Colorado Nonprofit Association

Reengagement Specialist

Organization Overview: Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC) is an educational nonprofit organization with a statewide scope. CYC addresses barriers to learning by providing individualized supports throughout pivotal stages of students’ education journeys. We provide a continuum of services from Prekindergarten through high school to help students find success through tutoring, case management, and outreach to help in-school youth remain in school or out-of-school youth return to school. We envision an equitable education system where each student has access to the resources they need to maximize their own learning and growth.

Organizational Evolution: Over the past two and a half years, CYC has stepped up to lead education recovery efforts due to the pandemic, not only expanding its reach to more school districts and students but also tripling its budget and learning how to deploy resources quickly. This is an exciting time to join the team, as the organization has grown, developed a new mission and vision, created a three-year strategic plan, and positions itself to respond to many incredible opportunities to support students.

Program & Position Summary: CYC’s Reengagement team supports young people who have left school early without a diploma. The Reengagement Specialist will work with Denver Public Schools, CYC Staff, as well as other nonprofit and service orientated agencies supporting youth with the goal of graduating high school. The Reengagement Specialist contacts over 1,000 youth who have left school through phone, text, email, and home visit outreach, connecting with approximately 400 hundred out-of-school youth per calendar year, in order to help 55 youth return to school. The Reengagement Specialist will help facilitate student enrollments and will provide support services and case management so the students can successfully obtain credits and/or graduate. The Reengagement Specialist tracks their outreach, enrollments, and case management using CYC’s data management systems. This position is a hybrid of working from home, working out in the community, and working from CYC’s Denver office – the split of this varies on the time of year, need of students, meeting schedules, etc. This position is full-time with benefits. Hourly salary is $20.68 and bilingual hourly salary is $20.92.

Essential Functions

• Outreach to a minimum of 1,000 youth over the course of the year via phone calls, text messages, emails, and home visits
• Quickly build relationships with each youth while ascertaining their interest in returning to school
• Help and engage each youth in a school exploration process to find appropriate schools where they might return
• Address barriers for each youth by connecting them with community service providers so that they may focus on school
• Work to get youth through school registration processes by helping with paperwork, as well as obtaining any necessary documents such as birth certificates, transcripts, etc.
• Provide follow up case manage for students for one full year following enrollment in school
• Case management services include twice per month contact with students and continued individualized support to ensure their ongoing success and eventual graduation
• Track all students’ progress within CYC’s database and other spreadsheets

Commitment to Organizational Culture and Values

• Commit to operate within a framework that centers CYC’s organizational values of growth, inclusion, integrity, excellence, and community.
• Contribute to an inclusive and equitable work environment and provide inclusive and equitable services to the community. This includes demonstrating:
• A commitment to learn and engage in anti-oppression trainings and conversations; including a willingness to unpack personal biases and identities.
• The ability to put anti-oppression framework into practice within specific role at CYC; including a willingness to interrupt systems of oppression to create more equitable, inclusive environments for staff, AmeriCorps members, and students.
• The ability to cultivate inclusive and equitable relationships with students, staff, AmeriCorps members, and community members with varied identities and life experiences.
• A desire to share the organizational responsibility of creating an environment that supports anti-oppression accountability.

Other Duties

• Attend and participate in staff, school, and community meetings as required/relevant
• Speak on behalf of the organization when appropriate
• Run errands as needed using personal transportation
• Perform other duties, responsibilities, and special projects as assigned
• Complete required training as assigned by CYC

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Computer skills in Microsoft Word and Excel with an emphasis on the ability to create spreadsheets and tables in order to capture data in a useful and intelligible manner
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and remain organized in multiple settings, while simultaneously keeping track of the results achieved for each youth
• Ability to contribute to a positive morale
• Experience and comfort working with staff and students from diverse backgrounds as well as their families and support networks as it relates to education
• An ability to “change gears” and work collaboratively with internal staff and external partners
• An ability to find and stay informed about beneficial resources for youth throughout the Denver-Metro community
• Knowledge of alternative, charter, traditional schools, and GED programs operating with Denver
• Appreciation of clear and appropriate boundaries with youth and staff
• A passionate and committed belief that students deserve access to quality education resources and support
• Dependable transportation and being insurable as a driver on the auto liability policy of Colorado Youth for a Change
• Experience with and dedication to engage students, families, and staff across social identities and life experiences

Minimum Qualifications

• Two years minimum experience working with youth and/or within the education system
• Ability to build trusting relationships with youth, families, school staff, and other stakeholders
• Strong organization, data tracking, and time management skills
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred

Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC) is committed to inclusion and prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, national origin, age 40 and over, religion, disability, or any other applicable status protected by federal, state or local law.

We will make reasonable accommodation for otherwise qualified individuals with known disabilities or whose service requirements interfere with a religious belief unless doing so would result in an undue hardship or a direct threat to CYC. Please contact Human Resources at 303.292.2779 to request accommodation or for questions/concerns regarding this policy.