Neighborhood Choir Program Assistant

Background

For 65 years, Chicago Children's Choir (Josephine Lee, President & Artistic Director) has worked to inspire, unite and change the lives of diverse youth through music. CCC began as a small choir in the Hyde Park Neighborhood in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement to foster racial understanding and has grown into a nonprofit with an international footprint that is Chicago's premier arts education and youth performing arts organization. CCC serves 4,900 singers from all of Chicago's 57 zip codes through a vast network of 144 choirs that bridge cultural and economic divides to nurture future ambassadors of empathy, equity and understanding.

In a traditional year, CCC partners with 92 schools to provide choral music education, administers 12 community-based after-school choirs and is home to the internationally acclaimed Voice of Chicago. As a national and international touring ensemble, CCC has performed for dignitaries such as former President Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela and former Chinese President Hu Jintao and with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Andrea Bocelli, Beyoncé, Celine Dion and Chance the Rapper. CCC also regularly partners with Chicago Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ravinia Festival.

Over the past year, CCC has thrived, creating high quality online programs and virtual content that brings hope and light to audiences across the globe.

CCC is a civic treasure and model for urban music education with 79% of families able to access our programming at no cost and 21% of singers participating at a partially subsidized cost, relative to their household income.

Opportunity

Program Assistants for CCC serve a vital role as part of our program team. They have the unique opportunity to work with singers in Neighborhood Choir Programs throughout the city of Chicago, inclusive of families from a wide variety of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Program Assistants are responsible for all non-musical aspects related to the Neighborhood Choir(s) to which they are assigned. Program Assistants work closely with the Conductor of their Neighborhood Choir to gather important information that is then communicated to singers and their families. Program Assistants are present for all rehearsals, concerts and events related to their Neighborhood Choir.

Program Assistants play a vital role to engage with the community that they serve. Currently, Chicago Children's Choir has an opening for a Program Assistant in the Lincoln Park area. Preference will be given to applicants who are familiar or connected to this community.

Chicago Children's Choir Neighborhood Choir Programs

The Neighborhood Choir program provides beginning, intermediate and advanced choral training to over 800 students with treble voices in 3rd grade and up through programs in 12 Chicago neighborhoods. Neighborhood Choirs meet two times per week with some programs having one weeknight rehearsal and one Saturday rehearsal while others have two weeknight rehearsals. Program Assistants provide regular coverage for all assigned choirs and attend all concerts and events. Office hours are also scheduled in order to complete administrative tasks.

Key Responsibilities

Community Engagement, Communication and Relationship Building

• Be a strong advocate and ambassador for the mission and legacy of Chicago Children's Choir by welcoming new families, maintaining strong relationships with current families, assisting with recruitment and attending community events.
• Supervise singers before and after rehearsals and concerts. Plan to arrive thirty minutes prior to rehearsal and leave thirty minutes after rehearsal ends.
• Communicate regularly with community partners to ensure the best possible experiences for all stakeholders.
• Send weekly emails to families with pertinent information such as schedules and upcoming events.
• Assist with tour accounting and attend the annual tour in the Spring. Tours are National and usually span three to four days.
• Distribute flyers for fundraisers, events and other CCC activities.
• Communicate effectively with families in order to foster deep and meaningful relationships with CCC.
• Maintain strong relationships with singers and families to ensure continued participation throughout the year. Give detailed reports when a singer discontinues participation.

Organizational Support and Administrative

• Collect and track registration and attendance and report updates to conductor and office regularly.
• Create monthly calendars in a timely manner, submit to office and conductor for edits and distribute paper and digital copies to families.
• Actively participate in weekly Program Team meetings.
• Communicate regularly with the Program Team to ensure equitable experiences amongst all programs.
• Attend and assist with organization-wide events
• Collect payments for tuition, fundraising and tour from singers, issue receipts and deliver to the main office. Keep accurate records of all transactions.

Qualifications

• Passion for working with diverse youth ages 8-18 and for fostering deep and authentic relationships with their families and communities.
• Strong understanding of Google Suite, specifically Google Docs and Google Sheets
• Experience working with children and youth from diverse backgrounds is preferred.
• Commitment to collaboration in a team, as part of a larger organizational staff and with families and community partners in a mission-driven environment.
• Dedication to anti-racism and equity.
• Creativity, flexibility, self-motivation, energy and enthusiasm for this vitally important work.

"OTR" Life Experience:

We know that many of your most character-building experiences -- where resilience, grit and grace were required to persevere -- do not show up neatly on a resume. So, we want to hear some of the "OTR" ("off the resume") moments for you. In order to be on the CCC team, EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is not a nice-to-have...it's a must. So, show us your EQ.

A Not-So-Fun-Fact:

We know research tells us that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and people of color tend to only apply when they feel they've checked every single box. If you are unsure that you've checked every box above, but you think you have what it takes to enhance the CCC as we grow our team, we want to hear from you.

Compensation

Part-time hourly position.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should send a resume and cover letter to jobs@ccchoir./org, with the job title in the subject line,

Chicago Children's Choir is an equal opportunity employer that actively pursues candidates of diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to providing diversity, equity, and inclusion training to all employees, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy status, marital status, age, medical condition, disability or veteran status in admission or access to, or employment in, its programs and activities.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $14.00 - $20.00 per hour

Schedule:

• Weekend availability

Experience:

• Community Engagement Specialists: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Preferred)

Work Location: Multiple Locations