Family Programs Coordinator

Open Books seeks an enthusiastic team member passionate about literacy in the City of Chicago to serve as its Family Programs Coordinator. This role supports Open Books’ mission and work by implementing literacy programs and distributing resources that support children and families in underserved communities of Chicago. The Family Programs Coordinator will be responsible for facilitating multigenerational learning experiences for children and their caregivers in Open Books’ priority neighborhoods, through programs such as Early Childhood Residencies, Open Books Mobile activations, and parent and caregiver workshops. They will join a team of 30 staff members who seek to transform lives through reading, writing, and the unlimited power of books. The Family Programs Coordinator reports to the Literacy Program Manager.

Core Responsibilities

• Support the Open Books Program Team in goals, strategies and new initiatives related to Early Childhood education, focusing on children ages 0-5 and their families.
• Implement literacy programming for children and their families in line with Open Books’ goals and in response to community needs. Programming may include but is not limited to:
  • Coordination and instruction of Open Books’ Early Childhood Residency program and partnerships at partner home daycares and community centers.
  • Designing and leading interactive family program lessons in English and Spanish, in settings such as schools, community centers, and events.
  • Collaborating with Education and Community Engagement teams to plan and activate multigenerational Open Books Mobile events.
• Support evaluation to measure impact and effectiveness of Open Books’ literacy curriculum and programs, in collaboration with Literacy Programs Manager, to meet Open Books’ education goals.
• Work alongside the Education and Community Engagement teams on outreach initiatives and opportunities for family engagement.
• Assist in outreach to stakeholders, including families, community organizations, external partners, and supporters.
• Collaborate with the Book Access team to ensure that book access is embedded into all literacy programming and events, and that culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate books are included in all program curriculum.
• Dedicate consistent weekend and occasional evening hours to special programs and other opportunities.
• Help to ensure the overall health, vitality, and positive morale of Open Books.
• Uphold and regularly demonstrate the core values of Open Books: Accountability, Collaboration, Empowerment, Ingenuity, and Respect.

Role Requirements

• 2 years of experience and enthusiasm for developing curriculum for and working with early learners (Birth - 5) and their families in different settings (i.e. daycares, school, summer camps, community centers, events)
• Experience with parent engagement
• Spanish fluency. Ability to plan and teach lessons in Spanish.
• Enthusiasm for engaging community members through literacy and representing Open Books to public audiences.
• Ability to be physically present at multiple program sites in North Lawndale, Little Village, Garfield Park, Austin, Englewood, and other priority communities.
• Ability to work independently and hold self accountable for deadlines and deliverables
• Ingenuity in developing new and community responsive ways to engage with literacy.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate across organizational departments and external partners.
• Proficiency in various technology platforms, including Google Suite (i.e., Gmail, Drive, Forms, Docs, Sheets)
• Detail orientation, especially related to scheduling and managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Knowledge of and passion for children’s books
• Background in early childhood education or similar field preferred