Program Coordinator, Playworks

Posted by Playworks on February 5, 2018

This full-time position is for the 2017-2018 school year with expected start of February 2018.

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.

Playworks is the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform children’s physical and emotional health. Playworks currently serves more than 1,300 schools in 23 U.S. cities, and reaches 700,000 students directly and through professional training services.

At Playworks we believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid. We are changing 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, in school and after school hours at a public elementary school:

• Recess – 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.
• Interscholastic Leagues – Lead non-competitive teams designed to develop skills, provide a positive team experience, and teach good sporting behavior to students.

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 trainings, programs, and products in preparation for future school year.

https://www.playworks.org/about/careers/staff/job/991813/