Arena Careers

Title: Instruction and Outreach Coordinator, Part-time

Location: Grand Rapids

Annual Compensation: $25,000, Part-Time

The Instruction and Outreach Coordinator is a key position responsible for overseeing ESL and Citizenship classes and coordinating instructors. Michigan United’s work is hybrid. Most Work is conducted in person, in the office, in the communities around Grand Rapids, and some via video and conference calls.

Michigan United’s work is hybrid. It is conducted in person, in the office, and via video and conference calls.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Search for and contract Citizenship and ESL instructors.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Self-Interest Identification:

• Identify the self-interest of service providers we can partner with during one-on-one interactions.
• Use self-interest to form strong partnerships with other service providers, social service organizations, and private attorneys.

2. Citizenship and ESL Instruction

• Prepare students/clients participating in our program to successfully complete the Naturalization process.
• Provide in-person instruction to students on Civics and ESL to pass the citizenship exam two days per week.
• Administer CASAS assessment (or similar English language assessment approved by USCIS) to every participant in our program at the beginning and end of every cycle.
• Utilize Off to Class or similar software as approved by USCIS to provide ESL instruction.

3. Team Building and Training:

• Build a consistent team of fellows, interns, instructors and volunteers to develop capacity and a new model for the Michigan United Citizenship/ESL instruction and legal services program.
• Coordinate experts/trainers for our volunteers and fellows to learn skills such as (Doing outreach and recruitment, conducting initial screenings for citizenship, asylum, and DACA renewals, and doing referrals to appropriate legal service agencies).
• Include leadership and organizing training in the class curriculum, such as (Orientation about Michigan United's mission, vision, and values, training on legislative/power meetings, and effectively sharing stories/testimonies).
• Create a self-driven/leader-led team of Citizenship/ESL instructors, volunteers and fellows that meet USCIS requirements to assist you in instructing additional classes if necessary.
• Train volunteers/fellows and provide ongoing support.
• Lead regular check-ins with volunteers and fellows.

4. Outreach and Networking:

• Outreach in places of worship, schools, festivals, and community institutions to recruit students/clients and volunteers/fellows.
• Proposition individuals to be fellows, volunteers, and members.
• Proposition institutions to be partners that can provide legal services for the clients we refer.

5. Campaign Integration:

• Describe issue campaigns, problems, and solutions to our students/clients compellingly.
• Connect students/clients to campaigns and organizers effectively.

6. Legal Screening Training and Progress Tracking:

• Work with our DOJ-accredited representative to recruit fellows/volunteers to participate in legal training to create a new model of legal services for Michigan United and increase capacity Develop a legal training curriculum for interns/fellows/legal service volunteers that includes: Doing outreach and recruitment, conducting legal intake and referrals, doing initial screenings for citizenship, asylum, and DACA renewals.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the training plan.
• Track the progress of fellows/volunteers and follow up with Immigration Law and Justice and all our partners to ensure they are making progress with their legal cases.

7. Financial Management:

• Solicit and collect donations and class fees.

8. Multilingual Communication:

• Translate to English and Spanish/Arabic.
• Be multilingual, preferably fluent in Spanish and Arabic.

9. Communication Skills:

• Demonstrate strong positive and constructive communication skills.

10. Initial Screening and Case Management:

• Conduct Initial screening and referrals effectively.
• Connect clients to appropriate campaigns, legal services and outside providers if necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Teaching degree, certificate or 2 years experience providing Citizenship and ESL Instruction.
• Proven experience in legal services coordination or a related field.
• Knowledge of immigration legal processes and campaigns.
• Strong organizational and team-building skills.
• Multilingual proficiency, especially in Spanish and/or Arabic.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

BENEFITS:

• Individual Retirement Account (IRA) after earning at least $5,000 during the previous year
• Internet and phone stipend of $75 a month
• 7.5 days paid time off for the first and second year of employment; this increases with seniority.
• Generous paid holiday policy
• Paid Summer Break
• Paid sick time
• Mileage reimbursement policy

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position can be hybrid, but will be based in the Grand Rapids area. Team members are located throughout the state, with our headquarters in Detroit. There will be in-person events, meetings, and activities. Our work schedule is standard business hours with flexibility; evenings and weekends are occasionally required. There will be periodic travel around the state and intermittent out-of-state travel. Some work may be performed virtually, but it will be necessary for this position to attend in-person instruction and appointments with clients multiple days per week.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Please submit your resume, statement of interest, and three references (at least two work-related; one may be personal) via this Paylocity. If you are having difficulties uploading your materials to Paylocity, please send them via email to [email protected]. Please put the position name in the subject line of the email. Please do not submit your resume to Paylocity and email; one or the other is sufficient.

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

Michigan United is a statewide organization of community members and institutions fighting for the dignity and potential of every person. Michigan United organizes along with the following issue areas: immigrants’ rights, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, rural issues, healthcare, and civic engagement. Michigan United, along with Michigan United Action, our affiliated 501(c)(4), is serious about building long-term political power to transform our political and economic system into one that puts people and the planet first. Our main office is in Southwest Detroit, with additional offices in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Flint.

As a racial and economic justice organization, we actively encourage underrepresented individuals based on race, ethnicity, income, gender identity, and sexual orientation, as well as those who share the life experiences of the members we serve, to apply.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

Michigan United is represented by SOUL of MU & MUA (Statewide Organized United Labor of Michigan United and Michigan United Action), affiliated with the Newspaper Guild of Detroit, Local 34022. The person hired for this position will become a bargaining unit member.