You are organized, skilled at building relationships, and an excellent facilitator. You are comfortable working with populations who’ve experienced trauma, mental illness, homelessness and/or substance dependency. You’ve led groups or taught classes related to business, personal development, leadership, or career readiness and are comfortable creating an inclusive environment and a safe space for sharing. You are adept at keeping discussions constructive and positive, even in challenging situations. You have experience or believe you would be comfortable working with incarcerated individuals and with prison staff to keep Defy’s entrepreneurship, personal development, and career readiness program on track. At Defy, your task is to ensure that our prison program is facilitated meaningfully and successfully.

This part-time opportunity is ideal for someone with a teaching, coaching and/or social service background who is comfortable working with diverse, incarcerated populations. You will be trained to deliver Defy Ventures’ CEO of Your New Life curriculum, which is a personal development, career readiness, and entrepreneurship training program. Individuals with lived experience are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will live within 45 miles of Kewanee, Illinois.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary facilitator-coach of Defy Ventures’ 8-month CEO of Your New Life curriculum teaching classes 2x per week at Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center.

• Lead inclusive spaces for collaborative learning with groups of currently incarcerated adults, including working with graduates of the program serving as peer facilitators

• Prep for weekly classes and ensure all necessary materials are accounted for, distributed and/or collected

• Help answer participants’ questions about the program

• Ensure assigned work is completed, logged, collected as required, and sent timely for processing

• Communicate weekly with supervisor regarding class progression

• Record class attendance

• Assist with visit and event preparation (e.g., event needs, volunteer clearances, supplies, etc.)

• Support Program Manager communication with prison staff to ensure participants receive the appropriate permission to attend all program classes and events

• Attend and support approximately three volunteer events over the course of each 8-month program

• Attend training sessions as needed (minimum monthly, typically virtual)

• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Strong interpersonal and communications skills, with the ability to intelligently and credibly

articulate Defy’s programmatic objectives and mission

• Basic computer proficiency and ability to use Google email, calendar, docs and sheets

• Teaching or group facilitation experience is a plus

• Collaborative team player with a "can do" attitude; willing to roll up sleeves and do whatever it takes to support Defy priorities

• Available to work part-time 2 days per week (teaching 2 classes in the facility twice a week) plus administrative support for a total of 10-15 hours per week

• Strong presentation and facilitation skills

• A willingness to learn and deepen your facilitation practice and open to feedback

• Excellent judgment and ability to maintain a professional demeanor and positive attitude, even in ambiguous situations and during high-pressure periods

• Ability to receive necessary clearances from the Illinois Department of Corrections to enter the prison facility

• Reliable transportation and valid driver’s license

• Individuals with lived experience are encouraged to apply

Compensation

Hourly Rate of $20/hour

About Defy Ventures

Defy Ventures’ mission is to change mindsets to give people with criminal histories their best shot at second chance. We are working to cut the recidivism rate in half by leveraging entrepreneurship as a tool to increase economic opportunity and inspire personal transformation. Defy’s prison and post-release programs provides entrepreneurship, employment, and personal development training to support formerly and currently incarcerated people to successfully reenter society by obtaining meaningful employment and, when ready, to start a small business. Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) “defy the odds” through our program which includes intensive leadership development, Shark Tank-style business pitch competitions, and executive mentoring. We seek to build a redemptive, authentic community between EITs and our volunteer community. For more information on Defy Ventures, please visit defyventures.org.

Defy Ventures is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

To apply, applicants should email a resume and thoughtful cover letter with Prison Program Facilitator, Illinois in the email subject line to info@defyventures.org.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 10 – 15 per week

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Evening shift

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Kewanee, IL 61443 (Required)

Work Location: In person