Mennonite Voluntary Service Placement

After School Program Specialist

Chicago_GirlsInGame

Service Agency: Girls in the Game

Service Length: 1 or 2 year term

Age Range: Ages 20+

After School Program Specialist

About Girls in the Game

At Girls in the Game every girl finds her voice, discovers her strength and leads with confidence through fun and active leadership, sports and health programs. Our programs empower all girls to be gamechangers in their own lives and in their communities. We strive to serve girls year-round and over the long-term and offer a continuum of programs for girls at each stage in their development. Our heart is in Chicago, but in recent years we’ve expanded to include programs in Bloomington, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; and Dallas, Texas.

Position Summary

Our After School program operates in over 30 schools and parks throughout Chicago, and follows a set curriculum covering sports and fitness, health, and leadership development. The After School Coordinator will coach our After School program 4-5 days per week and serve as the main contact and coordinator for up to 5 sites. Curriculum rotates regularly to expose girls to a wide variety of sports and fitness opportunities. Each site operates once a week for 90 minutes and serves an average of 25 girls. All sites have two coaches.

The After School Coordinator will be responsible for recruiting participants, communicating with parents and site contacts, and supporting part-time coaches leading programming at these sites. The program has two age groups: elementary (grades 3-5) and middle (grades 6-8). The Coordinator may be assigned sites which serve the same age group, or they may have both elementary and middle school sites. This position reports to the After School Manager and works cooperatively with an After School team of 4-5 full-time staff and approximately 35 seasonal coaches and interns. The schedule for this position is 40 hours per week. Days and times are somewhat flexible, but applicants must be available to coach afternoons. The Coordinator will be based in the Bridgeport neighborhood at our office in McGuane Park and will travel to schools and parks throughout Chicago to lead programming, as well as to visit other program sites.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Act as the main contact for the After School program at up to 5 sites
  • Coach 4-5 afternoons per week
  • Recruit participants
  • Communicate with girls, parents/guardians and site contacts to ensure an 80 percent attendance rate and enrollment of 25-30 participants at each site
  • Support coaches at assigned sites
  • Be a regular presence at assigned sites to ensure program quality
  • Record enrollment and attendance for assigned sites
  • Assist with equipment inventory and distribution as needed
  • Other duties as assigned

​Qualifications

  • Some college, preferably with coursework in health, youth or teen development, education, or a related field
  • At least two years of experience working with children and leading groups
  • Athletic ability is not required, but applicants must be able to learn and demonstrate the basic skills of multiple sports and fitness activities
  • Demonstrated knowledge of computer environments, e.g. Windows, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
  • Must be able to travel daily to sites throughout Chicago
  • Spanish conversation skills a plus


Licensing Required

  • Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work
  • Verification of degree/credentials
  • Background check and fingerprint clearance
  • Must be available to work occasional evenings and weekends
  • Agreement to uphold all Girls in the Game Policies and Procedures (by signature)


Core Competencies

  • Coaching/leading groups
  • Youth/teen development
  • Problem solving and decision making
  • Supporting and developing others
  • Relationship building


Communication Skills

Ability to implement the provided curriculum for groups of children; ability to encourage children to participate in activities; ability to use positive language to defuse conflicts as they arise during programming; ability to communicate effectively and professionally with adults including staff, parents/guardians, teachers and school administrators, and fieldtrip vendors and contacts; ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups; ability to communicate in writing as well as over the phone  or in person


Reasoning Ability

Ability to resolve problems as they arise during programming; ability to work with part-time coaching staff to prevent and troubleshoot challenges with participants and site contacts; ability to track detailed enrollment and attendance information; ability to learn to use the Salesforce.com database


Working Conditions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

This position requires:

Frequently: sitting, walking, running, active play, seeing, hearing, speaking, standing, carrying

Occasionally: stooping, lift up to 40 lbs., squatting, kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling

Seldom: climbing, twisting

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This is a fast-paced environment and the noise level is usually moderate.

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