Program Coordinator

At The Brainchild Collective, we bring youth education programs together to unlock Social-Emotional Learning and drive lifelong impact in students from preschool to graduation.

As a Program Coordinator, you’ll be responsible for bringing that vision to life through your leadership in the classroom, project management for our school programs, and ongoing relationship management for all school partners.

Status: Full Time

Start Date: August 1 Preferred  

Type: Hybrid - Required onsite visits for observations and classroom time

THE OBJECTIVES YOU’RE HERE TO MEET

  • Classroom Leadership: Plan and lead up to 12 class hours per week and serve as a substitute for up to 3 class hours per week. Conduct up to 2 classroom observations and share feedback.

  • Project Management: Manage the school program experience from onboarding to program completion through day-to-day classroom and partner management, project design, operational oversight, and diligent attention to management processes and timelines. 

  • Partner Management: Build and maintain meaningful relationships with our school partners, engaging in consistent communication to ensure their needs are met throughout our partnership. This will include but is not limited to: on-site meetings, phone calls, virtual meetings, email correspondence.

HOW YOU’LL MEET THOSE OBJECTIVES

Classroom Leadership 

  • Deliver The Brainchild Collective’s in-school, after-school, and professional development programming in Chicago schools in at least one of the following: Dance, Leadership Development, Theater, Improv Comedy. Arts education is a core component of TBC, the arts help students become the best versions of themselves as they begin to develop life skills like resilience and a growth mindset to succeed through graduation and beyond.

  • Maintain an understanding of learning standards, instructional practices, and social and emotional learning assessment metrics to deliver high-quality instruction in all Brainchild Collective programs. Promoting social and emotional learning is a core component of TBC, it is proven that students that have been exposed to strong social and emotional classroom experiences have an increased capacity for exhibiting empathy and equity to others that will be an asset to them in their future careers. 

  • Implement inclusive instructional practices to support equity for all students.  In order for students to show up and provide support and equity for those around them, students need to feel seen and supported by their educators.

  • Prepare students for end of session showcases, pitches for additional programming, or other culminating events. Showcasing the skills students have learned throughout the program is a great way for students to celebrate their growth. The educator supporting and being present at their showcase helps students feel appreciated and supported.

  • Conducting Observations, giving feedback, and exploring resources.

  • Support as a substitute teacher and securing subs for any classes that need coverage. 

Project Management 

  • Adhere to all project management timelines, tasks, workflows and delegate responsibilities to appropriate members of your team.

  • Support the program design process by customizing program experiences to align with the overall partnership objectives.

  • Manage the program assessment process, ensuring that pre, mid and post surveys are conducted in a timely manner. 

Partner Management 

  • Build meaningful relationships with school administrators by conducting regular on-site program visits and spearheading engaging communication practices throughout the school year. 

    • This role does require applicants to be comfortable with Chicago-wide travel on a consistent basis. Access to a vehicle is preferred but not required.

  • Work in collaboration with members of the leadership team to ensure program goals are accurately delivered in the classroom. 

  • Attend to all needs of school partners including - scheduling changes, interpersonal challenges, sub needs, etc. 

WHAT YOU’RE ALL ABOUT

  • You are passionate about education. You have at least 1-2 years of teaching experience. Experience supporting other educators is a plus.

  • You believe that investing in education is one of the greatest opportunities we have for social change. You’re excited to support innovative ways to serve young people in Chicago and beyond. 

  • You’re passionate about Chicago and creating equitable opportunities for all students. You’re looking forward to traveling to and exploring our city’s neighborhoods through community partnership and on-site support. 

  • You believe that leading people is a tremendous honor. You’re on a never-ending journey to grow as an authentic, inclusive leader with a commitment to transparency and personal growth. You have experience taking initiative to lead change and, though it may have been challenging, leadership is a genuine calling for you.

  • You’re comfortable in a customer-facing role and have experience meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders to solve complex challenges. 

  • You’re a problem-solver at your core. When faced with challenges, you welcome the opportunity to learn something new and grow outside your comfort zone. You thrive in ambiguity and welcome the opportunity to order chaos. 

  • You’re an expert at pivoting. You’re at your best when unforeseen challenges arise, allowing you to think on your feet, re-prioritize work, context switch, and find creative solutions to support your team. 

