Job Description
Through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, this position will act as Grant Coordinator for the Putting SPELL into Action project. This project’s ultimate goal is to determine best practices for libraries and other early childhood service agencies to empower low-income parents of children birth through three to embed early literacy activities in their daily lives. The 2-year project will provide 8 Colorado public libraries with subgrants, training, and mentoring to turn our earlier SPELL research and recommendations for early literacy practices and outreach into prototypes relevant for their communities.
The SPELL Grant Coordinator position is funded for 20 hours per week from the day of hire through August 31, 2016. Occasional day and overnight travel is required.
Major duties and responsibilities:
- Coordinate 8 local grants including overseeing the design and implementation of prototypes to ensure integrity with the SPELL blueprint and other research.
- Work with evaluation team to coordinate all aspects of evaluation and reporting for compliance and to establish best practices.
- Oversee sub-grant disbursements, track local match, and provide coordination for other financial aspects of the grant.
- Provide consistent communications, coaching, and support for participants (libraries and partners) as they implement early literacy prototypes.
- Monitor progress of prototypes including engaging with local libraries and partners via writing, phone, and online including bi-monthly meetings, updates, and other support systems.
- Coordinate statewide partnerships including facilitating advisory board meetings, maintaining communications, and assessing partnership benefits over the course of the grant timeframe.
- Establish and maintain a community of practice including leveraging innovative technologies to connect the 8 SPELL libraries, broadcast findings nationally, and cultivate early literacy engagement.
- Coordinate professional development events including quarterly trainings and the culminating symposium.
- Conduct site visits throughout Colorado to review prototype progress, partnership development, reporting, and other aspects of grant activities.
Additional Info & Requirements
Required:
- Demonstrated expertise (education and experience) in early childhood development and early literacy practices as they relate to families, providers, and public libraries.
- Demonstrated experience developing outreach programs for parents based in libraries or other organizations.
- Demonstrated skills in partnership development and cultivation.
- Project management experience (please provide specific examples in application materials)
- Savvy technology skills including experience with Adobe Connect, website authoring, social media use, and/or instructional design tools.
- Strong communications skills in multiple modalities.
- Skills in mentoring and coaching professionals in libraries or other organizations.
Preferred:
- Experience with federal grant administration
- Experience as an early literacy librarian
- Master’s in Library Science or Early Childhood Education
The Community
The SPELL Grant Coordinator will work at the Colorado State Library in downtown Denver, working closely with other SPELL staff including members of the Library Development, Library Research Service, and Administration Departments. The Coordinator will develop strong working relations with library staff at the 8 SPELL libraries representing diverse communities across Colorado.
HR Info
Please contact Beth Crist, crist_b@cde.state.co.us, for more information about the position.
Please email a completed Colorado Department of Education Employment Application, letter of interest, and resume to careers@cde.state.co.us with the Position# (1592) and Title in the subject line.
To obtain a Colorado Department of Education Employment Application, visit http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdemgmt/HR/jobs.htm
Please see the full job description and application procedure at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdemgmt/1592.