Position:                     Peace Guide

Time Commitment:

Due to working within elementary schools, hours for this position will vary as follows:

• 350 school-service hours, typically delivered three days per week, approximately 3 hours each day, over the lunch and recess hours. Typical hours are from approximately 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Up to 50 additional hours – scheduled throughout the year – for meetings, trainings, reporting, etc.

• Nearly all hours will take place between August and June with occasional hours for meetings or trainings as needed during July.

Location / Work Site: 

Most hours will take place at the elementary school the Peace Guide is assigned to, either Kaposia Elementary in South St. Paul or St. Helena’s Catholic School in South Minneapolis.

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Pay Rate:   Between $16 – $20 per hour.  This part-time position is not benefits eligible.

Mileage Reimbursement: 

PeaceMaker Minnesota will reimburse employees and volunteers for mileage driven while on PeaceMaker Minnesota business. PeaceMaker Minnesota will use the standard business mileage reimbursement rate as determined by the IRS.

PeaceMaker Minnesota will determine the miles that employees drive from home to their primary PeaceMaker Minnesota work site, and from their primary work site to home. Miles driven to and from one’s home for PeaceMaker Minnesota business in excess of these miles are reimbursable.

Program Purpose & Summary:

To help kids learn to be peacemakers and to help create a positive learning environment.  The Peace Guide does this by supporting school staff members (administrators, teachers, aides, social workers, school resource officers, etc.) and by working with students to help them to improve communication, relational and conflict resolution skills.  The Peace Guides helps youth to develop empathy, to include others, to address bullying, to repair harm, to advocate for oneself and others, to use kind – Person First – language, to accept and take personal responsibility for their actions, to develop friends who play a positive role in their lives, and to build community.  The Peace Guide is a caring adult in the lives of youth to help them to feel listened to, valued and cared for.

Working Conditions:

The Peace Guide will work at their assigned school.   The Guide may occasionally need to attend meetings at the PeaceMaker Minnesota office in Roseville, or travel to other Metro Area locations for training or meetings.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

• Strong, effective inter-personal skills, including the ability to build relationships with students, school staff, and community members.
• Knowledge of and understanding of restorative justice philosophy, principles, and practices preferred.
• Keen observation skills and ability to identify when children are engaged in conflicts that they may be trying to hide from adults.
• Ability to maintain and model calm and patience in high-activity environments, such as lunchrooms, playgrounds, classrooms, etc.
• Ability to help students develop skills and strategies to solve problems and make healthy decisions.
• Ability to work effectively with students, staff, and others from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Clear, concise, detail-oriented writing skills to document issues, actions taken, follow up, and resolution of problems and/or challenges that arise with or between students.
• Ability to multi-task, and work in a dynamic and changing work environment.
• Ability to complete tasks and solve problems in a self-directed manner, while recognizing when problems warrant engaging other staff members.
• Ability to facilitate meetings with students and staff as needed.
• Knowledge of and skill in using personal computers and related programs to facilitate word processing, email, and reporting requirements.
• Ability to work on-site at assigned elementary school and occasionally at PeaceMaker Minnesota office in Roseville or other locations.
• Honor, celebrate, and promote diversity in our workplaces and in the communities, we serve, including the ability to work toward and maintain an inclusive environment in which those we work with feel welcomed, included, heard, respected, and valued.
• Ability to demonstrate and uphold PeaceMaker Minnesota’s values:
  • Peace is worth our commitment.
  • People and relationships matter.
  • Transparency and Accountability.

Required Education and Experience:

Six months or more of experience working directly with elementary-age children (k-8) in a structured setting with demonstrated ability in helping them resolve conflicts, repair harm, and improve relationships.

Desired Education and Experience:

Experience applying restorative justice principles and practices preferred. Mediation experience preferred. Completion of foundational circle training and introduction to restorative practices preferred.

