Education Advocate, Project LIT

Advocates For Children (AFC) is a dynamic social justice organization that strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds. AFC works on behalf of children and youth who are at greatest risk of academic failure due to poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, homelessness, immigration status/limited English proficiency, or involvement in the child welfare or juvenile/criminal legal systems. We use uniquely integrated strategies to advance systemic reform, empower families and communities, and advocate for the educational rights of individual students.  

AFC grounds our work in our organization’s values:  

• Family-Centered: We listen to what families want for their children and empower them with information and support.  

• Expertise: We ground our advocacy in more than 50 years of experience with the NYC public schools and deep knowledge of the legal and education systems affecting the students and families we serve. 

• Passion: We are united by our unrelenting drive to dismantle obstacles to education and our unwavering dedication to NYC’s students and families. 

• Community: We foster collaboration and inclusive practices within our team and with outside partners so we can learn from different perspectives and unite in advancing our common goals. 

• Justice: We view the law as a powerful tool to bridge gaps in access to education and help families from under-represented communities fight for their rights. 

• Impact: We recognize that our value lies in the difference we make in the lives of students and their families and push ourselves to achieve concrete results.  

For more information on AFC, see www.advocatesforchildren.org.

JOB SUMMARY

AFC seeks an Education Advocate to join our Project LIT (Learners in Temporary Housing). Project LIT works to support the educational success of students experiencing homelessness. The Education Advocate is a new position for AFC that will join our team to provide individualized support to students and families with their educational needs, such navigating the special education process, enrolling in early childhood education programs, and getting shelter transfers to be closer to their children’s schools. The Education Advocate will also provide support with our shelter partnerships, including supporting our meetings to discuss student attendance data for shelter-based staff. This position will report to the Director of Project LIT.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Providing information to parents and professionals about the educational rights of students in temporary housing.
• Advocating on behalf of individual students in temporary housing experiencing school-related difficulties involving transportation, enrollment, special education, or other education-related issues.  
• Locating and connecting students in temporary housing and their families with needed resources.  
• Developing and updating informational materials related to students in temporary housing for parents, professionals, and youth as needed. 
• Preparing for and participating in collaboration meetings with staff from NYC Public Schools and shelter provider partners focusing on improving school attendance for students in shelter. This includes: helping with scheduling, formatting attendance data, drafting of agendas, taking notes duringmeetings, and drafting correspondence to partners before and after meetings.  
• Providingtrainings to families and professionals about the educational rights of students in temporary housing and provides education-related information to families at fairs and parent clinics.  
• Helping project staff with ongoing policy work related to improving educational access and services for students in temporary housing.  

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Understanding of and alignment with AFC’s mission. Please review AFC’s work at www.advocatesforchildren.org. 
• Desire to learn, both as an individual and as part of an organization, and apply diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism principles.
• A bachelor's degree. 3-5 years of related professional experience preferred. 
• Fluency in Spanish.  
• Organized, detail oriented, and able to work independently on tasks and deliverables.  
• Experience working with families is preferred.  
• Abilityor willingness to learn how to clean and review data.
• Strong presentation skills and comfort with public speaking.  
• Strong writing ability and analytical skills.  
• Ability to explain complex concepts in a manner that is easy to understand.  
• Ability to multi-task and respond to changing needs.  
• Available to work occasional evenings and weekends and to travel within the five boroughs.  
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs: Excel (especially), Word, Outlook, SharePoint. 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS 

Candidates should submit a resume and cover letter highlighting why they are interested in this role at AFC and how their experience aligns with the Education Advocate position, including any personal or professional experience that demonstrates your connection to the populations that AFC serves.  

The position is available immediately, and resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Due to the high volume of applicants, only qualified candidates will be contacted. 

COMPENSATION 

This is a full-time position, with a salary in the range of $63,702 - $73,070, depending on experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package.   

This position is expected to work at least 2 days a week in the office and remotely on the remaining days. 

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION INFORMATION

AFC’s current compensation package includes medical and dental insurance, with a plan option that covers full payment of medical plan premiums for staff and their qualified dependents.  AFC has generous time-off policies that include 10 federal holidays, office closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and 15 vacation days and 15 paid timeoff days in the first year of employment.  AFC also offers a 403(b) plan with a fully vested employer match and coverage of the premium cost of life insurance and short-term and long-term disability insurance.

AFC is an equal opportunity employer that actively seeks to recruit and retain a diverse staff and encourages all applications including from people of color, persons with disabilities, parents of persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or gender expressions and persons of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. 

AFC is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability or other protected characteristic. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. For more information and to request an accommodation, contact Human Resources at 

HR@advocatesforchildren.org