| Job Description: |
Under the supervision of the Assistant Director and the Project PI, this position will provide local leadership on recruitment, collaborative partnerships, and educational delivery for the UF/IFAS Books and Cooks program. This position will work closely with the state team to develop and implement plans for recruitment, partnerships, educational delivery, and project evaluation in Alachua County. Additionally, this role will support New Worlds Reading engagement efforts in Alachua, Gilchrist, Dixie, and Levy Counties.
The position is time-limited.
Project Overview
The UF/IFAS Books & Cooks program is focused on improving the literacy and nutrition security of Florida families. The project is a collaboration with UF’s College of Education Lastinger Center New Worlds Reading Initiative (https://www.newworldsreading.com/fl/en/home.html), which is a at-home literacy program that delivers books and resources to eligible Florida students K-5. The Books & Cooks program is responsible for:
(1) recruiting and enrolling families into the New Worlds Reading Initiative
(2) developing local partnerships through county-level steering committees to guide New Worlds Reading engagement and educational delivery.
(3) delivering the Books & Cooks educational curriculum to increase family literacy capacities and improve nutrition security status.
(4) optimizing program quality and assessing the achievement of outcomes through formative and summative evaluation of the Books & Cooks Program.
The Books & Cooks Education Specialist will be responsible for all program activities at the local level, including participant recruitment, New Worlds Reading engagement, development of partnerships, educational delivery to families, managing data collection, and providing regular reports of project progress and achievements.
Planning and Delivery of Educational Sessions for Children and Parents
Delivering the Books & Cooks educational sessions to families
Recruit families with children in K-5 grade for educational sessions
Identify appropriate locations for educational sessions
Purchase ingredients used throughout educational sessions
Engagement for the New Worlds Reading Initiative
Develop local engagement plans
Coordinate with Extension and other key partners on engagement activities
Develop partnerships and build relationships with local partners such as literacy organizations, food banks, local schools, and libraries
Attend meetings and events to distribute engagement materials
Make brief presentations to interested groups to raise awareness of New Worlds Reading and Books & Cooks
Plan and deliver major recruitment events
Developing Local Partnerships to Support the Books & Cooks program
Develop partnerships and build relationships with local partners such as literacy organizations, food banks, local schools, and libraries
Identify potential steering committee members
Convene and facilitate meetings of the Steering Committee
Participate in qualitative analysis of information generated from steering committee meetings
Incorporate Steering Committee guidance into local plans and share approaches with the statewide team
Administration and Reporting
Manage all data collection at the local level
Participate in weekly project meetings
Complete timely monthly and annual reports
Attend training events and meetings
Complete timely reports as requested by FNP state office or County Extension Director (CED). Reports may include success stories and programmatic activities
Complete annual county plan(s) and budget(s)
Monitor progress toward and fulfillment of specific contract or program goals
Ensure integrity, quality and accuracy of programmatic records
Review travel expense reports, grocery receipts and staff work logs
Other duties as assigned
Other duties as assigned by the supervisor, PI, or Co-PIs, provided they are allowed by the rules of the grant.
Work Schedule
40 hours, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Due to the nature of this position, some early or late hours and travel will be required. In addition, some overnight travel will be required, including trips to UF’s main campus. Participation in the Extension community events on weekends as requested by FCS Agent or CED, and allowable by grant guidelines, may be required.
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| Preferred: |
Master's degree in an area of specialization
Capacity to effectively deliver educational lessons to parents and children. Experience with family literacy, nutrition/food security, and parent-child education. Ability to contribute to a positive, productive team environment using leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work collaboratively and engage relevant partners and institutions. Ability to form and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues locally and throughout the state, as well as Extension colleagues and program partners. Demonstrate a courteous and helpful manner, and a respect and appreciation for diversity in all its forms.
Ability to maintain working files and revisions of documents. Proficient with Word, Excel, TEAMS, and PowerPoint, and able to quickly learn basics of new software. Ability to maximize digital tools for productivity, communication, and organization. A high degree of accuracy and timeliness in all work. Demonstrate a strong work ethic, dependability, and resourcefulness. Ability to maintain complete and organized records. Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Willingness and ability to travel independently.
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