Job Summary:

Reporting to and working closely with the Executive Director, the Community Engagement Coordinator is responsible for building interest in and recruiting volunteers for West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) programming within the West Philadelphia community at-large, partners, partner school families and neighbors. Part of this position will include attending community meetings, public presentations, coordination of trainings, as well as promotion of WePAC through written marketing collateral.

Essential Job Duties:

• Working with the Executive Director, develop and implement community outreach activities, campaigns, and strategies to cultivate community awareness, build relationships and community engagement with WePAC programming.
• Plan and coordinate periodic educational and advocacy activities that invite volunteers, community members, and experts to engage with issues related to policy and best-practices in the fields of literacy, urban education, school funding, and other relevant topics.
• Help plan and support WePAC special events, such as annual school year kick-offs, volunteer recognition events, back-to-school nights, and National Library Week.
• Identify community events and activities where the library-related programs should be promoted, and represent WePAC in these settings.

Projected start date for the successful candidate is February 1, 2024.

Full job description and application information.

What does WePAC do?
WePAC reopens libraries in Philadelphia public elementary schools that were closed due to severe state budget cuts in the late 1990s. So far, we have reopened libraries in 18 schools (soon to be 19). Seventeen of our schools are located in West & Southwest Philadelphia; one school is in Queen Village and one is in East Falls.

What can volunteers do with WePAC?
We need volunteers to get our libraries up & running again as Philadelphia public schools reopen in September 2021 post-COVID.

This summer, we need help with:
➔ Cataloging new books;
➔ Weeding out old books; and
➔ Cleaning up library spaces & reshelving books.

During the school year, we’ll need help with:
➔ Staffing our volunteer library teams to work in the libraries during the school day. Our library volunteers read to students, help them select books to check out, check books back in, & lead literacy enrichment activities (as time and space permit).
➔ Continuing to catalog new books & weed out old books.

I’m interested in volunteering. What should I do next?
Please email us at volunteer@wepac.org & we’ll get in touch with you to discuss next steps.

How can I learn more about WePAC?
Check out our website at http://www.wepac.org & and follow us on Facebook and Instagram
@wepacreads.
A Book Can Change a Story!
(Summer 2021)

WePAC is an independent 501(c)(3) that has been serving the West Philadelphia community since 2003, and since 2009 has been running its flagship school library program. WePAC has transformed abandoned, unused spaces in Philadelphia public elementary schools into vibrant, functioning libraries staffed by teams of volunteers who read stories and help students check books in and out. During the 2017-2018 school year, WePAC libraries operated in 13 schools serving more than 4,500 children. In addition, WePAC runs a Library Buddies program in which literacy mentors are paired with individual students needing extra help with reading. WePAC has 170+ dedicated volunteers and the programs are well received by students, parents and other caregivers, teachers and principals.

WePAC’s goals are to re-open more school libraries and engage additional volunteers and community members to expand its locations, services, and number of children served. To achieve these goals WePAC seeks to enhance its partnerships and alliances within the community to augment and improve existing programming.

About the Position
The Library Program Manager is responsible for programming, implementing, supervising, and growing library-related programs for WePAC. The position reports directly to the Executive Director and will oversee a corps of 170+ volunteers. Programming currently includes WePAC’s flagship school libraries as well as the Library Buddies program. Such programming may evolve over time but will remain consistent with the organization’s mission.

General responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Volunteer and Program Management

· Recruit, onboard and orient new volunteers and provide ongoing support and training for existing volunteer teams.

· Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and track progress toward meeting desired programmatic outcomes.

· Develop orientation and training curriculum for all volunteers; implement, monitor, assess, improve; develop materials to direct and guide volunteers’ implementation of WePAC programs.

· Manage the placement and organization of volunteers into Library Teams that meet school needs, or into special projects.

· Identify and design one-time project-based volunteer events (i.e. library cataloging, book sorting) for corporate groups and other related groups.

· Identify program challenges, and design solutions to improve student access to books, to improve volunteer effectiveness in the library/school setting, and to raise the quality of our offerings, including book collections that better meet the needs of students.

· Communicate regularly with library team leaders, Library Buddies, other volunteers, and school partners to identify material/programmatic needs and coordinate responses.

· Coordinate special programmatic events throughout the year (ex: financial literacy week, poetry month, author/illustrator visits, etc.) and for Library Café.

Community Engagement

· Identify events and activities where the library-related programs should be promoted, and represent WePAC in these settings.

· Plan and coordinate periodic educational and advocacy activities that invite volunteers, community members and experts to engage issues related to policy and best-practices in the fields of literacy, urban education, school funding, and other relevant topics.

