Fellowship Program Coordinator

Position description

Cortico is a non-profit committed to fostering deep conversations to bring underheard voices to the center of a healthy public dialogue.

Cortico operates Fora, a speech platform designed to enable bringing communities together for listening, understanding, and sharing. Through a powerful combination of AI and human listening, this platform enables organizations to make sense of the conversations they collect, and surfaces community voices into public dialogue and decision making.

Communities have used Fora to lift up voices and perspectives in the selection of Madison, WI’s police chief and the election of Boston’s mayor. Local newsrooms have used Fora to understand citizen agendas and include underheard voices directly in their reporting. Global nonprofits are using Fora to listen to their stakeholders for strategic policy setting. Local nonprofits have used Fora to surface experiences of people in the margins and amplify their voices through artist collaborations.

Our platform continues to grow as we leverage new technology and a growing number of partnerships to better understand conversations. We also want to better meet people where they are, whether that be on their phones as we build out a mobile app, or in a conference room as we develop a hardware listening device.

Cortico partners closely with MIT’s Center for Constructive Communication (MIT CCC) and has a track record of bringing research technology to production.

About this role

Cortico is looking for a dynamic and passionate individual to fill the role of Fellowship Program Coordinator. Reporting to our Manager of Programs and Partnerships (Youth), you will play a pivotal role in developing, managing, and guiding our brand new fellowship program that is set to launch in August 2024. The fellowship program will be created with the goal of intentionally building a network of educators who are passionate about elevating youth voices, while supporting them in incorporating meaningful conversation-based projects within their classrooms. This role will coordinate projects with teaching fellows as they use cutting edge MIT-developed technology to record, understand, and summarize small-group conversations with their students on the issues that matter most.  

With guidance and support, you will be a thought leader in designing the program and will collaborate closely with Cortico and MIT CCC staff throughout the design and implementation of the program. This position is best suited for someone early in their career who is passionate about and has a background in organizing, has experience working with educators and youth, and possesses a deep commitment to fostering community and elevating youth voice. 

The compensation range for this role is $20 – $25 per hour and we have competitive benefits which can be found here. Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor visas at this time. Our team members must be based in the U.S.

About our culture

Cortico’s team is kind, collaborative, inquisitive, and inclusive. We approach our mission and work with ambition, making concrete progress today while imagining the possibilities of tomorrow. We have high standards for quality and ethics, and help each other learn in order to reach our objectives. We think technology and organizations are best built by teams with a diversity of background, thought, and experience. Every team member is a human first, and we strive to create a culture and environment that supports your career goals and respects all of the hats you wear in life, not just the ones that earn you a paycheck.

About you

• You’ve read about our mission and values and they strongly align with yours.
• You have a commitment to strengthening communities through the use of innovative and accessible civic education and leading edge technologies.
• You are a relationship-builder and seek to make meaningful connections with others. 
• Your integrity and ethics are beyond reproach, especially with sensitive data.
• You’re entrepreneurial. When you see a gap you take the initiative and leverage any available resources to understand the problem and recommend a solution.

Minimum qualifications

• You’ve led programs with and for young people and/or educators, bringing a deep interest in elevating their perspectives and experiences into the public sphere.
• You have previous experience with teaching, coaching, and/or facilitation.
• You have exceptional written, visual, presentation, and verbal communication skills. 
• You have the strong organizational skills required to balance multiple projects at once, meeting timelines and producing deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Fellowship Design:
• In collaboration with Cortico staff, develop and implement a comprehensive program curriculum to provide the structure for the teaching fellowship.
• Promote the fellowship and shape recruitment efforts for applicants. 
• Develop, organize, and lead virtual and in-person events to showcase the work of the fellows.
• Collaboration, Partnership, and Mentorship:
• Design and coordinate engaging activities, workshops, and events that promote collaboration and skill-building among fellows.
• Work closely with fellows as a thought partner to collaboratively solve problems, work through challenges, and encourage new ideas. 
• Foster a sense of community and belonging among fellows, promoting positive relationships and collaboration.
• Integrate fellows into cross-organizational planning and culture, ensuring their perspectives are shared with staff across Cortico & MIT CCC. 
• Collaborate with external partners, educators, and community organizations to enhance the fellowship program’s impact.
• Collaborate with Cortico and MIT CCC staff to lead and implement outreach strategy for inviting interest from fellowship candidates.
• Actively share feedback with the Product teams at MIT CCC and Cortico to improve Fora Mobile, AI Sensemaking, and other project tools based on user feedback.
• Training and Materials Development:
• Onboard a group of 8-12 teaching fellows into the program setting groundwork for a culture of co-design and collaboration. 
• Work with MIT CCC and Cortico to develop easy-to-use support materials and structure for people across the country who will use the Fora platform to support conversation campaigns in their communities.
• Alongside Cortico, MIT CCC, and external partners, support training sessions and experiential learning opportunities for fellows on key competencies such as community organizing, civic engagement, facilitation, sensemaking, and advocacy. 
• Stay abreast of the latest research and best practices in social and emotional learning, civic education, and youth development to continually enhance the program.
• Build opportunities for reflection and iteration in order to improve the program and refine it as a model.

The process

We aim to review and respond to all applicants within two weeks of submission. Applicants who move forward to the interview process will go through the following steps: 

• A short phone call with a representative of our HR team to set expectations and make sure we’re all on the same page about the role and your qualifications
• A Zoom meeting with the hiring team where we’ll discuss your past experience and dive into how you think about engaging educators in youth-led work
• A take-home exercise meant to showcase your skills and match your actual work as much as possible
• Finally, you’ll have the chance to meet members from other teams and learn about the inner workings of the organization

Cortico maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment. It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on tendersglobal.net