  • You are detail-oriented. No comma, pixel, or header is too small to not warrant a closer look. You are always focused on the details and making sure they are accurate, aligned to company values, and maximize clarity. You love the opportunity to conduct a deep edit. 

  • You’re an energetic executor who finds a genuine sense of satisfaction in delivering dynamic and complex projects. You have at lease 1 year of experience managing complex projects and you love building processes and systems. Nothing brings you greater joy than seeing a project through to completion. 

  • You’re comfortable using technology and are experienced with Google Suite. You’re also excited by the prospect of learning new technology to improve operations. 

  • While TBC does provide a work from home stipend, this role will require you to have access to a reliable computer and phone. 

WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT

  • We’re mission-driven. Every person on our staff, board, and volunteer teams demonstrate a sincere sense of purpose and desire to use their skills to make a difference in the lives of young people. 

  • We’re entrepreneurial. We challenge ourselves to see our work through a progressive lens in an effort to drive sustainability through innovative channels for impact and revenue.  We value process over perfection, we push ourselves to do hard things, we take breaks when we need them, and most importantly, we laugh...a lot. 

  • We’re adaptable. We know how to respond to the needs in front of us - whether it’s the needs of our students, the mental health of our staff, or a global pandemic. We know the only constant is change, and we’re here to weather the storm. 

  • We cultivate belonging. We’re committed to exploring our roles in creating healthy classrooms and workplaces through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We know that our classrooms aren’t safe spaces for exploration unless they value and celebrate all lived experiences. It’s our job as educators to meet this challenge. 

  • We’re genuinely curious. We know we’re models for our students in creating a life-long passion for learning and growth. This means we prioritize getting it right over being right and challenging ourselves to stay curious in challenging moments. 

  • We’re authentic and prioritize integrity in our relationships. We treat every stakeholder with a deep sense of humanity - we ask each other how we’re doing, and we care to hear the answer.

HOW WE’LL INVEST IN YOU

  • Compensation commensurate with experience, range between $42,000-$50,000 annually.

  • A work from home stipend of up to $800 to purchase home office equipment.

  • Health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield with the company covering premiums up to $200/month 

  • Optional 401(k) 

  • A flexible, fun, and values-driven work culture.

  • Team outings and happy hours 

  • PTO, Sick Pay, and Flex Time Available for this Role

  • Continued learning through ongoing educational opportunities provided by The Brainchild Collective and external community partners.

  • Access to a wide network of partnerships and stakeholders throughout the Chicago arts education, social innovation, and entrepreneurship communities.

ABOUT THE BRAINCHILD COLLECTIVE

We believe social impact is only possible when our leaders have a clear mission guiding them and the well-being to execute with intention. The Brainchild Collective designs, supports, and manages educational programs focused on social-emotional learning reaching students in partnership with schools and community spaces.  

The Brainchild Collective has...

  • Proven educational products growing exponentially year over year since 2008. 

  • A reliable revenue stream and business model.  Through grants, earned revenue, and strategic partners, we’ve grown to become one of the largest education programs in Chicago serving roughly 6000 K-12 students throughout the Chicagoland area. 

  • A growing international presence with tangible opportunities for growth in new markets.

Our lead programs...

Design Dance 

Design Dance programming is designed to build social-emotional skills in students through the creative art of dance. All of our classes are student-driven, empowering young artists to build creative confidence through the exploration of individual and group work. Each program highlights the many valuable SEL skills generated through arts education, including but not limited to, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, self-management, and responsible decision-making.  

Prismatic 

Prismatic activates leadership potential for young people living in low-income communities by infusing social-emotional skill-building into career development education. Our programs, held in schools, community spaces, and online serve as a launchpad for success in any field, introducing students to a wide range of career paths and ensuring they have the skills and community support to advance, lead and pivot with resiliency no matter what life throws at them.

Knuckleball Comedy

Founded in 2016, Knuckleball Comedy has always sought to bring the power and joy of improv comedy to the masses. We build confidence, enhance collaboration and push people to jump out of their comfort and into a new way of thinking. We have brought laughter to over 12,000 people and we look forward to impacting the lives of the next 12,000 and beyond.

Learn more about The Brainchild Collective and our programs at www.brainchildcollective.co and apply at www.brainchildcollective.co/join-us. 

The Brainchild Collective values diversity of perspective and experiences. LGBTQIA folks, disabled people, and BIPOC are encouraged to apply.