Odyssey Junior Coordinator

Universities of Wisconsin•Madison, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The award-winning, multi-generational UW Odyssey Project is a UW-Madison program housed within the Division of Continuing Studies. Through free access to education, Odyssey takes a whole family approach to breaking cycles of generational poverty while focusing on giving adult and youth learners a voice, increasing participants’ confidence in reading, writing, and speaking, and creating a supportive community for students as they continue on their educational journeys. About to complete its 23rd year, this inspirational project has empowered low-income adults to overcome adversity and achieve their dreams by getting a jump start at earning college degrees they never thought possible. Some graduates of the program have journeyed from homelessness to UW-Madison degrees, or from incarceration to meaningful work in the community. Odyssey consists of five programs serving adults and their children, held at the UW South Madison Partnership Space and in several correctional facilities across the state. ABOUT ODYSSEY JUNIOR: While their parents are in class, over 50 children of Odyssey students, ages newborn-18, participate in one of our five Odyssey Junior classrooms: Baby Badgers (newborn - 2), Scouts (2-4k), Explorers (K-3rd), Voyagers (4th-7th), and Teens (8th-12th). Recognizing that breaking the cycle of generational poverty involves whole families, we support children in self-expression and literacy through a variety of forms, including visual arts, reading, writing, speaking, music, and movement.

Requirements

Ability to work Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-8pm during the academic year
Experience working in youth programming or a relevant degree
Experience working with racially diverse and low income groups
Demonstrated cultural humility
Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
Demonstrated ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances
Strong skills in Microsoft (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Google (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle
Ability to lift 30 lbs

Nice To Haves

Lived experience related to Odyssey’s mission
Experience with event planning
Experience with volunteer coordination
Experience with youth curriculum development
Excellent problem solving and independent decision-making skills
Knowledge of simple design software (Canva, Wordpress) to create promotional materials, social media content, and website updates

Responsibilities

Support Monday and Wednesday evening programming, including greeting families, providing classroom support, program set up and clean up, and classroom photography
Provide administrative support for Odyssey Junior’s director, including maintaining program enrollment documents, organizing digital materials, and assisting with publication of the Odyssey Junior Oracle
Manage Odyssey Junior’s volunteer process, including tracking interest forms, interviewing prospective volunteers, onboarding new volunteers, and maintaining required training documentation in accordance with UW policy
Plan quarterly family events, including serving as the primary liaison between program staff and external organizations, scheduling events, creating promotional content, securing necessary materials, set up, and clean up
Communicate with community partners to schedule guest visits and coordinate logistics
Coordinate purchasing, distribution, organization, and receipt documentation of program materials
Create promotional content for Odyssey’s social media and update Odyssey’s website
Engage in continued learning opportunities related to Odyssey Junior’s mission
Assist Odyssey’s adult program coordinator with food logistics for weekly programming, including planning orders, coordinating with vendors, receiving deliveries, maintaining supplies, and distributing meals
Research and compile community resources and opportunities that would benefit Odyssey families
Participate in regularly scheduled meetings with supervisor, program staff, and DCS staff
Utilizes independent judgement regarding development, implementation, promotion, and evaluation for one or more academic programs, initiatives, or events
Identifies program, needs, contributes to the development of unit workflows, schedules logistics and secures resources for meetings, events, and interviews
Coordinates program components and evaluates program effectiveness and provides recommendations for improvement
May supervise the day to day activities of one or more academic programs and resolves issues exercising discretion to meet unit goals.