Community Engagement Associate - Mandarin

About NYC Kids RISE

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working with the City of New York and the NYC Department of Education to manage the Save for College Program (the Program). Through the Program, eligible students enrolled in an NYC public school (including participating charter schools), starting in kindergarten, automatically receive a free NYC Scholarship Account with an initial allocation of $100 by NYC Kids RISE on their behalf, invested in a NY 529 Direct Plan, and opportunities to receive additional rewards over time. Their families can open and connect their own college savings account on their child’s behalf, and communities can contribute to groups of these NYC Scholarship Accounts as both a targeted and universal platform for community-driven asset-building in every neighborhood. This approach draws from a variety of best practices and disciplines across the fields of asset building, child savings accounts, financial empowerment, education, community wealth building, urban poverty, neighborhood effects and social capital research, collective impact, and more. Read more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and listen to stories from partners who helped build the platform during its pilot phase from 2017 to 2022.  You can also view recent articles in Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and the NYCHA Journal; and read more about NYC Kids RISE theory of change in a recent report by the Urban Institute. 

After a successful pilot phase in the communities of geographic School District 30 in Queens, NYC Kids RISE expanded citywide during the 2021-2022 school year, which means that nearly 70,000 first grade students across more than 1,000 elementary schools now have an NYC Scholarship for their educational futures.

Community Engagement Associate 

NYC Kids RISE seeks a highly organized, and detail-oriented Community Engagement Associate with strong communication skills to join our Parent Foundations team and support the execution of our direct parent engagement strategy. The ideal candidate will engage participating families, help them understand the Save for College Program and its benefits, and support families to complete the foundational steps, with a special focus on understanding savings account options and opening their own savings accounts. Community Engagement Associates will also educate parents about different opportunities to continue to engage with their savings accounts including different ways and moments to save and provide appropriate referrals to supportive services. Applicants should be bilingual in English and Mandarin.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Becoming fluent in Save for College Program and college savings account materials in order to be able to present this information in a variety of settings, answer parent questions and work 1:1 with parents
• Conducting direct outreach to participating parents in person, via phone, text and / or email in order to explain the program and engage them to complete the foundational steps and move down the scale of engagement with the Program
• Delivering presentations about the Save for College Program and facilitating informational workshops
• Providing one-on-one navigational and technical support for parents/guardians in viewing their scholarship accounts, opening and linking their own college savings accounts and making deposits
• Staffing the NYC Kids RISE Hotline in order to answer the questions of participating parents and other stakeholders as well as help them sign up for workshops and complete key program steps
• Staffing Save for College Program events including supporting the logistics of prep, execution and follow up
• Ensuring timely follow up and excellent customer service to participating parents including appropriate referrals to other services
• Working on administrative and logistical projects that support the execution of the direct parent engagement strategy
• Providing feedback and generating new ideas for ways that NYC Kids RISE can support parents to understand the program and complete the foundational steps
• Representing NYC Kids RISE in interactions with a variety of community stakeholders such as school and community based organization partners
• Completing timely data entry to ensure all interactions with participating parents and other key data points such as workshop attendance and hotline calls are captured in NYC Kids RISE’s database 
• Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, maintaining, and supporting other staff and volunteers to maintain strict adherence to NYC Kids RISE data security and privacy policies; remaining vigilant on the ways in which NYC Kids RISE can continue to protect Confidential Information (including Student and Family Data); and
• Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, participating and sharing in the organization’s work to advance racial equity and anti-oppression in the organization’s and program’s operations and practices; proactively identify opportunities to advance the development of an anti-racist organization; share and solicit ongoing feedback and conversations to advance this work.

Requirements:

• Bilingual in English and Mandarin (Required)
• 2-4 years of related work experience 
• Interest in or previous work experience in financial empowerment and / or college and career readiness, and / or community organizing
• Ability to lead presentations, and facilitate workshops or events in English and Mandarin
• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Proficiency in MS/Google Suite
• Familiarity with Client Relationship Management databases
• Proficiency in Zoom / Google Meet / MS Teams or other video meeting or webinar technology
• Availability for some evening, early morning, and weekend events;

Preferred Skills:

• Ability to break down complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand in English and Mandarin
• Ability to walk someone through the technical aspects of a registration, enrollment or application process in English and Mandarin
• Previous experience with project management

Due to COVID-19, the application process for this role will be conducted virtually. The entire team is currently working remotely and depending on the timing of this hire, the Manager of Operations will likely begin this position remotely as well. The office is otherwise based in Long Island City (Queens, NY), and the entire team is expected to return to the office once health conditions allow.

To apply, a cover letter and resume are required. Please list the name of the position, “Community Engagement Associate - Mandarin." Salary is $65K.

NYC Kids Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of basis of gender, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unemployed status, or any other characteristic protected by law.