Posting dates: 3/4/19 thru 3/8/19 or until filled
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8.0 hours per day – 10 month
Primary Objective: Community/Cultural Liaisons serve as a bridge; student-to-student; student-to-school; school-to-family and family-to-community. The focus is on engaging, supporting and empowering students of color, immigrant and refugee students, or students otherwise isolated, in order to increase and improve communication and cultural understanding, resolve concerns student-student, student to school, and school to family, and increase protective factors for students. Build long-term, meaningful relationships with diverse families resulting in more parent involvement and student success. This position will work closely with Somali families and students.
Qualifications:Minimum of four year College Degree or Equivalent Education.
Proven ability to work in collaboration with schools and community resources.
Proven ability to work respectfully and responsively with diverse populations of youth and families, community members, health and human service providers, city and county government and educators.
Possess a strength-based, child/youth-family centered philosophy.
Desired Qualifications:Strong child/youth advocacy and mediation skills.
Understanding of the concept of equity in education.
Understanding of school policy and best practices in Youth Development, Cultural Competency, and Special Education.
Excellent interpersonal skills, including strong verbal and written communication skills.
Experience facilitating and leading groups of educators, children and youth.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to successfully manage multiple assignments independently and with high and consistent follow through.
Proven ability to work in a diverse team environment
Knowledge of and/or willingness to learn about Suburban Ramsey community needs, initiatives and resources.
Ability to work independently and in a self-directed manner.
Job Responsibilities/Principal Duties:Enhance meaningful and authentic youth engagement, involvement and leadership in both school and community.
Utilize culturally and linguistically competent/relevant and respectful approaches at all levels of service and in all interventions.
Bridge communication and cultural understanding to resolve concerns in the following situations: student-student, student to school, and school to family.
Help families access to school resources.
Make phone calls (interpret when necessary) to families regarding recurring academic, concerns, attendance, health, lunch accounts, field trips or behavior issues or other requests by principals.
Act as a resource to school and community agency staff regarding working with students and families from other cultures.
Work to create increased school connectedness by supporting culturally inclusive clubs, character building activities, community building activities, service learning projects, cross cultural events, and student leadership activities.
Assisting with compiling annual reports.