Required Credentials / Licensure:

N/A

Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications:

N/A

Supervision:

This position reports to assigned school staff member (for example, Principal, etc.) and to the PeaceMaker Minnesota Peace Guide Service Manager.

Responsibilities:

1. Build awareness among students and school staff members of the Peace Guide’s role and how they can help.
2. Teach conflict resolution skills, including language for appropriate and constructive responses to conflict and bullying in various environment, such as the playground, lunchroom, and classroom.
3. Help students navigate relationships and friendships by teaching needed skills to maintain friendships and resolve difficulties.
4. Build trusting, supportive relationships with students, so they feel comfortable bringing forward issues and concerns.
5. Observe students in a variety of settings to gain insight into potential issues and work proactively with students to avoid conflicts as needed.
6. Facilitate (and support the facilitation of) restorative circles and/or conferencing and mediation when conflicts or harm have occurred.
7. Facilitate (or support coordination and co-facilitation of) pro-active groups with students using restorative techniques to address specific issues that arise within the school year (i.e. family loss, social drama, bullying, community violence) and support the development of youth-driven responses to these issues within the school community.
8. Conduct follow-up or check-in meetings with students as needed at the request of school staff members, such as a teacher, counselor, social worker, principal, etc.
9. Serve as a resource for school climate initiatives, restorative practices, bullying prevention, social-emotional learning, and funding opportunities available to the school through PeaceMaker Minnesota.
10. Document daily interactions with students, as warranted, to generate tracking to understand trends, needed follow up, effectiveness of actions taken, etc.
11. Administer the Youth Intervention Program (YIP) Grant Outcome Survey to all students at the school in grades four and higher and a short survey to school employees.
12. Write a brief narrative report each month to demonstrate the work done within the school, including challenges and successes.
13. Prepare a year-end report by June 15^th that includes:
    1. YIP survey results
    2. Two or more student testimonials and two or more testimonials from adults (school employees, parents, community members, etc.) pertaining to the value of the Peace Guide work.
    3. School staff survey results.
14. Attend training and meetings at assigned school as needed in addition to attending any trainings or meetings required by PeaceMaker Minnesota.

About PeaceMaker Minnesota

To help create a more peaceful world, the mission of PeaceMaker Minnesota is to help schools to be safer places, free from bullying and harassment, and to help youth learn positive relational skills like empathy, respect, cooperation and how to resolve conflicts peacefully.

PeaceMaker provides the following services:

• Financial Services to reimburse schools for training, curriculum, and supplies to build community and strengthen violence prevention efforts. Partner schools can receive $500 and access additional matching money to support teachers and other staff in teaching kids to be peacemakers.
• Training Service to help teachers, administrators, bus drivers and others to recognize, respond to and to prevent bullying. Training can also help students become peer mediators and school employees learn communication skills to resolve conflicts.
• Ambassadors for Respect (A4R) brings individuals with developmental disabilities into schools to teach fourth graders about the importance of including others, Person First Language and of being an advocate for oneself and others.

• Peace Guide Service to help kids learn to be peacemakers and to help create a positive learning environment. Students learn to address bullying, repair harm, resolve conflicts and improve relational skills.

Our vision is for kids – all kids in every community – to learn to be peacemakers.   Our strategy is to support more school employees, students, and others in teaching kids to be peacemakers.  We strive to be leaders in violence prevention education and generators of support for helping youth learn to be peacemakers.  Founded in 1998, PeaceMaker Minnesota meets all standards of the Charities Review Council, earned a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, and is a giving option for the State of Minnesota Employee Fund Drive.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At PeaceMaker Minnesota, our mission is to help schools to be safer places for everyone. We honor and celebrate diversity within the people and communities who make that possible: partner schools, students, staff, volunteers, Board of Directors members, interns, vendors, community partners, and others. We call on one another to demonstrate and utilize the skills our programs and services aim to develop in young people: empathy, respect, cooperation, and peaceful conflict resolution.

