The College of Education has an outstanding opportunity for an ECO Community Partner Liaison.

In September 2016, the College of Education launched a new undergraduate major in Education, Communities and Organizations (ECO) focused on fulfilling the teaching and learning needs of communities in equitable and sustainable ways.  The foundation of the ECO major is a belief that teaching and learning happens not only within the formal classroom, but also in community settings.  In this sense, we see health educators, youth advocates, coaches and corporate trainers as teachers who foster access to learning for a range of constituents in any community.

The ECO curriculum combines human development, equity studies, learning sciences, organizational theory and community engagement to prepare students to work in a variety of teaching and learning roles serving youth, families and professionals. The ECO major serves students who want to work with youth beyond the age of 8 and adult learners in a variety of community teaching and learning contexts.  As such, students in the major plan to pursue careers in elementary and secondary teaching, higher education, youth development, policy reform, professional development, and a host of non-profit and government organizations.

The ECO program requires a year-long internship where students apply classroom knowledge alongside professionals in the field toward community-identified goals. Students in this internship will use their knowledge of community-based methods, which emphasize using community knowledge, promoting an asset-based approach and sustaining equitable relationships. The internship, which culminates in a capstone, has been constructed in collaboration with community contacts.

We are seeking a Community Partner Liaison to join the ECO team and take primary responsibility for initiating, cultivating, and sustaining strong relationships with community organizations.  These organizations will principally, but not exclusively, serve as hosts for the year-long ECO capstone internship.  In our efforts to uphold the value of equitable community-based research and practice, we are seeking applicants with experience in facilitating community voices as a part of the continued development and revision of the ECO major.

Effectively accomplishing this work requires an in-depth and nuanced understanding of communities and the individuals and organizations within them, as well as the skills to convey the importance of community-based learning to community organization representatives.  Similarly, reciprocal partnerships also require articulation of community strengths and priorities to university students, faculty and administrators.  This position reports to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs.

The Community Partner Liaison will contribute to the ECO major through four major responsibilities:

1.     Identify, initiate, cultivate and sustain strong relationships with many community organizations to serve as hosts for the year-long capstone internship.
•     Identify a range of organizations and roles that meet the teaching and learning needs of communities.
•     Establish a protocol for recruiting and screening organizations whose needs and assets fit student knowledge, skills, and learning goals.
•     Initiate, cultivate and sustain partnerships with this range of organizations, responding to questions and mentoring internship supervisors on expectations of ECO interns.
•     Serve as the primary contact for all current and potential community partner organizations.
•     In collaboration with the field placement coordinator, serve as the liaison to the Carlson Center Leadership and Public Service Center.  The Field Placement Coordinator and Undergraduate Program Coordinator will maintain accurate records of internship opportunities in the community partner database.  Given that the Carlson Center also sustains relationships with many community organizations to support their service-learning program, it is imperative that the Community Partner Liaison stay in collaborative communication with the Carlson Center to limit unintentional overlap and promote distribution of service across communities.

2.     Ensure a wide range of internship options are available that utilize community assets and students’ skills, but also meet community needs and promote student learning goals.
•     Through program conversations with the undergraduate team, promote a shared understanding of how community assets and needs align with ECO student interests, skills and learning goals.
•     Ensure that clear and accurate information is provided to students on choices for the capstone internship.
•     In collaboration with the field placement coordinator and undergraduate program coordinator, coordinate the bi-annual student placement process for the capstone internship.

3.     Work with faculty and undergraduate team (attending meetings, participating in class, holding focus groups and other connection between students and communities) to assist students in understanding communities and organizations, as well as reflecting on learning goals and outcomes from the capstone experience.

4.     Coordinate the evaluation of community-based learning experiences, from both organizational and student perspectives.  Contribute substantively to conversations on how to shape the ECO program in ways that respond to community-identified needs, strengths, and opportunities.

Other duties as assigned.

How to Apply:
The ECO major is committed to being a program that is inclusive of students from a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural, economic, ideological and social backgrounds, as well as serving communities in equitable, socially just and sustainable ways.

In your cover letter, please discuss your qualifications for this position and how your perspective on diversity, equity and inclusion will inform your role as Community Partner Liaison.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:

Appointment to this position is contingent upon obtaining satisfactory results from a criminal background check

The ECO major is committed to being a program that is inclusive of students from a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural, economic, ideological and social backgrounds, as well as serving communities in equitable, socially just and sustainable ways.

In your cover letter, please discuss how your perspective on diversity, equity and inclusion will inform your role as Community Partner Liaison.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Criminal Conviction History, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your