AmeriCorps VISTA - Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator 

Grantmaking and Community Education

The Durham Public Schools Foundation is seeking a Program Coordinator to help grow and support our grantmaking program and the community education pillar of our WHOLE Schools-focused work. This is a full-time position with flexible hours. 

Interested applicants should submit a resume and letter of interest to DPSF’s Program and Partnerships Manager, Taylor Outler, taylor@bullcityschools.org. 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Second-round applicants will be asked to apply via the AmeriCorps VISTA website. 

About The Durham Public Schools  Foundation 

The Durham Public Schools Foundation (DPSF) launched in the fall of 2018 as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unites our DPS school communities, public- and private-sector resources, and community leaders around strategies to strengthen our Durham public schools. It was founded by a group of Durham community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, parents, and DPS alumni. 

DPSF believes that the success of Durham is linked to the success of Durham Public Schools. For Durham to reach its full potential, we must have public schools where all students can thrive. DPSF brings together our community resources to champion public education, invest in the people in our schools, and foster a culture of innovation and equity across DPS. 

Program Coordinator  | AmeriCorps VISTA 

The funding program coordinator will support one of the key components of our work, providing funds directly to the DPS community. In this role, there will be a logistical lift that supports the cohort side of the school-level grants. These funding opportunities (WHOLE Schools Fund and Innovation Grants) are given during the school year and follow a cohort model with built-in support centered around equity, sustainability, feasibility, and transformative change in our Durham Public Schools. These are focused on supporting grantees with their projects' completion, providing advocacy opportunities and connection amongst Durham Public Schools and the larger Durham community. Outside of school-level grants, DPSF provides funding for specific initiatives and/or needs expressed around the community. In addition to funding support, the program coordinator will ensure that community events are made readily available via the WHOLE Schools website, and provide event and programmatic support for the community education pillar of the WHOLE Schools work. 

The Program Coordinator is a full-time, 40-hours per-week, 12-month AmeriCorps VISTA position. Compensation includes a living allowance of $1,755 per month. Other benefits include: health care, child care, an education award of $6,095 or a stipend of $1,500 (taxable grant) at the end of service, forbearance or deferment of federal loans, and relocation allowance (if relocating more than 50 miles, not to exceed $550). Click here to learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA. 

Additional benefits include a $500 Wellness Stipend that staff can access through a reimbursement process for qualifying expenses (such as therapy, gym membership, etc.) and a $750 Professional Development budget that staff can access for pursuing their ongoing professional growth (additional professional development funds can be requested). DPSF also provides generous vacation time.

Working hours for this position are flexible. DPSF has shared office space at the W.G. Pearson Center in Durham that staff can access if they would like to use the workspace. DPSF’s staff works in a hybrid environment, with weekly in-person staff meetings. Wednesday and one other day in the office are required for this role. Working days and times will be discussed with the manager.

Supervision: This role reports to the Program and Partnerships Manager.

Range of Responsibilities

Grant Program (School-Level) Logistical Coordination

• Evaluation of the academic year 2023-2024 grant recipient final reports to sort commonalities and statistical findings 

• Follow-up with the academic year 2023-2024 grant recipients to receive final materials 
• Creation of the academic year 2023-2024 grants impact report 
• Support Sessions and Open House for potential grant applicants (technical assistance) 
• The academic year 2024-2025 grant application monitoring, process creation for reviewal, and creation of recruitment committee 
• The academic year 2024-2025 grant recipient processing support 
  • DocuSign
  • Email
  • Spreadsheet Management 
• Creation of a priority funding table to support internal decision-making of what to fund 

Community Education Support for WHOLE Schools 

• Update community calendar that lives on WHOLE Schools webpage (www.wholeschools.org) with events that relates to wellness for the DPS community. 
• Recruit events and gather events that relate to this calendar 

Flex Needs 

• Event support across DPSF 
• Communications support across DPSF 

Competitive applicants for the Program Coordinator position will have the following skills: 

• Ability to work independently while taking direction on how best to accomplish goals and tasks.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• Background with Google Suite, Canva, DocuSign, and other platforms.
• Solid administrative skills
• Strong attention to detail, successfully managing multiple tasks and deadlines with proper organization and prioritization.
• Commitment to DPSF’s team cultural tenets.
  • Center equity 
  • Honor the whole teammate
  • Remain curious
  • Embrace flexibility
  • Take risks and fail forward
  • Lean into collaboration
  • Be a constant learner
• Commitment to DPSF’s mission and core values. We believe …

• All children can succeed at the highest levels.
• Students’ and families’ voices matter and they know what they need from schools in order to thrive.
• Professional educators deserve support.
• Public schools can lead in dismantling systemic racism when they address current and historic systems of inequality.
• Public schools are crucial to a growing Durham with shared prosperity.
• The impact is sustainable when we continuously learn and collect evidence for what works.