The Manager of Play and Learning in Communities position acts as an ambassador for CCM, often providing the first point of museum contact in a community. The role is a unique blend of program administration and management. The Manager of Play & Learning in Communities designs and leads onsite/off-site adult professional development workshops, while also leading project management for a diverse slate of access and inclusion programs developed by the Partnerships Team and Programming and Experience Development Teams.

The role is vital for the museum to extend its impact beyond the museum walls and serve families interfacing with municipal systems such as child welfare, foster care, alternative schools, criminal justice, food security, public housing, and public health. The role is highly collaborative and provides a rich opportunity to stretch critical thinking, communication, community engagement, and analytical skills.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Build and sustain a network of partnerships with parents/caregivers, community organizations, and advocates, with a special focus on those in and/or serving IL Early Learning Council "Priority Populations" (identified in Partnerships Team Annual Plan)
• Represent the Community and Educational Partnerships team at museum and external functions, with a special focus on neighborhoods with IL Early Learning Council "Community-Level Risk Factors".
• Deliver high-quality, engaging, professional development workshops on early childhood topics for adults with a range of literacy and formal education levels
• Provide project management support to a range of Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion programs and initiatives
• Contribute to reaching attendance and revenue goals for Adult Workshops/Professional Development, Field Trip Program, Free First Sunday Program, and Museums for All Program.

PARTNER RELATIONS (8 hours/week approx.):

• Develop and sustain partnerships with organizations actively engaging the following IL Early Learning Council Priority Populations:
• Foster families and children in state care
• Children with disabilities
• Families living in deep poverty
• Children with incarcerated parents
• Develop and sustain partnerships with organizations addressing the following community-level risk factors:
• High unemployment/poverty rates
• High rates of substance use
• High rates of community violence
• High incarceration rates
• Maintain an active, visible presence in communities by participating in staff and parent meetings, as well as network and neighborhood-level collaborations
• Link stakeholders to community and municipal resources, particularly in early care and education, health and wellness, and parenting supports.
• Inform and engage stakeholders in utilizing revenue-generating museum resources, including Group Visits, Adult/Educator Workshops, and facility rentals
• Facilitate clear, consistent communication between external stakeholders and multiple CCM teams

PLAY & LEARNING COMMUNITIES (12 hours/week approx.):

• Adult Workshops (10 hours/week approx.):
• Lead and facilitate play-based adult workshops on topics including early childhood development, accessibility and inclusion, and arts-based social justice
• Engage in continuous quality improvement process with Education Programs Manager, Director of Early Learning Initiatives, AVP of Play & Learning Initiatives, Director of Exhibit Development, and Facilitated Programs Manager
• Meet FY20 revenue target
• Lead 2 -3 hour fee-based workshops (minimum 2 workshops/month)
• Provide 45min "CCM 101"-Style presentations at a lower, sliding-scale price point
• Community Play & Learning Activations (2 hours/week approx.):
• In partnership with Director of Guest Connections, co-manage a team of Play & Learning Facilitators (PLF) trained to deliver a focused "menu" of play activations with priority populations in/near partner sites.
• Maintain schedule of play activations, cross-train PLF staff, supervise play activations

PROJECT & EVENT MANAGEMENT (7.5 hours/week approx.):

• Manage the day-to-day aspects of projects of varying size, budget, and type ensuring strict adherence to the museum’s goals and objectives
• Work with internal stakeholders to assemble project teams and assign individual responsibilities
• Develop project schedules and maintain budgets, continually update them and report out to VP of Partnerships and VP of Programming & Experience Development, as well as external stakeholders, when needed
• Manage project documentation at all phases including meeting minutes, distributed promptly with expected actions and deadlines for team members.
• Simultaneously manage several projects at different phases; projects organized in three umbrellas:

1. All Families Welcome Project Management (5 hours/week approx.):

• Parent Partnership Projects: Father Engagement, WePlay Young Parent Playgroup
• Economic Access Projects: Museums for All Expansion Pilot
• City/County Projects: Beyond Incarceration Pilot*, Department of Children & Family Services Visitation Pilot
• DEAI Projects… Provide general support as member of LGBTQ Team, Race & Ethnicity Team, Accessibility & Inclusion Team (co-manage team budget)
• Evaluate and document strategies, activities, and outcomes of programs and initiatives

2. Peace & Justice Project Management (1 hours/week approx.):

• Support the Arts & Culture Engagement Specialist, particularly for projects with school and/or community group deliverables
• Provide reporting/administrative support for Partnerships Team and Arts/Culture Team collaborations, namely Free First Sundays and Play Late Thursdays

3. Awareness & Celebrations Project Management (1.5 hours/week approx.):

• Provide core support for Awareness & Celebration activations involving priority populations.
• Maintain master calendar* for FY20 Awareness & Celebrations Initiative, including:
• Black History Month (February)
• Women’s History Month (March)
• Month of the Military Child (April),
• Autism Awareness Month (April)
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)
• National Foster Care Month (May),
• LGBTQ Pride Month (June)
• National Safety Month (June)
• National Hispanic Heritage Month (September)
• United Nations Universal Children’s Day (November)
• National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week (November)
• National Adoption Day (November),
• United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December)
• Ensure event detail protocols, room reservations, and internal communication is coordinated for onsite events.
• Develop and track metrics for FY20 Awareness & Celebrations Initiative.
• Provide regular reports on community organizations and families engaged, as well as impact metrics (e.g., web impressions, onsite/offsite attendance, external media, etc.)