Mikva Challenge is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to develop youth to be empowered, informed, and active citizens and community members who will promote a just and equitable society.  We do this by engaging youth in Action Civics, an authentic and transformative learning process built on youth voice and youth expertise. Youth in Mikva’s programming experience unique civic learning opportunities in political campaigns, public policy advocacy, government internships, and youth activism programs. Our approaches include direct youth work, teacher support, and liaising with civic leaders and institutions. We believe strongly in the potential of youth and are committed to youth power and voice.

Mikva Challenge evaluations show the lasting impact of its programs.

• 82% of students reported an increase in their civic knowledge.
• 77% of students developed their sense of civic agency and increased their future commitment to civic action.
• 83% of students took on new civic leadership.
• 79% of students reported gains in their socio-emotional skills — many of which have direct academic outcomes.

About the Position 

Mikva Challenge is seeking a candidate with a passion for youth civic leadership work to join our team as a Citywide Youth Council (CYC) Manager. The purpose of the Citywide Youth Councils is to strengthen youth voice and leadership in our local schools, city government and local elections. Through our Action Civics model, young people engage in deep reflection, community mapping, participatory peer research, root cause analysis, strategic advocacy to develop youth-led policy recommendations, hold youth forums and advocate for youth priorities to key local decision makers. The council also serves as a mechanism for a broader base of Chicago youth to have input on key city policy decisions that affect them.

The Citywide Youth Council Manager will lead the Safety and Justice Council during both the summer and school year. This role does not include direct staff supervision.  

Core Responsibilities 

• In collaboration with the Senior Director of IL Youth Councils, create a curriculum plan and year-long scope and sequence to guide the Council’s weekly sessions and final projects;
• Plan and facilitate weekly youth council meetings throughout the school year, to include weekly lesson planning, developing activities, and creatively enhancing Mikva’s existing curriculum;
• Lead a youth recruitment and selection process to identify, attract, and select participants to the program from across a wide range of schools across the district;
• Build and maintain strong, positive relationships with program participants that results in a high rate of participant retention;
• Build collaborative working relationships with Chicago Public School leaders, elected officials, school staff, community leaders, issue experts and other key stakeholders to advance council projects;
• Together with the Senior Director of IL Youth Councils, communicate the successes of the program to the internal communications and development teams and relevant external stakeholders;
• Facilitate consistent, timely feedback of programming via student surveys and other evaluation tools in collaboration with the Director of Data and Evaluations;
• Connect youth with opportunities to engage with and learn about local government and decision making via seminars, panels, screenings, and speaking engagements by leaders in the field;
• Research and stay abreast of key issues and policies of Chicago Public Schools, as well as on the topic of the Youth Council’s work;
• Collaborate with other youth organizations, youth organizers, and stakeholders to have more widespread impact across the city;
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience

Experience: Minimum 3 years of experience in youth facilitation and programming 
 

Qualifications

• Strong organizational and research skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience cultivating and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders with a varied range of perspectives
• Experienced user of Google Workspaces, Zoom, social media platforms, and Microsoft Office products (Excel and Word)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience organizing and leading student fields trips
• Experience in advocacy, public policy and/or organizing
• Experience facilitating virtual programming
• Solid knowledge of local education landscape in Chicago Public Schools
• Experience working in Chicago public schools is highly desirable
   

Competencies

• Creative, flexible and enthusiastic
• Deep commitment to supporting youth leadership and voice
• Empathic and Emotionally Intelligent Team Member
• Ability to work independently as well as on a team
• Strong stance on equity, cultural competence, and understanding of intersectionality identities in both youth programming and leading others
• Adept at identifying innovative and creative solutions to complex problems
• Attention to detail
• Establish and maintain professional contacts to build, enhance, and connect networks to Mikva Challenge

Compensation and Benefits 

The salary range for this IL-based position is $70,000 to $80,000 annually commensurate with experience. We offer a competitive benefits package to include paid time off, medical, dental, vision, 401K, disability and life insurance.

Equity Statement

Mikva Challenge is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity, and gender expression), sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. We strongly encourage candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to apply.