Reports to: Senior Associate of Scholar Virtual Engagement

About Chicago Scholars

At Chicago Scholars we strive to prepare our Scholars for the world and the world for our Scholars. Our dual focus on Scholars and the world are both essential to our strategy. The first part of our work supports college acceptance, matriculation, persistence, and career access for our Scholars. The second part allows Scholars to go beyond surviving to thriving, from achieving to excelling, from attending and working to belonging and exceeding. The first part of our work allows entry, the second truly opens up opportunity and redistributes power. To achieve these goals we center diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and racial justice so that we can launch and lift our Scholars and enable them to lead and leverage their power wherever they are on their journeys.

Chicago Scholars is transforming the leadership landscape of our city by resolving the fundamental barriers to success for academically driven, first generation college students from under-resourced communities. Through college counseling, mentoring, and by providing a supportive community to our Scholars through each phase of our program: College Access (Launch), College Persistence (Lift) and College to Careers (Lead), we ensure that they realize their full potential as students and leaders.

83% of Chicago Scholars graduate college within 6 years. Per the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, only 49% of their peers earn a degree within 6 years. Upon graduation, our Scholars move into leadership positions across Chicago, helping to drive the economic future of their communities and our thriving city.

READI Commitment

At Chicago Scholars we strive to prepare our Scholars for the world and the world for our Scholars. Our dual focus on Scholars and the world are essential to our strategy. To achieve these goals, we center racial justice, equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion (READI) in all that we do.

Chicago Scholars’ commitment to READI encompasses all of our stakeholders—from our staff to our board, from our volunteers to our partnering organizations, and most importantly our Scholars. This holistic approach is necessary for the sustained, long-term, positive impact that we seek for our Scholars, our neighborhoods, our city, and our world.

To learn more about Chicago Scholars commitment to READI, please visit chicagoscholars.org/readi.

At Chicago Scholars, we believe that education is social justice. That's why we're empowering Chicago's best and brightest first-generation college students and students from low-income communities with the mentors, resources, and opportunities to go to our nation's best colleges and universities, graduate on time, and become Chicago's next generation of leaders. Since 1996, we've impacted the lives of more than 5,000 young leaders in Chicago.

Our Values

These are a set of guiding principles that apply to all stakeholders within the Chicago Scholars ecosystem. We select and retain stakeholders based on these stated expectations for how we achieve our mission and vision. Each are supported with core competencies and narrative for the sake of clarity.

We Dream Big. We speak up, innovate, push the boundaries and keep the creativity flowing. We don’t accept the status quo because the stakes are too high. We have an incredible belief that growth and change is possible. While we dream big, we are laser focused on our intended goals and outcomes for our Scholars, our city and the world.

We Show Up. We show up every day; not just physically, but with a positive attitude and willingness to work, connect, challenge, engage, solve problems and have fun. We don’t wait for someone to tell us what to do. We take action and get the job done. If we don’t know how, we figure it out through our knowledge, exploration or our network.

We Embrace Our Differences. We represent a multicultural nation and our collective backgrounds, experiences, styles, values, perspectives and beliefs are an asset to the world. We recognize that together we achieve better outcomes more quickly. Justice and equity starts with us using our collective voice.

We Model the Way. We exhibit the behavior that we want to see in others and in the world. Titles are granted, but our behavior is what earns us respect. In order to model the way, we must be clear about our guiding principles, celebrate our accomplishments and learn from our challenges and failures.

We Care For Each Other Along the Way. We adapt to the needs of the person in front of us. We pause, reflect and listen. We do our best work when we are in good relationship together. We care personally and challenge directly.

We Keep Our Word. When we commit, we are all in. Whether for events, a Scholar, a peer or ourselves. Our words are as powerful as our actions and are the building block of trust, respect, self-worth and integrity.

Position Summary:

Chicago Scholars has recently launched our CS mobile app, a platform in which Scholars, mentors, counselors and other CS stakeholders can connect, share opportunities, and access resources. The Digital Content & Engagement Intern for Team Lift will work closely with Team Lift (College Success Team) staff to support the continued buildout of the app, specifically for college Scholars. Key areas of responsibility will include creating digital content to be posted in the app, engaging fellow college Scholars and getting them excited about the app, and providing administrative support as we seek to expand the number of Scholars active in the app. This intern will also support other communications work including but not limited to the Lift Instagram, 10 Minute Tea Newsletter, and occasional email communications. 

This role is a part-time & hourly position without benefits. The rate per hour is $16/hour, and the number of hours that you will be permitted to work each week is up to 15 hours on average. The number of hours per week can be flexible to accommodate school schedules and heavy project periods.  

Key Responsibilities:

Content Creation:

• Design, create, and schedule posts across the various Communities within the app that will encourage Scholars to engage and interact with the post and one another 
• Help develop a plan and strategy for when and where to post content in the app and Instagram 
• Design and post resources, updates, and opportunities to the Team Lift Instagram account 
• Assist in drafting language/copy and graphics for the 10 Minute Tea newsletter 

Scholar Engagement: 

• Build community throughout the app by posting engaging content and questions, responding to Scholar inquiries and posts 
• Test different content ideas to determine how best to engage college Scholars of all class years 
• Conduct outreach to Scholars who have not completed assigned/required tasks in the app 
• Help determine and implement methods of elevating, highlighting and celebrating Scholars in the app 

Administrative Support: 

• Conduct outreach to college Scholars to encourage them to sign-up for the mobile app, including via email, text, and phone 
• Help track Scholar onboarding data and report the number of Scholars signed up for the app 
• Support the Manager of Postsecondary Leadership Development in the development of communications plans and designing content for surveys, events, and other opportunities 
• Elevate mobile app posts to Manager of Postsecondary Leadership Development that might be relevant for the 10 Minute Tea Newsletter 
• Support of other occasional team projects or events as needed and collaboration with the Development and External Engagement Communications team 

Additional Responsibilities:

• This role will occasionally work on nights and weekends for Chicago Scholars events and programming.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Requirements:

• Education: Must be a Chicago Scholar currently enrolled in college
• Experienced social media user, knowledgeable about trends and able to frame content in a relatable way to Scholars 
• Familiarity or experience with Canva and/or other platforms for design
• Can work between 15-20 hours per week

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience: 1-2 years of work experience

Technical Knowledge

• Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Knowledge of Canva, Pardot, Outlook, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams (preferred)

Core Competencies:

• Creativity & Innovation: Cultivates new ideas and approaches to work, and turns ideas into action 
• Communication: Good verbal and written communication skills, organization, and attention to detail 
• Teamwork & Collaboration: able to work collaboratively with a team to accomplish goals and tasks 
• Accountability: Takes initiative on projects and tasks, manages own work 

Hourly Salary: $16/hour

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy: Effective January 1, 2022, all Chicago Scholars employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Exceptions may be made for religious and medical accommodations. Unvaccinated employees who receive a religious or medical accommodation must submit a weekly negative COVID-19 test result. Employees hired after January 1, 2022 are required to be fully vaccinated by their first day of work or submit a negative test result dated no more than three days prior to their first day of work.

If you have questions regarding this policy, or any of Chicago Scholars employment policies, please reach out to the Human Resources team at jobs@chicagoscholars.org with the subject line: Policy Question.

To Apply

• Please click 'Apply' to submit your application which should include a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please explain your experience with graphic design, Canva, social media experience, and/or content creation.
• Please apply by the priority deadline on Friday, March 17th, 2023.