Raymond Wittcoff Early Education in East St. Louis Fellowship

Nine PBS: Raymond Wittcoff East St. Louis Early Education Fellowship

Position Description

The Raymond Wittcoff Fellow will play a key role in Nine PBS’s community engagement work within East St. Louis. This innovative fellowship is named to honor a true pioneer of public television and one of the station’s founders. Raymond Wittcoff envisioned a television station dedicated to the education of the St. Louis community, founded on the principal of a media organization not owned or under the control of any one institution, but truly an asset for everyone in the St. Louis community.

The ideal candidate for this innovative fellowship is a self-motivated, creative individual with excellent organizational, communication, and presentation skills. The aim of this work is to actively care for the most vulnerable children in East St. Louis through quality educational programs and partnerships. Specifically, the Fellow will be responsible for coordinating the cultivation of, and service to regional early learning partners of Nine PBS with an emphasis on strategic partnerships within East St. Louis.

The essential early learning work of Nine PBS is to create awareness of available resources, increasing understanding of partners to utilize the content, and maintaining alignment with regional efforts to improve outcomes for young people. The work is done in partnership with networks of community organizations across the region and aligns with assets and resources of public media with an emphasis on kindergarten readiness and 3rd grade reading levels. The work leverages the on-air, online, and community engagement competencies of Nine PBS.

The Fellows report directly to the Lead Wittcoff Fellow with supervision by Director of Early Learning. Performance will be reviewed by the ability to successfully engage with the community and trusted partners to move our impact work forward.

Job Responsibilities 

Work closely with staff and partners to manage and execute the daily work of Nine PBS’s work in early learning by executing the following:

• Collaborate with staff in developing timelines and innovative approaches for accomplishing project goals
• Work closely in a 3-person team with Parent Engagement Manager and Director of Early Learning with the Community Impact team, monitor progress and evaluation of work aligned with intended outcomes
• Utilize the station’s community engagement model to work closely with partners to ensure relevant resources are distributed that aligns with goals
• Participate in local meetings and advisory/working groups that form the foundation of the work
• Schedule meetings, calls, events, etc.
• Develop regular reports and written documents
• Organize data and tracking of resources aligned with intended outcomes
• Organize and prepare materials for regular internal team meetings and external meetings with community partners
• Implement interactive learning experiences on utilization of station resources
• Develop correspondence, newsletters, and presentations
• Take the initiative to identify opportunities, innovative approaches, and strategies to advance early learning work
• Develop and maintain working knowledge of PBS Learning Media, PBS KIDS educational content, Bright by Text parent text service and additional digital resources
• Identify resources needed to execute all job responsibilities
• Work effectively with external constituents, always representing Nine PBS with integrity
• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills

·       Experience in project management, including resource management

·       Demonstrated experience in working with diverse populations and implementing communications and change strategies that are effective and culturally sensitive

·       Experience working closely with community organizations in a professional capacity, preferably related to education

·       Ability to manage and work within a budget

·       Must be a good and quick thinker and writer

·       Strong strategic thinking and analysis capacity

·       Proven ability to quickly gather, learn and analyze information on a variety of topics

·       Ability to prioritize, work independently, under pressure, meet deadlines and take direction

·       Ability and willingness to work a varied schedule

·       Proven ability to handle public and internal interactions with diplomacy and tact without additional supervision

·       Must present a professional manner and appearance.

·       Key competencies include: teamwork, interpersonal skills, people-orientated, versatility, collaboration, and resourcefulness.

Qualifications

·       Undergraduate or graduate coursework in education, communications, social services, public health, early childhood development or related discipline preferred

·       Experience working in East St. Louis preferred

·       Experience in early childhood education required

·       Proficient in Google Docs, Microsoft Office, Outlook

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Individual must be able to:
·       Type and sit behind a desk for extended periods of time
·       Look at computer screens and printed documents for extended periods of time

·       Drive throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area to events and meetings

Individual is exposed to a typical office setting with computer equipment.

Application Process

Company: Nine PBS

Vacancy Type: Part-time position (10-15 hours per week) with the potential of becoming a renewable one-year appointment.

Job Location: St Louis, MO, US

Salary Range: $18 – $22/hour

Application Deadline: December 4th – December 19th

Application Process: For a candidate to be considered for employment, the following materials must be submitted as a complete application to jobs@ninepbs.org:

·       Resume

·       Cover Letter

·       3 Professional References

·       Word document that provides responses to the following three questions:

1.     How will you utilize your leadership capacity to provide strategic direction to Nine PBS? (no more than 150 words)

2.     How are you uniquely qualified to enhance the Nine PBS team and our work? (no more than 150 words)

3.     One of Nine PBS’s organizational priorities is to foster an inclusive culture that values belonging and connection. Please provide an example of a time when you reinforced this priority. (no more than 150 words)

Nine PBS

As an essential community institution, Nine PBS exists to enable access to information, knowledge, and learning opportunities for all. We tell stories that move us. We meet people where they are the most comfortable consuming content. Nine PBS’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine PBS KIDS®, Nine PBS World, and Nine PBS Create), ninepbs.org, social media, the free PBS Video App, streaming services, live and virtual events, and the Public Media Commons. Since 1954, Nine PBS has accepted the community’s invitation into their homes, schools, and businesses.

Nine PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer with leadership and a culture that supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. In 2020, Nine PBS was identified by the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis as a top place for women to work.