We work to maintain an inclusive environment in which those we work with feel welcomed, included, heard, respected, and valued. Including diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives helps to generate innovation and progress, making our organization stronger and leading to better services and programs for the people and communities we serve.

This position description outlines the general nature and level of work performed by people employed in this position. The mission of PeaceMaker Minnesota requires that employees demonstrate flexibility in terms of accepting and sharing other, sometimes unforeseeable responsibilities as well as those described in this description.

JOB TITLE: Assistant Director, Host Home and Collective housing

Avenues for Homeless Youth Community-Based housing provides emergency shelter, short-term housing, rapid re-housing and supportive services for youth and young families experiencing housing instability and homelessness. We strive to do that in a safe and nurturing environment through a social justice lens. Through such service, Avenues seeks to partner with youth and young families while they define their experiences, life dreams and future. Our work takes into account historical trauma, systems of oppression and intersectionality while being grounded in the power of resiliency, healing and community.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Assistant Program Director is responsible for the general operations, services and outcomes of the community-based programs. The position provides leadership and support to the community-based programs by helping teach program to cultivate programming that is reflective of cultural awareness, youth determination and social justice advocacy and change.

REPORTS TO: Director of Programs

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

· Provide Program Managers with leadership and support, both in professional development as well as program development.

· Assist Program Managers with community engagement, locally, nationally and globally.

· Ensure that program values and expectations are clearly understood and followed by youth and staff

· Train and support staff in practicing principles-based work, including the following principles: trauma-informed, harm reduction, trusting relationships, strengths-based, journey-oriented, collaborative, non-judgmental, PYD, and holistic.

· Support staff in utilizing a social justice model that supports liberation and self-determination.

· Work with Director of Programs to help establish a research, evaluation and education institute. This includes creating an internal education institute to identify, train and support staff as needed, agency-wide and program specific.

· Work with Program Managers to create and sustain culturally appropriate models that re-enforce and move Avenues towards its mission, vision and values.

· Support outreach and community awareness to help sustain funding for each program.

· Work in partnership with Program Managers to create a program strategic plan that sustains program growth and viability.

· Assist Program Manager(s) with recruiting and strengthening how we recruit, screen, train and support hosts with an emphasis on hosts that are reflective of the communities served.

· Assist Program Manager(s) with engaging and strengthening how we connect with, screen, train and support Ubuntu with an emphasis on community members that are reflective of the communities served.

· Work in partnership with Program Managers to support Youth Advocate and Engagement Specialist, volunteers, interns and youth.

· Provide direct supervision of program evaluation and outcomes.

· Ensure the accurate and timely data entry into HMIS or other client data management system, if different.

QUALIFICATIONS:

BA, BS or a Master’s degree in the field of human or social services, or other appropriate degree, plus 3 years of experience managing a program that supports youth who experience multiple systemic barriers. Experience with and commitment to principles-based youth work and restorative justice required. Understanding of power, privilege and systems of oppression required. Lived experiences and cross-transferable skills are welcomed and will be considered.

Avenues’ Assistant Director, will enjoy leading with a strong team approach, have excellent verbal and written communications skills, strong problem-solving and team-building abilities, a keen focus on the interests of the youth we support, computer proficiency, attention to detail, willingness to do paperwork and ensure all team members complete paperwork, and the desire and ability to take initiative and follow-through.

OTHER INFORMATION:

· Employment Status: Part-Time, Salaried, Exempt

· Hours: 24 hours per week, including some evening and weekend hours

· Location: Office will be at both the Brooklyn Park, North Minneapolis, and Camden location, but local travel will be required to other sites

· Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Persons of color are encouraged to apply.

Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

TO APPLY: Send cover letter, resume, references and salary requirements to Zayed Ahmed, Director of Programs at zahmed@avenuesforyouth.org. No phone calls please.

