Project Coordinator: READYGO (Early Education and Care/Head Start Workforce Development Initiative)

MASSCAP is the association of the 23 Community Action Agencies – federally mandated anti-poverty agencies – operating in Massachusetts.  Community Action Agencies (CAAs) were created more than 50 years ago as part of the war on poverty to eliminate the paradox of poverty amidst plenty and to foster economic mobility and stability among our vulnerable friends and neighbors living with low incomes.  MASSCAP’s mission is to strengthen, unify, and advocate with the Community Action Statewide Network to advance economic, racial, and social justice and to create communities where everyone thrives.  Learn more at www.masscap.org.  

READYGO is an early educator workforce development initiative led by MASSCAP and supported by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. The project is grant-funded and is entering its third year with the expectation that funding will continue for two more years. 

READYGO supports a skilled workforce of early childhood educators who have taken trauma-informed coursework so that children can be successful in school. The goal is to maximize the number and outcomes of children in Early Education and Care/Head Start programs by creating trauma-informed learning environments through new behavioral management skills to successfully impact children’s social and emotional health and academic achievement, increasing educators’ capacity to deliver trauma-informed care and foster more equitable educational outcomes for children, and using a research-based approach to develop a scalable model for system-wide changes to provide early educators with the skills and credentials needed to optimize outcomes for children in their classrooms. 

Scope of Work 

• Work closely with Project Directors to manage project and execute timeline 
• Coordinate and manage Leadership Team, Advisory Council, and college subcommittee communications and meetings 
• Manage communications with partner childcare center personnel 
• Serve as MASSCAP’s point of contact for educators enrolled in courses 
• Regularly update summary document as well as other documents as needed 
• Participate in activities as required by the project’s funder 
• Work closely with evaluation team and provide data as needed 
• Assist Project Directors with annual grant proposal 
• Draft MOUs and contracts with partner organizations  
• Monitor timeline and partner compliance with deliverable deadlines  
• Facilitate virtual meetings (Zoom, Microsoft Teams)  
• Prepare required grant reports for project funder  
• Work with Project Directors on outreach and communications with policy and advocacy partners 
• Assist in the development and implementation of strategy for policy and advocacy activities  
• Stay informed about the impact of the pandemic on childcare operations 
• Support Project Directors in all aspects of project 

Qualifications 

• Ability to lead projects and facilitate group collaboration and consensus 
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written 
• Ability to work independently 
• Experience working with nonprofits 
• Project coordination experience required 
• Experience in advocacy and knowledge of Early Education and Care system in MA preferred 

Please send cover letter detailing your approach to the scope of work, qualifications and relevant experience as well as resume(s) to lisaclay@masscap.org by January 28, 2022.