About The Comer Education Campus

The Comer Education Campus (CEC) has been recognized as one of the most unique youth-serving organizations in the nation. Our mission is to help young people prepare to be well rounded global citizens who are ready for college and careers. We primarily serve youth in middle and high schools, while providing employment opportunities and counseling supports to our alumni.

Located in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, the campus is anchored by the state-of-the-art Gary Comer Youth Center, Gary Comer College Prep High School, and Gary Comer Middle School. Programming is offered in three primary categories: academics, enrichment, and college and career preparation. Together we serve nearly 2,000 young people annually.

Position Summary

GCYC’s strong program model ensures robust employment experiences for participants. The Comer Corps (CC) program will focus on food insecurity in our community, an area of need identified in the Community Plan developed through GCYC’s Anchor Organization program. 40 youth will be employed by GCYC to work with our Urban Agriculture and Culinary Arts & Nutrition teams. Participants will work on our youth-led farm, growing and harvesting produce using regenerative and sustainable practices, tending to our flock of chickens, and keeping bees and harvesting their honey. Additionally, participants will manage our hydroponics lab and newly built green house, conducting community workshops to give away seedlings and trees and educate residents on growing their own food. Participants working with the Culinary Arts & Nutrition team will contribute to our free daily meal service, learning basic food safety, nutritional sciences, and gaining exposure to the hospitality industry. Participants help to develop new culturally-relevant menus for their community and host workshops for youth and other community members on healthy eating and cooking from scratch. Further, CC participants will manage GCYC’s operations of donating produce to local food pantries and running a seasonal farmers market.

The Comer Corps Program Coordinator at the Gary Comer Youth Center is an essential piece of the ecosystem of programmatic staff. The Program Coordinator plays a key role in recruitment, program execution, and the maintenance and cultivation of strategic partnerships and gardens to improve and strengthen the experience of Comer Corps members. With guidance from the Urban Agriculture Production Manager and the Director of Employment Programs, the Program Coordinator executes daily programming, specialty programs (e.g. field trips, school holidays, camps, special events, etc.), and advances their program area in support of our mission, vision, and values.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

• Program Operations:
• Leads Comer Crops Crew in day-to-day farm, garden, and other food production work according to the directives of the Urban Agriculture Production Manager.
• Acts as liaison between Urban Agriculture and Culinary Arts & Nutrition departments to coordinate schedules and projects of Comer Corps participants across departments.
• Coordinates program delivery by any external partners and contractors
• Acts as point person in planning and executing consistent, cohesive, high-quality professional development programming across multiple youth employment cohorts
• Recruits and retains youth to programs in their program area to ensure 100% enrollment and 80% program completion
• Ensures that youth employees complete all orientation and onboarding tasks and manage their timecards according to existing policies and procedures.
• Coordinates schedules and timecards of all 40 Comer Corps participants.
• Coordinates required program activities with other employment program leads
• Represents GCYC at external and internal events to recruit new members
• Ensures program delivery is equitable for all members – considering all age groups, genders, races, abilities and sexual orientations feel welcomed, supported, represented, and have access to all programs and services
• Contributes to the organization and implementation of special activities/events (e.g. showcases, career days, youth PD), organizing and facilitating Comer Corps orientations, retreats, and team building opportunities
• Keeps abreast of current best practices, research, and trends in youth development and education to contribute to the development of staff and advancement of organizational practices
• Responsible for managing and executing deliverables and compliance for grants assigned, ensuring completion of trainings and other grant deliverable like My Chi My Future playlists, Summer PD sessions, etc.
• Plans and implements programming in accordance with overall organizational goals, methods and objectives (e.g. Quality Program Outline, Daily Program Plan, etc.). Utilizing and creating evidence-based and researched curriculum, lesson plans, and educational materials
• Manages classroom through positive youth development practices
• Ensures the timely and accurate entry of data into internal data systems (e.g. Salesforce, Paycom), as well as assigned external systems (e.g. Cityspan) for grant compliance.
• Responsible for special projects assigned by the direct supervisor, the Center Director, or the Executive Director.
• Facilitating regular one-on-one sessions with Corps members, in collaboration with the Post-Secondary Manager, to track growth, program satisfaction, and goal setting in live time
• Culture/Values:
• Embrace/demonstrate the values of the Comer Education Campus:
• Youth Power
• Innovation
• Wellbeing
• Community Commitment
• Equity and Inclusion
• Joy
• Contribute to and maintain a productive and engaging work environment where employees feel safe, comfortable, engaged, and capable of being successful.
• Believes in continual improvement and has high expectations of themselves and their colleagues
• Contribute to and maintain ways to support employee collaboration, celebration, and team building.
• Intentionally and continuously strives to promote a culture that values and strengthens diversity and inclusion.
• Organizational Leadership:
• Seek out partnerships and relationships that will create deeper, more relevant, and more impactful experiences for members
• Serves as Leader on Duty as needed
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 1-3 years’ experience in roles working in youth development, employment/workforce training, or education of youth and young adults especially with individuals facing barriers to economic stability.
• 1-3 years’ experience working in urban agriculture, small-scale farming, horticulture, culinary arts, or related fields.
• Experience leading multiple programs in a nonprofit environment strongly preferred.
• A proven commitment to delivering quality enrichment programs through documented work experience in program planning and execution.
  
  

Core Competencies

• Strong project management and organizational skills. Must be able to initiate and finish projects.
• Able to communicate effectively with youth, co-workers, stakeholders and families in a respectful and culturally competent manner via written and oral communication.
• Must enjoy working with teams but can also work independently.
• Enjoys being the leader but is also confident enough to take directions from others.
• Must be able to take initiative and problem solve. Must be a creative thinker.
• Demonstrates strong accuracy in all areas of work and possess adaptive vitality.
• Must have basic computer literacy skills, including Microsoft Office, independent use of the internet and ability to learn and properly utilize software systems.
• Abides by the employee handbook and established GCYC policies and procedures.
  
  

Physical Work Requirements & Environment

The GCYC environment is consistently bustling with youth and community members. The Center’s work is fast paced and varied. Our work is done on site where our youth and families are. Therefore, it is required that team members meet the following requirements:

• Have the ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Able to work outdoors in a farm/garden environment in all weather conditions.
• Able to complete administrative work in a shared office space within a bustling youth center.