WHO WE ARE

Ranked amongst the Top 40 “Best Nonprofits to Work For 2022” by The Nonprofit Times, Eye to Eye is on a mission to improve the educational experience and outcomes of neurodiverse young people across the US, while engaging them and their allies in the movement for a more equitable and inclusive society. Together, we envision an anti-ableist world that fully embraces neurodiversity.

For more than twenty years, Eye to Eye has provided student-centered, strengths-based programming for students who learn differently. Our research-backed near-peer mentoring curriculum has empowered more than 10,000 middle school, high school, and college-aged young adults as they develop strong social and emotional skills, navigate accommodations and barriers to access, and become advocates for more inclusive and supportive learning environments. The organization is in an exciting phase of innovation and evolution as we expand beyond our classic near-peer mentoring model to advance our mission in new and exciting ways including a renewed focus on community organizing and professional learning for educators.

At Eye to Eye, we are passionate individuals inspired by our mission and motivated to advance educational equity for the 1 in 5 who learn differently. We are best when learning from each other, bringing our diverse ideas, talents, stories, and perspectives to fuel collaboration and drive our work to empower young people to fully embrace their own unique strengths and gifts as well. If you are passionate about the work we do, we invite you to apply!

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Organizing & Action Fellow will engage young people across the US who are neurodivergent to: build community, raise awareness, mobilize action for educational equity, and advance the intersectional disability justice movement nationally. The Fellow will work collaboratively with the Learning & Impact Team to continue designing and developing the LD Alliance, a student-led initiative on high school and college campuses across the country. The ideal candidate is passionate about developing authentic relationships, digital storytelling, and building grassroots power to influence culture, change systems, and mobilize communities to act.

This is an exciting time of growth for the LD Alliance, and the Fellow will lead outreach and coordination to grow the network of clubs nationally, and will engage and support young people with coaching, tools, and resources to successfully operate their clubs. The Organizing & Action Fellow will also have the opportunity to co-create and coordinate local and national advocacy campaigns and events with clubs, and use our national platform to amplify local efforts. They will also contribute to the development of our national organizing and advocacy strategy.

Reporting to the Director of Organizing and Action, this is a part-time, exempt position (up to 29 hours per week) for an initial period of 10 months. Ideally, this fellowship would begin mid-November 2022. Further, this is a remote-based position that can be performed from any location within the continental United States. The typical workweek is Monday through Friday, with flexible hours that will require occasional evening and weekend events.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

PROGRAM LEARNING AND INNOVATION

1. Design and implement a framework and structure that centers young people's vision and leadership in all aspects of LD Alliance design and decisions.
2. Identify and implement strategies to advance equity.
3. Engage in continuous improvement and learning processes, and ideate new ways to increase impact.
4. Research and embed current best practices and explore future possibilities in youth/young adult leadership, youth-led movement building, grassroots organizing, and advocacy.

DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND MANAGEMENT

1. Co-design structures and processes with LD Alliance members to meet the collective needs and wants of the network.
2. Co-develop program impact measures, goals, and systems for the LD Alliance along with the Director.
3. Collaborate to create, and maintain all artifacts, systems, and supports for an effective club network.
4. Engage in coaching, mentorship, and leadership development activities for, and with young people.
5. Communicate and reinforce various policies and procedures related to safety, risk management, equity, travel, budgeting, and financial accountability.

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN & EVENT MANAGEMENT

1. Foster community and support student organizing and advocacy efforts across the national Eye to Eye and The LD Alliance networks through the coordination and facilitation of various local, regional, and national events including the Annual Young Leaders Organizing Institute, Hill Day, and other student-focused conferences and events.
2. Develop necessary curriculum, content, artifacts, training, systems and supports required to implement campaigns and events with young people.
3. Collaborate with internal stakeholders and various partner organizations to design, promote and drive engagement and participation in national campaigns and events to meet or exceed program reach, impact and/or experience goals.
4. Coordinate The LD Alliance communications and develop content for promotional emails, announcements, invitations, newsletters, and social media posts.