Position: Senior Communications Strategist Description: full time, start date ASAP Location: Wherever you live, as long as it’s in the Twin Cities Education: Whatever you got Salary: Salary will be set commensurate with experience and will include a full package of benefits including health and dental insurance, matching retirement, investment in personal development, and an expansive time off policy. Range: $58,000-$69,000  OVERVIEW: Black Visions is seeking a Senior Communications Strategist to support the day-to-day implementation of our strategic communications work. The Senior Communications Strategist will work closely with the Co-Director and Digital Strategist to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive communications strategy for the organization. Black Visions is a leading organization on the ground in Minnesota advancing the narratives of abolition and the strategies to get us there while also expanding upon the conversations and impacts of state violence on Black people across this country. This person will join the communications team and lead with bold, visionary values to develop and disseminate communications materials and training, to track and analyze media for narrative intervention, and maintain relationships with local and and national media, and more. The ideal candidate has 3-5 years of experience in developing and implementing communications strategy and campaigns with an analysis of race, class,  gender and ability. They are self-organized, detail-oriented, flexible, and accountable to deadlines. They are able to work creatively, independently and collaboratively. They know how to authentically engage Black people and other key audiences and are willing to be innovative and strategic. They have previous management experience and are comfortable juggling multiple tasks and timelines. Most critical, this candidate must be excited, able, and willing to work within the nuances of a new and emerging Black organization in Minnesota. ABOUT BLACK VISIONS: Since 2017, Black Visions has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before us, as well as our direct experience in building within the Movement for Black Lives, in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. Throughout our intentional growth process, we aim to center our work in healing and transformative justice principles, sustainability, and developing Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, we are creating the conditions for long term success and transformation. Mission: Black Visions is a Black-led, Queer and Trans centering organization whose mission is to organize powerful, connected Black communities and dismantle systems of violence. Vision:  Black Visions believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems. Black Visions Collective is currently in a period of growth, accountability, and development. All prospective applicants must be willing to grow with the organization as we move into our next iteration. CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and disseminate communications collateral like press releases, web copy, training materials, email and print newsletters, membership outreach materials, communications-related reports, etc.
• Assist in developing and implementing communications campaigns and initiatives
• Develop and maintain cohesive collateral materials for organization
• Work with Co-Director to adjust editorial and messaging strategy to support engagement
• Track and analyze both national media trends and organizational-specific media
• Build, coordinate, and maintain media list and relationships with key local and national media
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive communications rapid response plan
• Developing and massaging relationships with reporters and outlets and driving them to ecosystem members who are shaping our collective narrative
• Providing management, thought partnership, strategic guidance, and professional development to the Digital Strategist on an as-needed basis
• Providing thought partnership, strategic guidance, and professional development to the Communications Working Group on an as-needed basis
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating training modules for communications-related tools for organizational staff and membership
• Help with special events
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3-5 years of experience developing and implementing communications strategy and content
• Ability to support multiple staff/volunteers/interns in the role of manager
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills
• Ability to multitask and prioritize competing tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, and MSWord
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Common sense, flexibility, and teamwork skills with the ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Proclivity toward curiosity
• Steadfast commitment to collective liberation and ability to speak and unite those behind Black Vision’s mission and vision
• Time and project management skills; ability to pivot to meet current events and organizational needs

TO APPLY: Black Visions recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, national origin, documentation status, disability, veteran status, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Applications will only be accepted electronically. Please email a resume, cover letter, and two diverse work samples to  jobs@blackvisionsmn.org with the subject line “Senior Communications Strategist Application, Your Full Name.” Please include a daytime phone number where we can contact you. Please also share contact information for two references.  We are seeking to fill this position as soon as possible, and are accepting applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.   In your cover letter, please address the following (one page):

1. Do you seek to be/do you identify as a communicator in service to all Black lives? Why or why not?
2. What part of communications work is meaningful to you?
3. What else qualifies you for this role?