The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance program seeks AmeriCorps VISTA members to support our Safe Schools Consortia pilot in Northern Illinois.

This cohort-based learning program for high-level decision-makers in school systems aims to create champions of the Alliance’s primary programmatic areas to support LGBTQ+ students in PreK-12 schools, and *you* can help be a part of it through a year of dedicated service with the Alliance program!

This is a great learning and professional growth opportunity for someone looking for real-world experience before starting college, grad school, or a new career in the non-profit sector. It is a full-time position for 40 hours per week, though there is the possibility to attend classes or work part-time outside of that schedule. For more information on the AmeriCorps VISTA program, including their benefits, you can visit their website or check out this step-by-step guide to submit a VISTA application.

For details on our VISTA member positions, please visit the AmeriCorps search page and refine your search using these parameters:

• Program Type: AmeriCorps VISTA
• State: ILLINOIS
• Program Name: Alliance

In summary, the Alliance VISTA members are responsible for the following:

• Professional Development VISTA: Research professional development efficacy best practices and develop a system to evaluate the impact of professional development work within the consortia, assess PHIMC’s programs for opportunities for increased professional development and training, research and develop a train-the-trainers system to create more sustainable professional development trainings, and develop a professional development and training toolkit for consortia representatives.
• Development and Outreach VISTA: Research, plan, and execute a communication system for consortia representatives, create member welcome packets, develop a database of funders who support the Alliance’s mission, research and develop toolkit materials to be shared with consortia representatives, research and develop a train-the-trainers system to create more sustainable development trainings, brainstorm and execute social media strategies for the Alliance, and support the planning and execution of fundraising events.
• Youth Leadership VISTA [POSITION FILLED]: Research youth organizing efficacy best practices and develop a system to evaluate the impact of youth organizing work within the consortia, assess PHIMC’s programs for opportunities for increased youth engagement, develop surveys and conduct interviews with LGBTQ+ youth to collect data on youth living in poverty in Northern Illinois, research and develop a train-the-trainers system to create more sustainable youth organizing trainings, and develop a youth leadership and organizing toolkit for consortia representatives.
• Policy and Advocacy VISTA [POSITION FILLED]: Analyze local school policies and procedures in Northern Illinois and identify areas for improvement, research and build a model to evaluate the consortia’s advocacy work, conduct outreach to build a network of advocates who support the Alliance’s mission, evaluate the Alliance’s existing policy handbook and make revisions, research and develop toolkit materials to be shared with consortia representatives, and research and develop a train-the-trainers system to create more sustainable advocacy trainings.

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