Director of Ventures, Steppingstone Scholars

Posted by Steppingstone Scholars on December 15, 2020

About Us: Steppingstone Scholars is dedicated to helping educationally underserved students in the Greater Philadelphia region achieve academic success. The Ventures program prepares students for productive, fulfilling futures after high school while serving as an innovation hub for exciting, new, and better ways to support Philadelphia students who deserve access to our educational and social mobility engine with a focus on STEM related education and workforce pathways . At the core of Venture’s programming is Inveniam, a first of its kind STEM Equity Lab, through the joint partnership with Penn Engineering, Inveniam, .

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Director of Ventures works with the Vice President of Programs to build and grow relationships between Steppingstone Scholars and high schools, universities, and businesses. The position is responsible for implementing key components of Steppingstone’s strategic plan. The Director will work to create pathways to college and workforce STEM majors and careers. The position will work to imbed Ventures programming directly in schools and oversee key cross programmatic initiatives, such as the Blended Learning Initiative, AP Course development and implementation, and College Internship opportunities. The ongoing work of the Director of Ventures is to create, identify and execute bold, innovative ideas with partners who are not only committed to enhancing educational and professional opportunities for our Scholars but also dismantling the systemic barriers that have held back talented but low-income students from achieving their full potential.

Responsibilities

Coordination of Key Initiatives in Ventures

• STEM Curricula and Technology for Underserved Students
  • Oversees implementation of AP courses including Computer Science, AB Calculus, and AP Biology in district high schools with support from Steppingstone staff and district staff
• Pathways to STEM Education
  • • Coordinates University of Pennsylvania and Temple’s Fox Business partners to run summer programming including recruitment, STEM programming, and workforce/career development
• Pathways to Careers in the Innovation Economy
  • In coordination with Steppingstone Senior Management, manages relationship with universities and Philadelphia businesses for college student programming
  • Coordinates with Steppingstone Directors and University Career offices to place students in internship and job opportunities at the collegiate level Oversees Venture Capital Program
  • Works with principals, teachers, and counselors to identify students and alumni for Steppingstones’ workforce preparation programming and internship/employment opportunities. at the high school level.

Program Leadership & Management

• Manages a team of college access and university partners
• Attracts, develops, coaches, and retains high-performing program staff
• Works with staff to develop systems to ensure consistent, high-quality project management and delivery
• Facilitates program staff meetings
• Prepares departmental reviews for Senior Management
• Delivers presentations to Boards and constituent families and partners
• Collects and analyzes data to drive program evaluation, quality, and development
• Oversees contracting and implementation of programming of partner CBOs

Data Management and Analysis

• Manages data about college attendance, certificate programs, and associate degrees, especially for students at post-secondary institutions with Enrollment and Success Agreements including cost of attendance, time to degree, majors, and certificates earned
• Tracks underrepresented students’ access and achievement to understand where students are most successful in high school and eventually post-secondary institutions to show what investments are making a difference in outcomes and patterns of attendance for Black, Latino, and low-income students.
• Analyzes data in partnership with the city, District, and employers for understanding the effectiveness of workforce partnerships and for understanding how to expand those partnerships around student interests and employer needs.

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