Position Description: Part-time Program Officer for Young Women’s Initiative
About the Aurora Women and Girls Foundation:
The Aurora Women and Girls Foundation galvanizes resources to increase gender and racial equity through economic security, educational attainment, and leadership for women and girls in the Greater Hartford region. We achieve our mission by applying a gender and racial equity lens to: share cutting-edge research; raise funds and direct resources; convene and mobilize community partners; build the capacity of nonprofit organizations; and engage individuals and institutions in the power of philanthropy. Our mission, vision, values and strategies support all women and girls inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. For additional information, visit aurorafoundation.org. We’d love to have you join our team working to change the world for women and girls!
The Aurora Young Women’s Initiative (YWI) is an exciting collaboration among the Aurora Women and Girls Foundation, YWCA New Britain, and the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives (NPCYWI), a consortium of 15 Women’s Funds from across the country.
Through the Aurora YWI, Black and Latina young women will develop skills that can help to ensure their success in school and the workforce. They will also learn how to implement strategies to improve their communities. We are excited to introduce this proven national model to Connecticut and to refine, develop and replicate this program designed by and for young women of color.
The Aurora YWI will begin in September 2024 at the House of Teens at the YWCA New Britain, an after-school program for female-identifying and non-binary teens that offers activities focused on enhancing healthy lifestyles. Founded in 2007, the House of Teens is a robust, trusted, and popular place with dedicated staff; in partnership with Aurora, its programming will be expanded to include weekly, two-hour sessions focused on education, career exploration, and civic engagement with trained experts, respected community leaders, and professionals from the business, education, and non-profit communities, all of whom will be women of color. See below for more detail about the program.
YWI Part-Time Program Officer Job Responsibilities:
- Serve as Aurora’s YWI liaison with YWCA New Britain
- Attend weekly in-person YWI sessions at YWCA New Britain’s House of Teens from September 25, 2024 through May 31, 2025, as well as other in-person meetings, conferences, etc., as determined by Aurora’s Executive Director
- Work with YWCA New Britain to refine curriculum and programming for the Young Women’s Initiative. Identify, invite, and host guest speakers. Coordinate and manage field trips
- Work with Aurora’s Executive Director and any consultants to develop specialized curriculum modules (i.e., financial literacy).
- Work with the YWCA New Britain and YWI participants to design and execute a participatory grantmaking project, through which students will identify a community need and decide how to spend $20,000 in grant funding to address that need. The Program Officer will lead all sessions related to this component of the YWI.
- Conceive and implement a YWI evaluation process in collaboration with the YWCA New Britain and the NPCYWI
- Assist Aurora’s Executive Director and Development Manager with YWI-related grant applications and reports
- Serve as liaison with the Community of Practice for the Young Women’s Initiative Collaborative of Women’s Funds (meet by zoom every 6 weeks)
- Contribute to programming for Aurora events showcasing the work the Young Women’s Initiative
- Manage YWI field trips, including to Aurora’s Women’s Leadership Forum
- Capture YWI photos and testimonials to share with funders and for general marketing; draft one social media post weekly.
- Attend YWI-related conferences and meetings that may involve overnight travel
- Other duties as assigned by Aurora’s Executive Director.
Qualifications:
- Commitment to gender and racial equity
- Bachelor's degree preferred
- Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize, problem solve, meet deadlines, and work independently
- Excellent attention to detail
- Computer skills, with expertise in Office365
- Experience with Youth programming and teaching
- Valid Connecticut Driver's License
- Successful completion of background check
Compensation:
$25-30/hour for 10-15 hours/week, depending on experience and qualifications. While this position is not eligible for paid benefits, it is eligible for two weeks of personal time off per year. Some remote work is possible.
To apply, please submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the position and how your skills and experience qualify you for the role, along with a current resume. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by September 6, 2024. Submit application materials by email to jobs@aurorafoundation.org.
The Aurora Women and Girls Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer.
Overview of Young Women’s Initiative (YWI):
The Aurora Young Women’s Initiative (YWI) is an exciting collaboration among the Aurora Women and Girls Foundation, YWCA New Britain, and the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives (NPCYWI), a consortium of 15 Women’s Funds from across the country.
Through the YWI, Black and Latina young women will develop skills that can help to ensure their success in school and the workforce. They will also learn how to implement strategies to improve their communities. We are excited to introduce this proven national model to Connecticut and to refine, develop and replicate this program designed by and for young women of color.
Beginning in September 2024, the YWI will meet at the House of Teens at the YWCA New Britain, an after-school program for female-identifying and non-binary teens that offers activities focused on enhancing healthy lifestyles. Founded in 2007, the House of Teens is a robust, trusted, and popular place with dedicated staff who will lead weekly, two-hour sessions, supplemented by trained experts, respected community leaders, and professionals from the business, education, and non-profit communities, all of whom will be women of color.
These sessions will be focused on three key areas:
- Education: Students will attend workshops on financial literacy; healthy relationships; physical and mental wellness; and public speaking and other forms of self-expression. They will also explore post-secondary educational opportunities that can lead to economic mobility, including certificate programs as well as 2- and 4-year colleges. Information about Connecticut’s free community colleges, as well as financial aid for other colleges and certificate programs, will be paired with career exploration to help students create a plan for their ongoing education, an understanding of how to pay for it, and a sense of the field of study that will lead to their desired careers.
- Career Exploration: Guest speakers from myriad professions will introduce students to a variety of careers, particularly those with which they might not already be familiar. YWI participants will also take field trips to local colleges and businesses as well as Aurora’s Women’s Leadership Forum at CT State Capital in Hartford in November 2024.
- Civic Engagement: Students will be guided through discussions of power, privilege, and oppression and will be encouraged to brainstorm about ways they can improve their communities using their newly acquired working knowledge of local government, the non-profit sector, and philanthropy. The young women will also have an extraordinary opportunity to become change agents in their own communities, by identifying pressing needs and then researching and funding the local organizations that are best addressing those needs. They will experience the sense of empowerment and accomplishment that results from using their voices and talents to build a better future.