OVERALL IMPACT AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

1. Serve as an ambassador for Eye to Eye by participating in local, regional, and national events and activities. Opportunities may include: conferences, webinars, speaking engagements, fundraisers, board meetings, interviews, and more.
2. Assist with special projects and initiatives, including but not limited to working groups, task forces, committees, retreats, and other initiatives and duties as requested by the Director.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The skills and experiences necessary for success in this role that will be prioritized in the screening process include:

1. Passion for the mission, vision, and goals of Eye to Eye and the LD Alliance, including a personal commitment to inclusive collaboration that prioritizes and incorporates diversity and equity in all aspects of work.
2. 1-2 years of experience organizing and/or advocating for racial, disability, and social justice, and utilizing an intersectional approach to movement building.
3. An understanding of youth and young adult leadership development and community organizing principles and tactics.
4. Strong interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and facilitation skills that center authentic engagement and are adaptable to diverse audiences.
5. Ability to work effectively within a remote environment; including the use of digital tools and platforms such as Microsoft, Google Drive, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, Monday.com, Salesforce, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn).
6. Demonstrated experience managing projects, including: setting priorities, managing time and resources, navigating challenges, and meeting goals.
7. Strong interest in understanding and amplifying the diverse experiences, vision, and goals of youth and young adults who are neurodiverse to inform local, state, and national policy and practice.
8. Experience creating digital campaigns and using social media for advocacy.
9. Resourcefulness and creativity in proposing ideas, soliciting feedback, and gaining buy-in from others.
10. Willingness to travel (with all expenses paid by Eye to Eye) with 2-3 annual events, including the annual Young Leaders Organizing Institute.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary for this role is $4,000 per month for up to 10 months. In addition, the Fellow will have the opportunity to:

1. GENEROUS PAID TIME OFF – Up to days of paid time off, including 18 days of structured holidays/breaks, and 15 days of flexible personal days for vacation, illness, or other personal needs.
2. REMOTE OFFICE - $500 budget for remote office set-up, plus $50 per month connectivity stipend.
3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING: Receive training, coaching, and professional development from experts and leaders in the field; boost their organizing and advocacy skills, reach, and experience; and network & build relationships with local & national partners.

APPLICATION PROCESS & TIMELINE

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and a work sample to eyetoeyenational.org/careers, sharing your connection to our values and mission, as well as the skills and experiences desired for this role as outlined above.

For your work sample, we ask that you submit a piece that best shows off your abilities related to this Fellowship. We would suggest choosing a work sample that best represents one or more of these areas.

• Your ability to mobilize people一with storytelling or narrative, clarity in explanation, compelling arguments, striking videos or images, etc.
• Your community organizing or advocacy expertise, such as a campaign, presentation, or policy brief.
• Your ability to do the kind of collaboration, coordination, and project management involved in this role.
• Your ability to engage, collaborate with, and support the leadership of youth and young adults.
• Surprise us!

APPLICATION TIMELINE

1. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted through September 30th, 2022. This is the last day to submit completed applications.

2. INTERVIEW PROCESS: Interviews will begin the week of October 10th through the week of October 24th. The interview process is broken down into the following interviews:

   1. Initial Screenings: These will take place starting the week of October 10th.
   2. 1st round interviews: These will take place the week of October 17th.
   3. 2nd and final interviews: These will take place starting the week of October 24th.

3. REFERENCE CHECKS: After interviews, reference checks will be conducted on the top candidate the week of October 31st. Chosen candidates will be asked to submit 3 references who can speak to the candidate's work ethic, strengths and areas to improve, and collaboration.

4. DECISION MADE: A decision will be made, with an offer letter drafted, by no later than November 11th.

5. START DATE: The ideal start date is November 16th, but we can be flexible depending on the selected candidate's availability and needs. We know some candidates may need more time to wrap up current projects.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Eye to Eye is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates the strength in differences and seeks a team that is reflective of the diverse communities we serve. In furtherance of this goal, we strongly encourage candidates who learn differently, particularly Black, Brown, and Indigenous individuals who have been impacted by educational inequities, and the educators, advocates, and allies who support them directly to apply.

All applicants will receive full consideration without regard to disability, medical condition, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, citizenship status, marital or familial status, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Eye to Eye is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request, either by phone at 347-819-4726 or via email at people(at)eyetoeyenational.org.