· Help plan and support WePAC special events, such as annual school year kick-off meeting, volunteer recognition events, fundraisers, back-to-school nights, and National Library Week.

· Aid in the development of strategies to increase parent, grandparent and community involvement as volunteers and participants in local schools.

· Identify and communicate with area literacy organizations and groups working with Philadelphia youth to share resources and contacts.

· Maintain regular communication with partner schools and document all partnership agreements.

· As needed, support the ED in cultivating partnerships with School Advisory Councils (SAC’s), Home and School Associations (HSA’s), corporations and other organizations to support the development of the library-related programs.

Administrative Responsibilities

· Document program activities, including keeping records of contact information, hours, and communications.

· Maintain up-to-date records for all volunteers, including attendance, contact information, schedules, case notes, and background clearances.

· Collaborate with library team leaders and school partners to establish and communicate library schedules annually.

· Design, distribute, collect, and tabulate end-of-year evaluations for school and volunteers.

· Maintain regular communication with Executive Director and colleagues about programs.

· Attend selected Board of Directors meetings and provide reports as requested.

· Coordinate in-kind support for programs, including book drives that support WePAC’s goals and school supply drives that reduce program cost and provide resources for volunteers’ work with students.

· Support the ED in any and all initiatives in support of WePAC’s mission as requested.

Other requirements:

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Must be able to use hand truck to transport books and other materials.
• Access to reliable transportation in order to visit schools, partners, Board, etc.
• Assume other responsibilities as needed or requested.

Professional Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or higher, or equivalent, with education or library related degree preferred
• Three or more years literacy-related program experience in a school or with a nonprofit organization preferred
• Experience developing and implementing curriculum and training programs
• Strong organizational abilities including planning, program development and task facilitation
• Experience managing large groups of volunteers preferred
• Knowledge of developing and evaluating program outcomes
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to interface and engage diverse volunteer and teacher/administrator groups
• Ability to juggle multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment
• Experience using basic applications such as Microsoft Office, as well as ability to learn new programs (Destiny Library Manager)

All activities and behaviors of the Program Manager and must be professional, ethical, lawful and fall within the guidelines of WePAC By-laws and Policy.

https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-job/c120dd770bdb4ef3905b5b51c0c6b174-library-and-literacy-program-manager-west-philadelphia-alliance-for-children-wepac-philadelphia?

Ideal candidates must be comfortable using databases, Microsoft Excel and Word and mail merge. Background using Salesforce is a plus. Candidates must be able to get along well with others, be diplomatic with all, be a self starter and be detail oriented in order to be sure all work is proper. The position is hourly at $10.00 per hour for up to approximately 15 hours per week. The job site is at 5070 Parkside Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. The hours are flexible but must be during the normal working day.

To apply please email a resume and a one page cover letter to Anisha Sinha (Anisha@wepac.org).

• Library Program – Read aloud to classes of elementary schoolchildren, help them select and check out books, reshelve books, and help maintain libraries as a welcoming environment.
• Library Buddies – Be a reading mentor to a child, working one-on-one weekly with a struggling reader in grades K-3.
• Library Catalogers – Help get new titles into children’s hands quickly by entering books into the electronic catalog system.
• New Library Set Up – Help WePac set up two new libraries, slated to begin operation in the fall.

WePAC specializes in providing library programs for K-4 students. But what happens when a sixth grader discovers his school library?

At the end of last school year, Preston, a sixth grade student at the Edward Heston School, noticed WePAC volunteers working in the library and wandered in to learn more. Because he was in the sixth grade, his class was unable to visit the school library each week, but that didn’t stop him from introducing himself to the library team leader and making arrangements to check out books on his own.

Pretty soon Preston was visiting the library twice each week, every time it was open. Sometimes he would come twice in a day, checking out a new book each visit and always returning the last book he’d read!

At the end of the school year, Preston was sad to learn that he could no longer check out books, but the library team leader had a solution! She offered him the chance to peruse the stock of giveaway books available to students to take home over the summer–he took 15!

Libraries reopen to serve students in October 2015. Will you join us in giving students a strong start in their libraries by participating as a runner or walker, or donating to someone who is? We can’t do this work without you.

https://www.generosityseries.com/charities/wepac/

A part of the nationwide Generosity Series, Generosity Philadelphia is a multi-charity 5K Run/Walk that will take place on November 15, 2015 in Fairmount Park.

Generosity Philadelphia is a perfect event for walkers, runners and rollers. The 5K distance is perfect for most healthy individuals 7-70 and our professional chip timed course and top finisher awards cater to our more competitive runners.