This is a hourly full-time temporary position for summer 2024.
Do you believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid? Would you like to work where you are encouraged to promote fun, creativity and play? If you are motivated and you possess leadership experience– both on and off the playground – we want you to join our team and put your passion for play to work for us.
At Playworks we believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid. We are changing the school climate by leveraging the power of safe, fun, and healthy play at school every day. We create a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. We partner with schools, districts, and after-school programs to provide a service or mix of services including on-site coaches, professional training for school staff who support recess, and consultative partnerships.
Here’s where you come in:
As a Program Coordinator or "Coach" you will bring healthy play and physical activity to elementary schools to create a positive environment for learning and teaching. In this position, you are trained and placed at a school to run Playworks' physical activity program focused on teaching and organizing safe and inclusive games before, during and after school. You teach conflict resolution strategies, inspire all children to get off the sidelines and into the game and work to generate more community and family involvement.
Specifically, you will have Program, Administrative, and School Partnership Duties as follows-
Program Duties:
Plan and implement sports and play based programming during recess / play time, in school and after school hours at a public elementary school:
- Recess / Play time- Create a safe, fun, and inclusive playground by developing and modelling standard agreements for behavior and conflict resolution skills, teaching kids and recess support staff the rules and strategies of the games and recruiting disengaged students to participate.
- Junior Coach Leadership Program - Implement a youth leadership program by facilitating student trainings and providing student leadership opportunities at recess. Junior Coaches are a mix of 4th through 6th grade students who participate in regular trainings that focus on teaching valuable skills like leadership, conflict resolution, inclusion and community action, successfully improving their self-esteem, self-advocacy, leadership ability, and desire to improve academically.
- Class Game Time - Lead instructional time with individual classes throughout the year. During this time, the coach teaches foundational skills and activities that will prepare students so they can confidently engage in and enjoy recess.
Administrative Duties:
- Maintain communication between Playworks staff, school staff, teachers, families, and volunteers.
- Collect and maintain paperwork including organizing daily, weekly, and monthly schedules and timesheets.
- Support the collection of evaluations administered by Playworks
School Partnership Duties:
- Consistently represent Playworks’ brand in a professional manner.
- Design program schedule with input and support from school administration.
- Communicate with school administration regarding program implementation logistics and support needs.
- Facilitate school’s transition to other Playworks training, programs, and products in preparation for future school year.
If you're a good fit for this position, you already know most of what this job entails. However, to be sure we're providing a complete picture, here are some details:
- The strongest candidates will be motivated self-starters with strong interpersonal communication skills, both oral and written.
- You will be successful if you are humorous and playful, with the ability to set clear goals and follow through with flexible and creative problem-solving tools.
- Success in this position requires you to be a multitasker with a strong eye for detail and an ability to consider the larger context.
Required Skills & Experience
- High school education or equivalent
- Demonstrated experience leading and/or teaching small and large groups of children with the ability to engage and inspire youth
- Experience interacting with diverse communities and the ability to integrate into and existing school community
- Knowledge of computer and internet-based programs for use in communication and reporting requirements
- Ability to manage assorted tasks with a focus on enhancing the experience for youth during the school day
- Access to reliable transportation (public transportation or personal transport) to/from assigned school
- Candidates must clear a National Sex Offender Public Registry, State criminal check, and FBI background check
- Successful completion of TB test (upon hire)
Compensation & Benefits:
- This is a temporary, non-exempt position with an anticipated rate of $18.08/hr.
- Opportunities for professional development
This is a hands-on, creative, playful and fun-loving place to work, all while contributing to the success of our nation’s youth. If you're ready to immerse yourself in the education sector, working on a rewarding set of challenges and if you've got the skills, experience, passion, and a team spirit, apply!
- Candidates selected for an interview will be contacted on a rolling basis
Other things you need to know:
- This position may require travel to various locations.
- If a Playworks employee is required to drive a vehicle for work related purposes (not commuting purposes) the employee must complete an authorization form and provide us with evidence of valid, current driver's license and proof of liability/collision/property damage insurance with minimum coverage of $50,000 each accident/ $100,000 each occurrence
- You must have outstanding communication skills-in addition to maintaining an open line of communication, you'll demonstrate excellent communication skills, including good phone and email etiquette and the ability to facilitate small and large group presentations.
- Requires flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment
Typical physical and mental demands:
- Playworks Coaches are required to frequently balance, bend, climb, grasp, kneel, reach, sit, squat, stand, stoop, twist, walk, and write on a daily basis. Coaches must also be able to occasionally lift and carry light to medium loads of 10 – 50 pounds and be able to occasionally pull and push loads of 10 – 50 pounds. Requires a normal range of hearing and eyesight to communicate with children and adults. Also requires flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment.
We are committed to racial equity, and we make a particular effort to recruit people of color, indigenous people, gender non-binary people, and people with historically more marginalized identities to apply for open positions. Our core values of inclusion, respect, healthy community and healthy play are the foundation of our organization and are infused in all aspects of our work.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. If that is you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself!
As an equal opportunity program, Playworks encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, gender identity/expression, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability, or any other legally protected basis. Playworks evaluates all candidates for employment, volunteering opportunities or board service on a merit basis.
