GSOP is seeking a Youth & Education Program Coordinator
The Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP) is an 18-year-old, broad-based community organization working for racial & economic justice in New Hampshire. The Youth & Education Program Coordinator oversees GSOP’s youth organizing wing, Young Organizers United (YOU), and facilitates the engagement of GSOP’s chapters in educational equity issues. The Coordinator designs YOU and parent leadership curricula, represents the organization in educational forums and builds ties with local schools and school districts of Manchester and Nashua. The organizer assists students of color and their families to devise strategies, implement issue campaigns and create models to increase the rate of high school graduation, college aspiration and attendance. The work will address systemic problems of access, opportunity and discrimination based upon race, national origin, economic status, or ethnicity and language.
JOB TITLE: Youth and Education Program Coordinator (BA required)
JOB DUTIES:
* Oversee the organizing of twice weekly meetings of the Manchester Young Organizers United (YOU) group
* Implement the startup of Nashua YOU group
* Coordinate outreach to religious congregations in Manchester and Nashua regarding youth and education issues
* Develop effective curriculum for YOU’s work including teaching life skills, public engagement, community organizing and civic participation skills.
* Organize parent and adult groups to support the YOU efforts in Manchester & Nashua
* Communicate effectively with young people, their parents and school personnel, including guidance counselors and principals
* Cultivate trusting connections with both youth and their families
* Engage children and young adults in conversation to determine their needs and interests
* Organize meetings with key elected officials, immigrant and refugee youth and their parents
* Participate in the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s learning community regarding student centered learning; travel as needed to regional youth gatherings
* Facilitate all data collection and reporting required for the YOU project
* Preparation of written materials including agendas, meeting notes & memos
* Partner with community agencies on cultural competency & identity activities
* Other duties as assigned by the GSOP Executive Director
Hours and location of work:
GSOP’s primary office is in Manchester, NH and there is an active Nashua Chapter. Full time position is 40 hours per week. Some attendance at night or weekend meetings will be required. The organizer must have a car and auto insurance. Salary and benefits: $40,000 – $45,000 per year, plus health, dental and retirement benefits. Work related travel and expenses will be reimbursed.
“It was a mere state house race, below the radar, with fewer than 500 votes cast. But Safiya Wazir’s upset victory in New Hampshire on Sept. 11 is yet one more striking example of how nontraditional candidates are upending expectations in this extraordinary election season.
“Ms. Wazir, just 27 and a refugee from Afghanistan, toppled a four-term incumbent in the Democratic primary for state representative in a blue-collar neighborhood of Concord, the state capital.”
This is an excerpt from The New York Times article, “She Was a Refugee From Afghanistan. She May Soon Enter the New Hampshire Legislature,” written by Katharine Q. Seelye. Access the full article and interview here.
Welcoming Week is a national celebration coordinated by Welcoming America and partner organizations. During this annual series of events, communities across the nation bring together immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone. In 2017, there were more than 700 events around the country.
Welcoming Week in New Hampshire
New Hampshire communities participated in this national celebration last year, and we are doing it again this year! From festivals to storytelling to art-making and more, there are plenty of ways for you to join us in the Welcoming movement. Check out the list of upcoming events in each Welcoming City, and click on the links for full details:
Immigration has become one of the most contested topics in our nation. We are bombarded by the media with different, often polarized positions and countless conflicting statements, making it extremely difficult to know what to believe or where to find correct information.
Immigration is not a simple or straightforward process, meaning many Americans have been left with little to no understanding of the different visa categories and the process of immigrating to the US. We often hear comments such as “why don’t they get in line?,” or “why haven’t they become citizens yet or just get legal?” The answer is that obtaining papers is not as easy as going to the Post Office to change your address, and far too often, obtaining legal permanent residency and/or American citizenship is not even an option.
Immigration 101 explains the current immigration system and it explores facts vs. myths about the process of immigrating to the U.S. This informational program helps people begin to understand the complexities of our immigration system and the lives of our immigrant neighbors.
The presentation covers:
Brief history of immigration law in the United States
Current immigration law and policies
The role of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E) in NH
The stories of those affected here in New Hampshire
How to stay informed and active on immigration issues
Answers to questions you have about immigration policies
This informational program is being offered across the state of New Hampshire. It is sponsored by the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (NHAIR) and the Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP).
Immigration 101 can be scheduled as a public event or presented to closed groups. Churches, libraries and organizations across the state have already begun hosting Immigration 101 presentations. If you’d like to see an Immigration 101 presentation in your area, or if you’d like to schedule another one, we want to hear from you!
The following information has been shared from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website:
“The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects Americans from random and arbitrary stops and searches. According to the government, however, these basic constitutional principles do not apply fully at our borders. For example, at border crossings (also called “ports of entry”), federal authorities do not need a warrant or even suspicion of wrongdoing to justify conducting what courts have called a “routine search,” such as searching luggage or a vehicle” (ACLU).
