreesNYC Youth Council
Provide leadership for youth advocacy responses to inequitable education systems Lead the development and maintenance of the #DegreesNYC policy agenda
Provide supervision and personalized support to the Advocacy fellows and communicate team goals in a constructive manner
Oversee event planning and follow-up
Oversee the building of relationships with other youth and advocacy organizations
Participate on #DegreesNYC Task Forces, Work Groups and Committees as needed
Support fundraising and building a data-informed culture
Support an environment that promotes collaborative relationships between #DegreesNYC and Goddard Riverside as a whole
Actively represent #DegreesNYC and the #DegreesNYC Youth Council in the field, including serving on outside committees, presenting at conferences, and participating in advocacy efforts
Collaborate closely with the Goddard’s President and key program leaders, the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships and informal and formal resident leaders
Build relationships with formal and informal leaders of the Amsterdam Houses development
Conduct outreach to tenants, participate with programs in outreach efforts
Collaborate with program leaders, staff and the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships to cultivate strength-based relationships with residents
Elevate community issues and support efforts to raise issues in collaboration with colleagues
Identify with colleagues potential members for an Advisory Council
Form and coordinate an advisory council of residents and key partners with the purpose of elevating voice, developing trust and amplifying community voice
Support coordination of the West Side NYCHA leader meetings
Work in collaboration with the research intern to support research and Participatory Action Research Project